Ethlyne Clair | |
|---|---|
 Clair, c. 1928 | |
| Born | Ethlyne Clair Williamson (1904-11-23)November 23, 1904 Talladega, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | February 27, 1996(1996-02-27) (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Lonsdale Hinshaw (1928–1930) (divorced) Ern Westmore (1930–1937) (divorced) Merle Arthur Frost Jr. (1939–?) |
| Children | 5 (2 daughters, 3 sons) |
Ethlyne Clair (November 23, 1904 – February 27, 1996), born Ethlyne Clair Williamson,[1] was an American actress, mainly seen in silent films.
Early life and education
Clair was born in Talladega, Alabama,[2] and raised in Selma, Alabama and Atlanta,[3] the daughter of Edwin Williamson and Lula W. Densler Williamson.[4] Her father was an inspector for the railroad.[5] She attended Brenau College in Georgia and studied art in Washington, D.C.[3][4]
Career
Clair was considered a "perfect movie type", with "every photographic quality in abundance."[3] She appeared mostly in silent films, including three Westerns where she played the love interest to Hoot Gibson.[2][6] In Hey Rube! (1928) she played a "circus vamp" named Zelda.[7] She appeared in the serials The Vanishing Rider (1928) and Queen of the Northwoods (1929), and in the early sound picture From Headquarters (1929).[8] She was a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1929.[8][2] "I wanted to do big things and become a big star, not ride horses through the desert," she explained to an interviewer in 1991. "I just wanted to be a beautiful vamp."[2] She also expressed hopes for a writing career.[7] After her last film in 1931, she was active in Hollywood social circles, and a member of the Film Welfare League.[5]
Personal life
Clair was married three times, and had five children. She married Richard Lonsdale Hanshaw, an agent and producer, under duress in 1928.[5] They divorced in 1930, and eight days later she married Ern Westmore, a studio makeup artist,[4] in a dramatic event that included confrontations with Westmore's first wife and child, and a photographer who caught the tense scene.[5] They divorced in 1937. Her third husband was Merle Arthur Frost Jr., an automobile dealer.[2] He died in 1968. On February 27, 1996, Clair died of respiratory failure after ulcer surgery[2] at Tarzana Hospital in Los Angeles, at the age of 91.[6]
Selected filmography
- Sandra (1924)[3]
- Chickie (1925)
- The Newlyweds series of comedy shorts, including The Newlyweds' Neighbors (1926), The Newlyweds' Quarantine (1926), The Newlyweds' Servant (1927), The Newlyweds' Mistake (1927)[9]
- The Snookums series of comedy shorts, including Snookums' Buggy Ride (1926), Snookums Cleans Up (1926), Snookums' Merry Christmas (1926), Snookums' Outing (1926), Snookums Asleep (1927), Snookums Disappears (1927)[9]
- The Hero on Horseback (1927)
- Three Miles Up (1927)[1]
- Painted Ponies (1927)[1]
- The Vanishing Rider (1928)[2]
- Wild Blood (1928)
- Riding for Fame (1928)[5]
- Guardians of the Wild (1928)
- Hey Rube! (1928)[10]
- From Headquarters (1929)[8]
- Queen of the Northwoods (1929)[2]
- The Pride of Pawnee (1929)[5]
- The Show of Shows (1929)
- Second Choice (1930)[5]
- God's Gift to Women (1931)[2]
References
- Wilhoyt, Loyd A. (July 2, 1927). "Wants Slow Rise to Fame Says Ethlyne Williamson". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 8. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- Oliver, Myrna (February 29, 1996). "Ethlyne Clair; Starred in Silent Comedies, Westerns and Serials". The Los Angeles Times. p. 16. Retrieved November 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Pickard, Gilbert (August 25, 1927). "Behind the Screen". The Bellingham Herald. p. 13. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ethlyne Clair to Become Bride on February Twenty-First". The Selma Times-Journal. February 16, 1930. p. 9. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- Ankerich, Michael G. (December 14, 2011). Broken Silence: Conversations with 23 Silent Film Stars. McFarland. pp. 75–85. ISBN 978-0-7864-8533-8.
- "Ethlyne Clair Film Actress, 91". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 4, 1996. p. D 10. ProQuest 109574549. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- Thomas, Dan (February 19, 1929). "Ethlyne Clair at Columbia". Kenosha News. p. 12. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Voice May Decide Choice of 13 Baby Stars Tonight". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. January 7, 1929. p. 9. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- Braff, Richard E. (September 23, 2009). The Universal Silents: A Filmography of the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, 1912-1929. McFarland. pp. 343–344, 453. ISBN 978-1-4766-0685-9.
- Thomas, Dan (December 30, 1928). "Ethlyne Clair, Former Selma Girl, Expected to Win Screen Honors as Wampus Baby Star". The Selma Times-Journal. p. 10. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.