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

This Land Is Mine as Woman in Bathroom
Hangmen Also Die! as Counterwoman (uncredited)
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
A Failure at Fifty as Minor Role (uncredited)
Dr. Kildare Goes Home as Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)
The Golden Fleecing as Pedestrian (uncredited)

1939

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

1938

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

1937

Two-Fisted Sheriff as Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt
A Night at the Movies as Movie Patron (uncredited)
Song of Revolt as Artistocratic Dowager (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)
British Agent as Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)
Imitation of Life as Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
Bedside as Nurse
Two Heads on a Pillow as Mrs. Helen Gorman
Journal of a Crime as Sister at Hospital (uncredited)
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
Lawyer Man as Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)
Union Depot as Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain as Ann Marie's Caregiver Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)
Under Eighteen as Seamstress (uncredited)
The Famous Ferguson Case as Brooks' Landlady (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity as Struthers' Secretary (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
Wild Company as Mrs. Laura Grayson
Redemption as Anna Pavlovna
Brothers as Bess Naughton
The Second Floor Mystery as Aunt Hattie
Mothers Cry as Mary's Mother

1929

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

1928

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

1927

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

1926

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

1925

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

1924

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

1923

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

1922

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

1921

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

1920

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

1919

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

1918

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

1917

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

1916

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

1915

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

1914

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

1913

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

1912

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

1911

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

1910

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

1908

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