Known For
Acting
Known Credits
49
Gender
Female
Birthday
September 24, 1898 (127 years old)
Place of Birth
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
From Wikipedia
Claire Adams (September 24, 1898 – September 25, 1978) was a Canadian silent film actress and benefactor. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the daughter of Stanley Wells Adams, a Welsh-born accountant, and his Canadian wife, Lillian Adams (née Kennedy). Educated in Canada and England, Claire Adams worked briefly as a nurse with the Red Cross during World War I.
In 1920 Adams signed a five-year contract with Benjamin Bowles Hampton, a Hollywood producer and her future husband. She later moved to California where she acted in more than forty silent films, including melodramas, comedies and westerns.
Described as "patricianly beautiful", Adams worked with many of Hollywood's leading actors, including Adolphe Menjou, Tom Mix, Wallace Beery, and Lon Chaney. In 1923 she was Rin Tin Tin's leading lady in Where the North Begins, which was a huge success and is often credited with saving Warner Bros. from bankruptcy. She later maintained that Rin Tin Tin was her "favourite leading man".
Her best known film was The Big Parade, the second largest grossing silent film in cinematic history. It was directed by King Vidor and Adams starred alongside John Gilbert. Perhaps her most memorable role came in 1920 as Barbara, the artist who helps humanize the crippled crime boss played by Lon Chaney in The Penalty.
She married film producer Benjamin B. Hampton in Hollywood on September 18, 1924. They had no children. He died in 1932 leaving her very wealthy. Later that year Adams met Scobie Mackinnon, the second son of L.K.S. Mackinnon, at a party in London and three weeks later they married on April 1 in Mayfair. They remained childless. After a protracted honeymoon, in March 1938, Mackinnon brought Adams to Victoria, Australia.
On his death in 1974, Scobie Mackinnon's estate was worth A$2,111, 729, which was left entirely to Adams. She died on September 25, 1978, in Windsor, Victoria and was cremated.
| 2009 | Five Starsas | |
| 1934 | What a Mother-in-Law!as Frances | |
| 1927 | Married Aliveas Viola Helmesley Duxbury | |
| 1926 | The Sea Wolfas Maud Brewster | |
| 1926 | Yellow Fingersas Nona Deering | |
| 1925 | The Big Paradeas Justyn Reed | |
| 1925 | The Kiss Barrieras Marion Weston | |
| 1925 | Men and Womenas Agnes Prescott | |
| 1925 | The Devil's Cargoas Martha Joyce | |
| 1925 | Souls for Sablesas Helen Ralston | |
| 1924 | The Brass Bowlas Sylvia | |
| 1924 | The Fast Setas Fay Collen | |
| 1924 | The Painted Flapperas Eunice Whitney | |
| 1924 | Oh, You Tony!as Betty Faine | |
| 1924 | Honor Among Menas Patricia Carson | |
| 1924 | The Girl in the Limousineas The Girl | |
| 1924 | The Night Hawkas Clia Milton | |
| 1924 | Daddiesas Bobette Audrey | |
| 1923 | The Clean Upas Phyllis Andrews | |
| 1923 | Legally Deadas Minnie O'Reilly | |
| 1923 | Where the North Beginsas Felice McTavish | |
| 1923 | Stepping Fastas Helen Durant | |
| 1923 | Brass Commandmentsas Ellen Bosworth | |
| 1923 | The Scarlet Caras Beatrice Forbes | |
| 1922 | Do and Dareas Juanita Sánchez | |
| 1922 | Just Tonyas Marianne Jordan | |
| 1922 | Heart's Havenas Vivian Breed | |
| 1922 | Golden Dreamsas Mercedes McDonald | |
| 1922 | When Romance Ridesas Lucy Bostil | |
| 1921 | The Mysterious Rideras Columbine | |
| 1921 | The Man Of The Forestas Helen Raynor | |
| 1921 | A Certain Rich Manas Molly Culpepper | |
| 1921 | The Lure of Egyptas Margaret Lampton | |
| 1921 | The Killeras Ruth Emory | |
| 1920 | The Great Loveras Ethel | |
| 1920 | The Money Changersas Lucy Hegan | |
| 1920 | The Dwelling Place of Lightas Janet Butler | |
| 1920 | The Penaltyas Barbara Ferris | |
| 1920 | Riders of the Dawnas Lenore Anderson | |
| 1920 | The Key to Poweras | |
| 1919 | The Invisible Bondas Leila Templeton | |
| 1919 | A Misfit Earlas Phyllis Burton | |
| 1919 | Speedy Meadeas Alice Hall | |
| 1919 | The End of the Roadas Mary Lee | |
| 1918 | Romance and Brass Tacksas | |
| 1917 | Your Obedient Servantas | |
| 1917 | Barnaby Leeas Dorothy Van Swringen | |
| 1917 | Chris and His Wonderful Lampas Betty | |
| 1912 | Revenge Is Sweetas One of the Office Girls |