Claire McDowell

Born: 1877-10-31 in New York City, New York, USA

Died: 1966-10-23

Known For: Acting

Biography

Claire McDowell (2 November 1877 – 23 October 1966) was an American actress. She appeared in 360 films between 1908 and 1945. Still somewhat of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films, McDowell appeared in numerous films, eventually graduating to playing character and mother types. She can be seen to good advantage in Douglas Fairbanks's 1920 The Mark of Zorro. McDowell appeared in two of the biggest films of the silent era, The Big Parade (1925) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), both in which she played mothers. She was married to silent screen character actor Charles Hill Mailes from 1906 to his 1937 death. The couple appeared in numerous silent films together, including The Mark of Zorro. They had two sons, Robert Mailes and Eugene Mailes. Claire McDowell died, aged 88, in Hollywood, California. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Filmography

1955

MGM Parade as Self

1945

Adventure as Woman in Library (uncredited)

1944

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble as Dr. Standish's Servant (uncredited)
Men on Her Mind as Mother Goodwin

1943

Hangmen Also Die! as Counterwoman (uncredited)
This Land Is Mine as Woman in Bathroom
Keeper of the Flame
Du Barry Was a Lady as Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Presenting Lily Mars as Dowager

1941

Lady Scarface as Mrs. Tuckerman
Whispers as Gossip (uncredited)

1940

Young Tom Edison as Woman at Station
The Golden Fleecing as Pedestrian (uncredited)
Dr. Kildare Goes Home as Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)
A Failure at Fifty as Minor Role (uncredited)

1939

Idiot's Delight as Crying Mother
Stand Up and Fight as Woman
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President as Gossiper
Thunder Afloat as Nurse (uncredited)
Miracles for Sale as Jack of Diamonds Woman
Angel of Mercy as Mother (uncredited)
One Against the World as Jane Todd Crawford (uncredited)

1938

Boys Town as Nun (uncredited)
Test Pilot as Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)
Three Comrades as Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)
They're Always Caught as Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited)
The Man on the Rock as Napoleon's Mother (uncredited)

1937

Two-Fisted Sheriff as Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt
Song of Revolt as Artistocratic Dowager (uncredited)
A Night at the Movies as Movie Patron (uncredited)

1936

Small Town Girl as Woman in Bed (uncredited)
August Week End as Alma Washburne

1935

Murder by Television as Mrs. Houghland

1934

It Happened One Night as Mother on Bus (uncredited)
Imitation of Life as Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
British Agent as Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)
Bedside as Nurse
Journal of a Crime as Sister at Hospital (uncredited)
Two Heads on a Pillow as Mrs. Helen Gorman
Dr. Monica as Miss Bryerly (uncredited)

1933

Central Airport as Mrs. Blaine
Wild Boys of the Road as Mrs. Smith
The Working Man as Benjamin's Secretary
By Appointment Only as Mrs. Mary Carroll

1932

Cornered as Jane's Aunt
Union Depot as Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)
Lawyer Man as Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain as Ann Marie's Caregiver Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)
Under Eighteen as Seamstress (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity as Struthers' Secretary (uncredited)
The Famous Ferguson Case as Brooks' Landlady (uncredited)
The Phantom Express as Ma Nolan

1931

An American Tragedy as Mrs. Samuel Griffiths
Manhattan Parade as Nancy - the Maid

1930

The Big House as Mrs. Marlowe
Young Desire as Mrs. Spencer
Redemption as Anna Pavlovna
Brothers as Bess Naughton
Mothers Cry as Mary's Mother
Wild Company as Mrs. Laura Grayson
The Second Floor Mystery as Aunt Hattie

1929

When Dreams Come True as Martha Shelby
The Quitter as Mrs. Abbott
The Flying Fleet as Mrs. Hastings (uncredited)
Silks and Saddles as Mrs. Calhoun

1928

Don't Marry as Aunt Abigail Bowen
The Viking as Lady Editha (as Claire MacDowell)
4 Devils as Woman
The Tragedy of Youth as Mother
Marriage by Contract as Mother

1927

The Taxi Dancer as Aunt Mary
Tillie the Toiler as Ma Jones
The Auctioneer as Mrs. Tim Eagan
The Shield of Honor as Mrs. MacDowell
The Black Diamond Express as Martha Foster
Almost Human as Mrs. Livingston
Winds of the Pampas as Doña Maria Casandos
A Little Journey as Aunt Louise

1926

The Show Off as Mom Fisher
The Flaming Forest as Mrs. McTavish
The Unknown Soldier as John Phillips' sister
The Shamrock Handicap as Molly O'Shea
The Devil's Circus as Mrs. Peterson
The Dixie Merchant as Josephine Fippany

1925

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as Princess of Hur
Dollar Down as Mrs. Meadows
The Big Parade as Mrs. Apperson
The Reckless Sex as Concha
The End of the World as Mrs. Joyce
The End of the World as Mrs. Joyce
The Tower of Lies as Katrina
Waking Up the Town as Mrs. Joyce
The Midnight Flyer as Liza Slater

1924

Secrets as Elizabeth Channing
Judgment of the Storm as Mrs. Heath
Those Who Dare as Mrs. Rollins
Thy Name Is Woman as Juan's Mother

1923

Ashes of Vengeance as Margot's Aunt
The West~Bound Limited as Mrs. Bill Buckley
Michael O'Halloran as Nancy Harding
Black Oxen as Agnes Trevor
Ponjola as Mrs. Hope
Human Wreckage as Mrs. Brown
Circus Days as Martha
Enemies of Children as Godfrey sister

1922

Penrod as Mrs. Schofield
Nice People as Margaret Rainsford
Quincy Adams Sawyer as Mrs. Putnam
The Ragged Heiress as Sylvia Moreton
Rent Free as Countess de Mourney
Heart's Haven as May Caroline

1921

Wealth as Mrs. Dominick
Midsummer Madness as Mrs. Osborne
What Every Woman Knows as Comtesse de la Brière
Mother o' Mine as Mrs. Sheldon
Prisoners of Love as Her Mother
Love Never Dies as Liz Trott

1920

Blind Youth as Elizabeth Monnier
The Mark of Zorro as Dona Catalina Pulido
The Devil's Riddle as Mrs. Potts
The Gift Supreme as Lalia Graun
The Jack-Knife Man as Lize Merdin
Something to Think About as Housekeeper
The Woman in the Suitcase as Mrs. James B. Moreland
Through Eyes of Men as Mrs. Virginia All

1919

Chasing Rainbows as Mrs. Walters
Heart o' the Hills as Martha Hawn
The Follies Girl as Nina
Rosalind at Redgate
Prudence on Broadway as Miss Grayson
The Feud as Mary Lynch

1918

You Can't Believe Everything as Grace Dardley
The Return of Mary as Mrs. John Denby Sr.
Captain of His Soul as Annette

1917

Avarice as The Miserly Old Woman
The Empty Gun as Mary
The Storm Woman
The Gates of Doom as Indore / Agatha
The Clean-Up as Vera Vincent
The Bronze Bride as A-Che-Chee
The White Raven as Daisy

1916

The Right to Be Happy as Mrs. Cratchit
Mixed Blood as Nita Valyez
A Stranger from Somewhere as Olga

1915

Her Convert as The Old Inventor's Daughter
Old Offenders as Joe's Wife
As It Happened as The Ranchman's Daughter
The Canceled Mortgage as The Widowed Mother
Truth Stranger Than Fiction as Crook
Her Dormant Love as The Discontented Wife
The Sheriff's Dilemma as Molly
The Gambler's I.O.U. as Nell - Daddy Wilson's Daughter
The Way Out as The Young School Teacher
The Heart of a Bandit as Claire
The Miser's Legacy as The Crook's Wife
A Day's Adventure as Hogan's Moll
Cupid Entangled as The Actress

1914

Her Father's Silent Partner
Her Hand as Olga
Concentration as The Mother
Men and Women as Mrs. Stephen Rodman
Waifs
The Fatal Wedding
A Nest Unfeathered as Kate
His Fireman's Conscience as Mrs. Daily
The Cracksman's Gratitude

1913

The Mirror as Daisy
The Stolen Treaty as Olga
The Stolen Bride as The Wife
The Well as The Farmer's Wife
The Wanderer as The Female Lover
A Gamble with Death as Kate
The Wrong Bottle as The Blind Sister
I Was Meant for You as Lavina
The Detective's Stratagem as Kate, the Bank Clerk's Sweetheart
The House of Darkness as The Doctor's Wife
The Law and His Son as Marguerite, Manning's Sister
A Misappropriated Turkey as Mrs. Fallon / Widow Logan
Olaf—An Atom as A Parent
The Telephone Girl and the Lady as The Lady
The Stopped Clock as The Antique Dealer's Daughter
The Enemy's Baby as Miller's Wife
The Strong Man's Burden as Ida Glynn, The Nurse
The Crook and the Girl as The Uncle's Adopted Daughter
Under the Shadow of the Law as John Haywood's Sister
The House of Discord as The Sister-in-Law
A Tender-Hearted Crook as Edith
The Switchtower as The Switchman's Wife
The Van Nostrand Tiara as Kate
A Gambler's Honor as Beth
All for Science as Detective
The Stolen Loaf as The Rich Woman
The Work Habit as The Daughter in the City
The Ranchero's Revenge as The Schemer's Associate
The Unwelcome Guest as The Wife
The Tenderfoot's Money as The Prospector's Wife
The Vengeance of Galora as Galora
For Her Government
The Abandoned Well as The Widow

1912

The Massacre as Stephen's Belle - In Prologue
The Sunbeam as The Spinster
So Near, Yet So Far as Rich Woman in Other Town
A Temporary Truce as Mexican Jim's Wife
The School Teacher and the Waif as The Street Fakir's Sweetheart
The Baby and the Stork as The Mother
The New York Hat as The Main Gossip
When the Fire-Bells Rang as An Actress
A Sailor’s Heart as The Sailor's Third Sweetheart
Two Daughters of Eve as The Mother
The Female of the Species as The Miner's Wife
A String of Pearls as The Italian Shoemaker's Wife
In the Aisles of the Wild as The Elder Daughter
A Cry for Help as The Thief's Wife - the Charity Patient
Man's Genesis as Cave Woman
The Old Actor as At Audition
The Sands of Dee as Artist's fiancee
The God Within as The Woodsman's Wife
Lena and the Geese as Lena's Mother
Under Burning Skies as The Friend
Billy's Stratagem as Billy's Mother

1911

The Spanish Gypsy as Paula
His Trust as Col. Frazier's wife
Fate's Turning as At Hotel/At Wedding
The Primal Call as The Woman
His Trust Fulfilled as Mrs. Frazier
A Country Cupid as The Half-Wit's Mother
The Long Road as Ned's Wife
Swords and Hearts as Irene Lambert
A Decree of Destiny as A Nun
The Sorrowful Example as The Wife
A Woman Scorned as The Doctor's Wife
The Adventures of Billy as Rich Woman
The Broken Cross as Kate's Mother
The Squaw's Love as Silver Fawn
Fisher Folks as At Fair
The Unveiling
What Shall We Do with Our Old? as The Old Carpenter's Wife
The Manicure Lady as Lunchroom Hostess

1910

The Usurer as Despairing Mother / One of the Third Debtors
A Flash of Light as At First Party
Wilful Peggy as Housemaid
A Mohawk's Way
Rose o' Salem Town
The Oath and the Man as Rebel
The Iconoclast
Muggsy Becomes a Hero as One of the Sisters Frost
His New Lid
Waiter No. 5 as The Chief of Police's Wife
Love Among the Roses
The Golden Supper as Lady-in-Waiting
The Message of the Violin as The Other Woman's Servant

1908

The Devil
The Planter's Wife as Mrs. John Holland
The Call of the Wild as Party Guest