1880s Western Ladies

1. Ethel Clayton

Silent-screen actress Ethel Clayton was a convent-educated girl from Champaign, IL, who sought work as a stage actress after finishing her education. She secured small parts here and there, but hit the big time when she went to work for the Frawley Organization, which had several touring stock ...

The Great Divide (1915). 1915.

6 westerns, 15-39.

1882 - 1966, 83.

2. Ottola Nesmith

Actress | Becky Sharp

Ottola Nesmith was born on December 12, 1889 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Becky Sharp (1935), Television Spy (1939) and Four Star Playhouse (1952). She was married to Leon D'Usseau. She died on February 7, 1972 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Auntie, No Place to Stop (1959). 1959.

14 westerns, 28-65.

1889 - 1972, 82.

3. Florence La Badie

Actress | The Million Dollar Mystery

Early information on Florence La Badie is sketchy. She is thought to have been born in New York City in 1888, and was either taken away from or given up for adoption by her birth mother. Florence was adopted by a married couple named LaBadie, who legally gave the child their last name. Her adoptive...

The Return of Draw Egan (1916). 1916.

4 westerns, 09-16.

1888 - 1917, 29.

184 acting credits, 09-17. 8 years, 21-29 years old.

4. Clara Williams

Actress | The Criminal

Clara Williams was born on May 3, 1888 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for The Criminal (1916), The Market of Vain Desire (1916) and A Cowboy's Vindication (1910). She was married to Reginald Barker and Franklyn Hall. She died on May 8, 1928 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Mrs. Wilmet, Lone Dog, the Faithful (1913). 1913.

1888 - 1928, 40.

5. Elisabeth Risdon

Actress | Abe Lincoln in Illinois

Elisabeth Risdon was born on April 26, 1888 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), High Sierra (1940) and Mexican Spitfire (1939). She was married to Brandon Evans and George Loane Tucker. She died on December 20, 1958 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Granny Adams, In Old Amarillo (1951).

8 westerns, 38-51.

1887 - 1958, 71. London. California.

6. Florence Auer

Actress | The Bishop's Wife

Florence Auer was born on March 3, 1880 in Albany, New York, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for The Bishop's Wife (1947), That Forsyte Woman (1949) and At the Crossroads of Life (1908). She died on May 14, 1962 in New York City, New York, USA.

Madame Claire, The Fortune Telling Story (1952). 1952.

8 westerns, 08-55.

1880 - 1962, 82.

7. Sarah Padden

Actress | A Woman's Face

Sarah Padden was born on October 16, 1881 in Sunderland, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Woman's Face (1941), The Mad Monster (1942) and Women Won't Tell (1932). She was married to George Clarence Sackett. She died on December 4, 1967 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Grandma Wagner, Trail to Gunsight (1944). 1944.

42 westerns, 30-58.

1881 - 1967, 86. UK. California.

8. Marion Leonard

Actress | What Avails the Crown

Marion Leonard was born on June 9, 1881 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for What Avails the Crown (1912), The Seed of the Fathers (1913) and The Voice of the Millions (1912). She was married to Stanner E.V. Taylor. She died on January 9, 1956 in Woodland Hills, Los ...

The Heart of an Outlaw (1909). 1909.

7 westerns, 09-11.

1881 - 1956, 74.

206 credits, 08-15.

9. Elsie Albert

Actress | Welcome Children

Elsie Albert was born on November 20, 1888 in North Caldwell, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Welcome Children (1921), Snow White and The Sleeping Beauty (1913). She was married to Harold Clarke Mathews. She died on October 7, 1981 in Oregon, USA.

The Last Ghost Dance (1914). 1914.

1888 - 1981, 92.

10. Leah Baird

Actress | Don't Doubt Your Wife

Leah Baird first made a name for herself in summer stock and traveling stock companies. After playing several leads in the William F. Brady troupe opposite Douglas Fairbanks Vitagraph signed her to a contract. Her peak years in film were from 1916-1918 at which time she was a very popular player. ...

Bad Men of Missouri (1941). 1941.

3 westerns, 41-57.

1883 - 1971, 88.

11. Margaret Joslin

Actress | A Snakeville Courtship

Margaret Joslin was born on August 6, 1883 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for A Snakeville Courtship (1913), Sophie's New Foreman (1913) and Sophie's Hero (1913). She was married to Harry Todd. She died on October 14, 1956 in Glendale, California, USA.

Hard Luck Bill (1913). 1913.

37 westerns, 10-12.

1883 - 1956, 73.

12. Edna May Oliver

Actress | Penguin Pool Murder

She was born Edna May Nutter, a child of solid New England stock, on 9th November 1883 in Malden, Massachusetts. The daughter of Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter, Edna was a descendant of the 2nd American president John Adams and his son, the 6th American president John Quincy Adams. In addition, ...

Matilda Blake, The Conquerors (1932). 1932.

3 westerns, 31-39.

1883 - 1942, 59.

13. Cleo Madison

Actress | Her Bitter Cup

Cleo Madison began her career with a theatrical company in Santa Barbara, California, in 1910. She stayed with the company for several years, and the troupe made the rounds of vaudeville and the theater circuit. Returning to California, and tired of touring, she decided to get into the motion ...

Dolly, The Ring of Destiny (1915). 1915.

Director, The Ring of Destiny (1915). 1915.

1883 - 1964, 80,

14. Linda Arvidson

Actress | Everyman

Linda Arvidson was born on July 12, 1884 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Everyman (1913), The Scarlet Letter (1913) and The Adventures of Dollie (1908). She was married to D.W. Griffith. She died on July 26, 1949 in New York City, New York, USA.

The Stampede (1916). 1916.

9 westerns, 08-16.

1884 - 1949, 65.

170 credits, 07-16.

15. Florence Turner

Actress | Far from the Madding Crowd

Widely publicized as "The Vitagraph Girl," dark-haired silent film actress Florence Turner was one of the screen's first celebrities to be called by the term "movie star." Born in New York City in 1885, she was pushed into the business at age 3 by an overzealous stage mother, performing on the ...

Alice Gregg, The Overland Stage (1927). 1927.

5 westerns, 09-31.

1885 - 1946, 61.

16. Winifred Greenwood

Actress | The Mission Worker

Winifred Greenwood was born in Genesco, New York on New Year's Day in 1885. She was 25 years old when she landed in 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910). Her career, while not lengthy, lasted until 1927, but she was able to make 34 motion pictures. Her last film that year was 'The King of Kings (1927)...

A Spartan Girl of the West (1913). 1913.

18 westerns, 12-26.

1885 - 1961, 76.

17. Jeanie Macpherson

Actress | The Merchant of Venice

Born in Boston to Evangeline Tomlinson and John Sinclair Macpherson. Jeanie Macperson was educated at Madame de Facq's school in Paris, the Kenwood Institute in Chicago and took dancing lessons from Theodore Kosloff. Her stage experience began when she got the lead in a school play and was awarded ...

The Desert's Sting (1914). 1914.

14 westerns, 11-47.

1886 - 1946, 60.

18. Almira Sessions

Actress | Sullivan's Travels

A member of a very socially prominent Washington family, Sessions played vaudeville, radio, television and film for sixty years. Sessions made her debut in 1909 in a comic opera. She has appeared over 500 times in movies and on television. Session sang comic songs in cabarets before going to New ...

Aunt Christine, Thunderhead (1952). 1952.

56 westerns, 43-60.

1888 - 1974, 85.

19. Isabel Randolph

Actress | The Missing Corpse

Isabel Randolph was born on December 4, 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Missing Corpse (1945), The Shanghai Story (1954) and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). She died on January 11, 1973 in Burbank, California, USA.

Grandma Wilkins, Wyatt Earp Rides Shotgun (1958).

13 westerns, 40-56.

1889 - 1978, 83.

20. Ida Moore

Actress | Johnny Belinda

Ida Moore was born on March 1, 1882 in Altoona, Kansas, USA. She was an actress, known for Johnny Belinda (1948), The Egg and I (1947) and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). She died on September 26, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Luella Tucker, Riders of the Santa Fe (1944). 1944.

4 westerns, 44-52.

1882 - 1964, 82.

21. Sylvia Ashton

Actress | The Fourteenth Man

Sylvia Ashton was born on January 26, 1880 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She was an actress, known for The Fourteenth Man (1920), The Love Special (1921) and Greed (1924). She died on November 17, 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Buck's Lady Friend (1915). 1915.

14 westerns, 12-24.

1880 - 1940, 60.

22. Irene Outtrim

Actress | Salvation Nell

Irene Outtrim was born on February 17, 1880 in Bright, Victoria, Australia. She was an actress, known for Salvation Nell (1915), The Unwritten Law (1916) and Heart of Juanita (1919). She was married to Andrew Jackson Shumate, Allen Bishop, Elmer Booth and Eric Vansittart Ernest Neil. She died on ...

Heart of Juanita (1919). 1919.

1880 - 1949, 69. Australia. California.

23. Gertrude Bondhill

Actress | The Unborn

Gertrude Bondhill was born on December 7, 1879 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for The Unborn (1916), The Awakening of Bess Morton (1916) and Miss Arizona (1919). She died on September 15, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The Warrant (1911). 1911. Miss Arizona (1919). 1919.

1880 - 1960, 80.

24. Sarah Edwards

Actress | It's a Wonderful Life

Sarah Edwards was born on October 11, 1881 in Glyn Train, Denbighshire, South Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and The Bishop's Wife (1947). She was married to Vernon Malcolm Jacobson. She died on January 7, 1965 in Hollywood, ...

Sunset in Wyoming (1941). 1941.

14 westerns, 38-42.

1881 - 1965, 83. South Wales, UK. Califonia.

25. Ethyl May Halls

Actress | Thou Shalt Not Kill

Ethyl May Halls was born on November 20, 1882 in California, USA. She was an actress, known for Thou Shalt Not Kill (1939), Heroes of the Saddle (1940) and Katie Did It (1950). She was married to Frank Layton Halls. She died on September 16, 1967 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.

8 westerns, 39-57.

1882 - 1967, 84.

26. Virginia Brissac

Actress | Rebel Without a Cause

Virginia Brissac was an actress, best known for Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Dark Victory (1939) and The Scarlet Clue (1945). Prior to her work in film and television, she had a thirty-year career as a stage actress on the West Coast stock circuit, including three years in residence with her own ...

Senora Del Rey, Old Los Angeles (1948). 1948.

17 westerns, 36-52.

1883 - 1979, 96.

27. Jessie Arnold

Actress | The Dark Mirror

Jessie Arnold was born on December 3, 1884 in Lyons, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for The Dark Mirror (1920), The Wager (1912) and Shoes (1916). She died on May 5, 1955 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Agatha, The Valley of Vanishing Men (1942). 1942.

18 westerns, 16-51.

1884 - 1955, 70.

28. Theresa Maxwell Conover

Actress | When Knighthood Was in Flower

Theresa Maxwell Conover was born on September 26, 1884 in Richmond, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922), Yolanda (1924) and The Age of Innocence (1934). She died in September 1968 in Levittown, New York, USA.

Men of America (1932). 1932

1884 - 1968, 83.

29. Georgia Simmons

Actress | 8½

Nora Allene Simmons was born and grew up in Zebulon, Georgia. For a time, she was a grammar school teacher in Stone Mountain. She began her career as an entertainer with a traveling Chautauqua troupe and later served as official storyteller for the Joel Chandler Harris Memorial Association in ...

Ma Dawson, Heart of the Rockies (1937). 1937.

12 westerns, 37-65.

1884 - 1980, 96.

30. Ella O'Neill

Writer | Detective Lloyd

Ella O'Neill was born on November 15, 1885 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was a writer, known for Detective Lloyd (1932), Danger Island (1931) and Flash Gordon (1936). She died on December 17, 1984 in San Bernardino, California, USA.

Rustlers of Red Dog (1935). 1935.

7 westerns, 39-45.

1885 - 1984, 99.

31. Isabel La Mal

Actress | College Scandal

Isabel La Mal was born on July 16, 1886 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She was an actress, known for College Scandal (1935), Lady in a Jam (1942) and Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935). She was married to Otto Matieson. She died on July 20, 1952 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Ma Cameron, The Lone Rider Rides On (1941). 1941.

7 westerns, 39-45.

1886 - 1952, 66.

32. Edythe Elliott

Actress | Vacation Days

Edythe Elliott was born on July 14, 1886 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Vacation Days (1947), High School Hero (1946) and Freddie Steps Out (1946). She was married to Charles Elven Elliott. She died on April 9, 1978 in San Diego, California, USA.

Maw Blaine, The Medico of Painted Springs (1941). 1941

13 westerns, 41-55.

1886 - 1978, 91.

33. Maude Allen

Actress | La grande mare

Maude Allen was born on November 30, 1887 in Middleborough, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for La grande mare (1930), Black Diamonds (1940) and The Moth (1917). She died on April 24, 1960 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Yukon Kate, Painted Desert (1938). 1938.

5 westerns, 35-40.

1887 - 1960, 72.

34. Cecil Elliott

Actress | Chinatown

Cecil Elliott was born on October 25, 1887 in Greenville, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for Chinatown (1974), The Killing (1956) and The Lost Missile (1958). She died on April 8, 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Miss Willowbird, The Miracle of the Hills (1959). 1959.

18 westerns, 50-62.

1887 - 1982, 94.

35. Jane Crowley

Soundtrack | A Son of the Plains

Jane Crowley was born on November 28, 1888 in Urbana, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for A Son of the Plains (1931) and Headin' North (1930). She died on August 7, 1970 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Saloon singer, Headin' North (1930). 1930.

9 westerns, 30-60.

1888 - 1970, 81.

36. Lucile Sewall

Actress | Death Valley Days

Lucile Sewall was born on May 30, 1888 in Kansas, USA. She was an actress, known for Death Valley Days (1952). She was married to Allen D. Sewall. She died on December 15, 1976 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Canyon Passage (1946). 1946.

28 westerns, 30-59.

1888 - 1976, 88.

37. Inez Palange

Actress | Scarface

Inez Palange was born on June 13, 1889 in Naples, Italy. She was an actress, known for Scarface (1932), One Million B.C. (1940) and Song of the City (1937). She died on October 16, 1962 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Mrs. Garboni, Men of America (1932). 1932.

8 westerns, 6 features, 32-57.

1889 - 1962, 73. Italy. California.

38. Dolly Larkin

Actress | The Labyrinth

Dolly Larkin was born on April 19, 1889 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Labyrinth (1915), The Broken Barrier (1914) and Black Beauty (1913). She was married to George Larkin. She died in December 1976 in Wiliston Park, New York, USA.

Nechia, A Daughter of the Redskins (1912). 1912.

16 westerns, 12-14.

1889 - 1976, 87.

39. Goldie Colwell

Actress | Why the Sheriff Is a Bachelor

Beautiful Goldie Colwell born in Kansas in 1889. began on stage in the late 1900's. Goldie appeared in few leading roles but many character and supporting roles in more than 80 westerns and comedies making her film debut in Tom Mix's 'Why the Sheriff is a Bachelor' for the Selig Film Co in 1911, ...

Elsie Mitchell, The Real Thing in Cowboys (1914). 1914.

26 westerns, 11-17.

1889 - 1982, 93.