Vola Vale

Vola Vale (born Vola Smith; February 12, 1897 – October 17, 1970) was a silent film actress.

Vola Vale
Publicity photo from Motion Picture Magazine (August, 1915)
Born
Vola Smith

(1897-02-12)February 12, 1897
DiedOctober 17, 1970(1970-10-17) (aged 73)
OccupationActress
Spouse(s)
(m. 1918; div. 1926)

Lawrence McDougal
(m. 1932; died 1970)
Children1

Early career

Vale was born in Buffalo, New York and educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She began her career in amateur theatricals in Rochester, New York. Then she played in stock companies for a while.

Her first movie experience was with Biograph, under the tutelage of the film director D.W. Griffith. After a month of playing atmosphere parts, Vola was offered a genuine role. She wore a velvet gown with a train and a feathered hat. Soon she was appearing in short reel films for Biograph. Among the actors she was cast with were William S. Hart, Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, William Haines, Harry Carey, Tully Marshall and William Russell.

She was adept in playing Spanish, Italian, French, and Gypsy roles. Aside from Biograph Vola worked for Fox Film, Famous Players-Lasky, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures.

Serious Actress

Her ambition was to play Madame Butterfly with an actual Japanese company, as well as to act as Lorna Doone. She was most inspired by Hayakawa and hoped to learn to act inside, as he did. With Sessue Hayakawa she made Each To His Kind (1917). Before filming began it was decided that the name Smith was too common to be used by a motion picture star. She changed her professional name to Vola Vale.

Vale reflected in the early 1920s about observation, particularly its power in attaining one's acting proficiency. It is the ability of the actress to see and note of the little things in life and then store them in her subconscious mind where they await her call to use at the psychological moment before the camera that enables her to either register success in her chosen work, or be merely mediocre. She began this process as a youth acting with D.W. Griffith. She observed how the director took notice of everything the actors did.

Model

Vale modeled clothes for the Broadway Department Store in Los Angeles, California. A 1916 photo from the [[Los Angeles Times] shows her in an exclusive Betty Wales frock from Broadway. This was a very popular dress among college women of the era.

Private life

Vale was married to film director and producer Al Russell. They had a son. She married a second time to Lawrence McDougal, with whom she remained until his death in February 1970.

She was a member of Our Club, a group of seventeen of Hollywood's baby cinema stars. Mary Pickford served as honorary president. Fellow members were Mildred Davis, Helen Ferguson, Patsy Ruth Miller, Clara Horton, Gertrude Olmstead, Laura La Plante, Virginia Fox, Colleen Moore, ZaSu Pitts, Lois Wilson, May McAvoy, Gloria Hope, Virginia Valli, Carmel Myers, Edna Murphy, and Carmelita Geraghty.

Vale died in Hawthorne, California in 1970, aged 73, of heart disease. She is interred at Roosevelt Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1916Timothy Dobbs, That's MeMary Clarkson
1916The Eagle's WingsKitty Miles
1916The Price of SilenceAline Urmy
1917Each to His KindAmy Dawe
1917The Winning of Sally TempleLady Pamela Vauclain
1917Mentioned in ConfidenceMarjorie Manning
1917Perils of the Secret ServiceMinna Ober(Episode #1)
1917The Bond BetweenEllen Ingram
1917The Secret of Black MountainMiriam ValeShort
1917The Son of His FatherHazel Mallinsbee
1917The Lady in the LibraryMildred Vandeburg
1917ZollensteinPrincess Fulvia / Princess Zenia
1917The Silent ManBetty Bryce
1918Wolves of the RailFaith Lawson
1918The Locked HeartRuth Mason
1919Happy Though MarriedDiana Ramon
1919A Heart in PawnEmily Stone
1919Hearts AsleepVirginia Calvert
1919Hornet's NestMuriel Fletcher
1919Six Feet FourWinifred Waverly
1919Someone Must PayMolly Brent
1920Overland RedLouise Alacarme
1920Alias Jimmy ValentineRose Lane
1920A Master StrokeMinnie Patton
1920The Purple CipherJeanne Baldwin
1920Someone in the HouseMolly Brent
1920The Iron RiderMera Donovan
1920Common SenseViolet Manners
1921Singing RiverAlice Thornton
1921The Duke of Chimney ButteVesta Philbrook
1921White OakBarbara
1922Good Men and TrueGeorgie Hibbler
1923Crashin' ThruDiane
1923Soul of the BeastJacqueline
1923The Man BetweenRosie (Joe Cateau's bride)
1923Mothers-in-LawIna Phillips
1923The Midnight FlowerMyra
1924The MirageBetty Bond
1925Who CaresTootles
1925The Phantom of the OperaBallerina / Christines MaidUncredited
1925Little Annie RooneyMamie
1926Her Big AdventureCountess Fontaine
1926Two Can PlayMimi
1926The Sky Pirate
1926Home Sweet Home
1927Black Tears
1932Tomorrow and TomorrowTownswomanUncredited
1936One Rainy AfternoonMinor RoleUncredited, (final film role)

References

  • Los Angeles Times, "New Types, Delicate Hues at Dahlia Show", Page II3.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Star Says Keep Eyes Working", September 9, 1923, Page III27.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Our Club Initiates Trio", October 23, 1923, Page II1.
  • Newark Daily Advocate, "Tonight and Tomorrow", Friday, March 2, 1917, Page 9.
  • Olean Evening Herald, "News Notes from Movieland", Friday Evening, May 9, 1919, Page 4.
  • Sandusky Star-Journal, "News Notes from Movieland", Friday, November 2, 1917, Page 11.

Vola Vale at IMDb

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