Claire Windsor
Encyclopedia
Claire Windsor was a notable American film actress of the silent screen
era.
of Scandinavia
n heritage. Her parents later moved to Cawker City, Kansas when she was a small child. She attended Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas from 1906 to 1907 (15). An early marriage to a man named David Willis Bowes, took place on May 13, 1914 in Denver, Colorado, resulted in the birth of a son, David William Bowes, born on September 9, 1916, and the couple soon went their separate ways. Bowes officially filed for divorce on September 14, 1920.(13)(14) Claire moved to Seattle, Washington with her parents where she entered and won a beauty contest
. On the advice of a friend, Claire moved to California
in hopes of making a career as an actress in the new medium of motion pictures. Initially receiving only bit part
s, she was soon spotted by Lois Weber
, a highly regarded and influential director and producer of silent films for Paramount Pictures
. Weber immediately signed Windsor to a contract. Windsor costarred with Louis Calhern
in Weber's The Blot
(1921).
's To Please One Woman which was only a modest success. To promote the nascent starlet, Paramount Pictures often paired Windsor with the newly divorced legendary actor Charlie Chaplin
in publicity photographs, leading the tabloid press to give mention to the young actress in print. The publicity paid off; in 1922 the newly formed Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) began their annual WAMPAS Baby Stars
awards and named Claire Windsor, along with Bessie Love
, Lila Lee
, Mary Philbin
and Colleen Moore
, as the year's most promising starlets. That same year Claire signed a contract with Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. She would appear in Broken Chains with fellow WAMPAS Baby Star Colleen Moore
.
In 1923, the former Ola Cronk officially began using the more matinee-friendly Claire Windsor as a moniker. Throughout the 1920s, Windsor established herself as highly regarded leading lady in film. As her career progressed, she was often typecast as the "upscale society girl", often playing the part of a princess, or monied socialite. Critics lauded her elegant fashion sense, and Windsor became a noted trend-setter of 1920s fashion.
In 1924, Windsor was one of the top stars at the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
studio. Later, at Tiffany Pictures
, Souls for Sables (1925), co-starring Eugene O'Brien, was a box-office hit for Windsor.
. The couple divorced in 1927, however. Windsor never remarried, but a few notable love affairs with men caused minor scandals in the press, including once being sued by the young wife of a Boston
broker in an "Alienation of Affection" lawsuit, in which the broker's wife contended that Windsor had "stolen her husband".
By the late 1920s, Claire Windsor (like so many of her acting peers) found it difficult to move into talkies. She made several talkies throughout the 1930s but could never recapture the success of her earlier years as a silent screen actress. She had a brief stint on a road tour with Al Jolson
in the production of The Wonder Bar and would occasionally take stage parts. In her later years, Windsor devoted herself to painting.
On April 12, 1943, Windsor officially changed her name to Claire Windsor, and her son took the name of William Willis Windsor.(12)
Claire Windsor died of a heart attack
in 1972 at the age of 80 in Los Angeles
, California
. She was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale
, California.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Claire Windsor was given a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 7021 Hollywood Blvd., in Hollywood, California, U.S.
.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era.
Early life
Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk (nicknamed "Ola") in 1892 to George Edwin and Rosella R. Fearing Cronk in Marvin, Phillips County, KansasPhillips County, Kansas
Phillips County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,642...
of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n heritage. Her parents later moved to Cawker City, Kansas when she was a small child. She attended Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas from 1906 to 1907 (15). An early marriage to a man named David Willis Bowes, took place on May 13, 1914 in Denver, Colorado, resulted in the birth of a son, David William Bowes, born on September 9, 1916, and the couple soon went their separate ways. Bowes officially filed for divorce on September 14, 1920.(13)(14) Claire moved to Seattle, Washington with her parents where she entered and won a beauty contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
. On the advice of a friend, Claire moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in hopes of making a career as an actress in the new medium of motion pictures. Initially receiving only bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
s, she was soon spotted by Lois Weber
Lois Weber
Lois Weber was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer, and director, who is considered "the most important female director the American film industry has known", and "one of the most important and important and prolific film directors in the era of silent films". Film historian...
, a highly regarded and influential director and producer of silent films for Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. Weber immediately signed Windsor to a contract. Windsor costarred with Louis Calhern
Louis Calhern
Louis Calhern was an American stage and screen actor.- Early life :Louis Calhern was born Carl Henry Vogt on February 19, 1895 in Brooklyn, New York. His family left New York City while he was still a child and moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he grew up...
in Weber's The Blot
The Blot
The Blot is an American silent drama film directed by Lois Weber with her husband Phillips Smalley in 1921. The film tackles the social problem of genteel poverty, focusing on a starving family. It stars Claire Windsor, Louis Calhern and Marie Walcamp....
(1921).
Career climb
Claire Windsor's film debut was in the 1920 release of Lois WeberLois Weber
Lois Weber was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer, and director, who is considered "the most important female director the American film industry has known", and "one of the most important and important and prolific film directors in the era of silent films". Film historian...
's To Please One Woman which was only a modest success. To promote the nascent starlet, Paramount Pictures often paired Windsor with the newly divorced legendary actor Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
in publicity photographs, leading the tabloid press to give mention to the young actress in print. The publicity paid off; in 1922 the newly formed Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) began their annual WAMPAS Baby Stars
WAMPAS Baby Stars
The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934, and annual...
awards and named Claire Windsor, along with Bessie Love
Bessie Love
Bessie Love was an American motion picture actress who achieved prominence mainly in the silent films and early talkies. With a small frame and delicate features, she played innocent young girls, flappers, and wholesome leading ladies. Her role in The Broadway Melody earned her a nomination for...
, Lila Lee
Lila Lee
Lila Lee was a prominent screen actress of the early silent film era.-Early life:Lila Lee was born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel in Union Hill, New Jersey into a middle-class family of German immigrants who relocated to New York City when Lila was quite young...
, Mary Philbin
Mary Philbin
Mary Philbin was a notable film actress of the silent film era. Philbin is probably best remembered for playing the roles of Christine Daaé in the 1925 film The Phantom of the Opera opposite screen legend Lon Chaney and Dea in The Man Who Laughs...
and Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
, as the year's most promising starlets. That same year Claire signed a contract with Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. She would appear in Broken Chains with fellow WAMPAS Baby Star Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, and one of the most fashionable stars of the silent film era.-Early life:...
.
In 1923, the former Ola Cronk officially began using the more matinee-friendly Claire Windsor as a moniker. Throughout the 1920s, Windsor established herself as highly regarded leading lady in film. As her career progressed, she was often typecast as the "upscale society girl", often playing the part of a princess, or monied socialite. Critics lauded her elegant fashion sense, and Windsor became a noted trend-setter of 1920s fashion.
In 1924, Windsor was one of the top stars at the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
studio. Later, at Tiffany Pictures
Tiffany Pictures
Tiffany Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio in operation from 1921 until 1932.-History:...
, Souls for Sables (1925), co-starring Eugene O'Brien, was a box-office hit for Windsor.
Personal life and "talkies"
Windsor was frequently romantically linked to her leading male co-stars. She had a well-publicized affair with actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and in 1925 married matinee idol Bert LytellBert Lytell
Bert Lytell , Born Bertram Lytell, he was a popular screen star of the silent film era who starred in romantic, melodrama and adventure films....
. The couple divorced in 1927, however. Windsor never remarried, but a few notable love affairs with men caused minor scandals in the press, including once being sued by the young wife of a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
broker in an "Alienation of Affection" lawsuit, in which the broker's wife contended that Windsor had "stolen her husband".
By the late 1920s, Claire Windsor (like so many of her acting peers) found it difficult to move into talkies. She made several talkies throughout the 1930s but could never recapture the success of her earlier years as a silent screen actress. She had a brief stint on a road tour with Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
in the production of The Wonder Bar and would occasionally take stage parts. In her later years, Windsor devoted herself to painting.
On April 12, 1943, Windsor officially changed her name to Claire Windsor, and her son took the name of William Willis Windsor.(12)
Claire Windsor died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1972 at the age of 80 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, California.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Claire Windsor was given a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 7021 Hollywood Blvd., in Hollywood, California, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Filmography
- To Please One Woman (1920)
- What Do Men Want? (1921)
- What's Worth While? (1921)
- The BlotThe BlotThe Blot is an American silent drama film directed by Lois Weber with her husband Phillips Smalley in 1921. The film tackles the social problem of genteel poverty, focusing on a starving family. It stars Claire Windsor, Louis Calhern and Marie Walcamp....
(1921) - Too Wise Wives (1921)
- Dr. Jim (1921)
- The Raiders (1921)
- Grand Larceny (1922)
- One Clear Call (1922)
- Fools First (1922)
- Rich Men's Wives (1922)
- Brothers Under the SkinBrothers Under the SkinBrothers Under the Skin is a 1922 silent comedy film directed by E. Mason Hopper. It is unknown whether any recording of the film survives; it may be a lost film.-Cast:* Pat O'Malley - Newton Craddock* Helene Chadwick - Millie Craddock...
(1922) - The Strangers' Banquet (1922)
- Broken Chains (1922)
- The Eternal Three (1923)
- The Little Church Around The Corner (1923)
- Rupert of Hentzau (1923)
- The Acquittal (1923)
- Nellie, The Beautiful Cloak Model (1924)
- A Son of the Sahara (1924)
- For Sale (1924)
- Souls For SaleSouls for SaleSouls for Sale is a silent film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes from his novel of the same name. The film featured Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contract with Goldwyn Studios through their "New Faces of 1921" contest just two years prior.The film is most...
(1924) - The Dixie HandicapThe Dixie HandicapThe Dixie Handicap is a 1924 drama film directed by Reginald Barker. The film stars Claire Windsor, Lloyd Hughes and Otis Harlan. It is written by Waldemar Young.-Cast:* Claire Windsor - The Daughter* Frank Keenan - The Racehorse Owner...
(1924) - Born Rich (1924)
- The DenialThe DenialThe Denial is a 1925 film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Claire Windsor, Bert Roach, William Haines, Lucille Ricksen and Robert Agnew. It is written by Agnes Christine Johnston based on the play by Lewis Beach. Lucille Ricksen, a promising young starlet, died of tuberculosis at age...
(1925) - Just A Woman (1925)
- The White DesertThe White DesertThe White Desert is a 1925 drama film directed by Reginald Barker. The film stars Claire Windsor and Pat O'Malley, with Robert Frazer, Frank Currier and Sojin. It is written by Monte M. Katterjohn and Gordon Rigby...
(1925) - Souls For Sables (1925)
- Dance MadnessDance MadnessDance Madness is a 1926 silent comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard based upon a script by Frederica Sagor. The film stars Claire Windsor, Conrad Nagel and Hedda Hopper. The film is lost.-Plot:...
(1926) - Money TalksMoney Talks (1926 film)Money Talks is a 1926 comedy film directed by Archie Mayo. The film stars Claire Windsor, Bert Roach, Owen Moore and Ned Sparks. It is written by Jessie Burns and Bernard Vorhaus, based on the story by Rupert Hughes. The film is considered partially lost....
(1926) - Tin HatsTin HatsTin Hats is a 1926 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick , starring Claire Windsor and Conrad Nagel. The film is considered partially lost.-Plot:...
(1926) - A Little JourneyA Little JourneyA Little Journey is a 1927 comedy film featuring Harry Carey. No prints are thought to survive of this film. It is therefore considered lost.-Plot:A girl travelling by train to meet her boyfriend meets another young man and falls in love with him....
(1927) - The Claw (1927)
- The Bugle Call (1927)
- Foreign Devils (1927)
- The Frontiersman (1927)
- Nameless Men (1928)
- Fashion Madness (1928)
- Satan and The Woman (1928)
- Blondes By Choice (1928)
- Grain of Dust (1928)
- Opening Night (1928)
- Domestic Meddlers (1928)
- Captain Lash (1929)
- Midstream (1929)
- Sister To Judas (1933)
- The Constant Woman (1933)
- Self Defense (1933)
- Cross Streets (1934)
- Kiss of Araby (1938)
- Barefoot Boy (1938)
- How Doooo You Do!!! (1945)