Valeska Surratt
Encyclopedia
Valeska Suratt was an American stage and silent film
actress.
, she moved with her family to Terre Haute
when she was six years old. In 1913 Suratt became noted for the New York
Casino musical success, The Kiss Waltz. Suratt was known as The Vampire Woman of the silent screen.
A famous pose of Suratt from The Red Rose had her left breast exposed with her hand and a rose placed over the left nipple
.
sketchings. In the Fox Film drama, The Soul of Broadway, Suratt wore more than 150 gowns. No copies of Suratt's films
have survived but still photos taken on sets during productions remain extant.
sued DeMille for stealing the scenario for The King of Kings from them. The case went to trial in February 1930 but eventually settled without publicity. Suratt, who had left films in 1917, appeared to be unofficially blacklisted after the suit.
roles. She reportedly married him circa 1904 and later divorced. In 1911, she married actor Fletcher Norton to whom she remained married until Norton's death in 1941.
She was a member of the Bahá'í Faith
.
in 1962. She was 80 years old. Suratt is interred in Highland Lawn Cemetery
in Terre Haute, Indiana.
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...
actress.
Early life
Born in Owensville, IndianaOwensville, Indiana
For communities with a similar name, see Owensville.Owensville is a town in and the seat of Montgomery Township, Gibson County, Indiana, United States...
, she moved with her family to Terre Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
when she was six years old. In 1913 Suratt became noted for the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Casino musical success, The Kiss Waltz. Suratt was known as The Vampire Woman of the silent screen.
Stage
An actress and singer, Suratt appeared in a few Broadway plays, mostly musicals: The Belle of Mayfair (1906), Hip! Hip! Hooray! (1907), The Girl With the Whooping Cough (1910, the French farce was closed due to charges of indecency), The Red Rose (1911) and Spice of 1922 (1922).A famous pose of Suratt from The Red Rose had her left breast exposed with her hand and a rose placed over the left nipple
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
.
Films
Suratt made her film debut in The Soul of Broadway (1915). The same year she made The Immigrant followed by The Straight Way (1916), Jealousy (1916), The Victim (1916), The New York Peacock (1916), and She (1917).Image
During her early years on Broadway, Valeska was noted for the high fashion clothes she wore on stage. Among the items which were most commented about was an $11,000 Cinderella cloak. She was sometimes called Empress of Fashions. Her name became synonymous worldwide for brilliant gowns. She possibly was another model for the famous Gibson GirlGibson Girl
The Gibson Girl was the personification of a feminine ideal as portrayed in the satirical pen-and-ink-illustrated stories created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson during a 20-year period spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the United States.Some people argue that the...
sketchings. In the Fox Film drama, The Soul of Broadway, Suratt wore more than 150 gowns. No copies of Suratt's films
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
have survived but still photos taken on sets during productions remain extant.
Lawsuit
In 1928, Suratt and scholar Mirza Ahmad SohrabMirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb was a Persian-American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and West in New York, and was excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi.-Early life:...
sued DeMille for stealing the scenario for The King of Kings from them. The case went to trial in February 1930 but eventually settled without publicity. Suratt, who had left films in 1917, appeared to be unofficially blacklisted after the suit.
Personal life
Surratt married twice and had no children. Her first husband was William J. Flannery (1869–1950), aka Billy Gould, a vaudeville comedian known for his minstrelMinstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
roles. She reportedly married him circa 1904 and later divorced. In 1911, she married actor Fletcher Norton to whom she remained married until Norton's death in 1941.
She was a member of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
.
Death
Valeska Suratt died in a nursing home in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1962. She was 80 years old. Suratt is interred in Highland Lawn Cemetery
Highland Lawn Cemetery
Highland Lawn Cemetery is a city-owned cemetery in Terre Haute, Indiana. Opened in 1884, the cemetery includes .The cemetery features a Richardsonian Romanesque chapel built by architect Jesse A. Vrydaugh in 1893 for a cost of $10,000. In the 1980s, the chapel underwent renovation which was...
in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Broadway credits
| Date | Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 3, 1906 – March 30, 1907 | The Belle of Mayfair | Duchess of Dunmow | |
| October 10 – December 7, 1907 | Hip! Hip! Hooray! | Mrs. Vera Shapeleigh | |
| April 25 – May 1910 | The Girl with the Whooping Cough | ||
| June 2 – September 1911 | The Red Rose | Lola | Costume and scenic design |
| July 6 – September 9, 1922 | Spice of 1922 | ||
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | The Soul of Broadway | Grace Leonard, aka La Valencia |
| The Immigrant | Masha | |
| 1916 | The Straight Way | Mary Madison |
| Jealousy | Anne Baxter | |
| The Victim | Ruth Merrill | |
| 1917 | The New York Peacock | Zena |
| She | Ayesha, aka "She" | |
| The Slave | Caroline | |
| The Siren | Cherry Millard | |
| Wife Number Two | Emma Rolfe | |
| A Rich Man's Plaything | Marie Grandon |
External links
- Valeska Surratt Genealogy Page
- Valeska Suratt photographs
- 1916 portrait of Valeska Surratt by Benjamin Strauss and Homer Peyton
- Surratt's stage portraits & silent film stills
- "Oh, You Dream" 1910 song recording by Eddie Morton whose lyrics mention several Broadway actresses including Surratt