Clara Marie Horton (July 29, 1904 – December 4, 1976)[1] was an American actress of the silent film era.
Clara Horton | |
|---|---|
 Horton, ca. 1920 | |
| Born | Clara Marie Horton July 29, 1904 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 1976 (aged 72) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Other names | "The Eclair Kid" |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1912–1942 |
Horton was born in Brooklyn. Her mother gave up a career as a piano soloist and instructor to raise her baby. She planned for Clara to have a career as a pianist and began teaching her when she had to lift the girl to the piano bench. When Clara was five years old, however, a director employed by the Eclair Company saw the girl and asked her mother to let her appear in a film. Her mother signed a contract, and the Hortons moved to Tucson, Arizona. When Eclair went out of business, they moved to Los Angeles, where work with other studios was available.[2] She appeared in more than 80 films between 1912 and 1942.
When Horton was 17, she got married and left the film business. The marriage did not last, and she returned to working in films. She joined the Warner stock company and as of 1934 she was playing bit parts and was a stand-in for stars.[3]
After her work in films ended, Horton was a saleslady in Whittier, California.[4] She is buried in Rose Hills Memorial Park.[5]
Selected filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | The Homecoming | Little Miss Langdon | |
| Darling of the Mounted | The Darling | ||
| 1913 | The Spectre Bridegroom | Master Van Altenberg | |
| The Little Mother of Black Pine Trail | Marie | ||
| 1914 | The Greatest of These | Peter's Little Friend | |
| The Violinist | Ethel, age 7 | ||
| 1915 | The Little Band of Gold | ||
| The Vengeance of Guido | |||
| 1916 | Under the Lion's Paw | ||
| Us Kids | |||
| 1917 | The Plow Woman | Mary, as a child | |
| Tom Sawyer | Becky Thatcher | ||
| 1918 | Huck and Tom | Becky Thatcher | |
| The Yellow Dog | Kate Cummings | ||
| 1919 | The Winning Girl | Vivian Milligan | Lost film |
| The Girl from Outside | June Campbell | ||
| Everywoman | Youth | Lost film | |
| Almost a Husband | Jane Sheldon | Lost film | |
| 1920 | The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come | Margaret | Lost film |
| Blind Youth | Bobo | ||
| 1921 | The Servant in the House | Mary, The Drain Man's Daughter | Lost film |
| Action | Molly Casey | Alternative title: Let's Go, Lost film | |
| 1922 | Penrod | Marjorie Jones | Lost film |
| 1923 | Mind Over Motor | Bettina Bailey | |
| Judy Punch | Judy Wilcox | ||
| 1924 | Wrongs Righted | ||
| 1925 | Speed Madness | Alice Carey | |
| The Wheel | Nora Malone | ||
| All Around Frying Pan | Jean Dawson | ||
| Makers of Men | Lillian Gilman | ||
| 1926 | The Broadway Gallant | Helen Stuart | |
| Beyond the Trail | Clarabell Simpkins | ||
| 1927 | The Fortune Hunter | Betty Graham | Lost film |
| Sailor Izzy Murphy | Cecile | Lost film | |
| 1936 | Bengal Tiger | Hospital Secretary | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Girls on Probation | Prisoner | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Who Is Hope Schuyler? | Secretary | Uncredited |
| Time to Kill | Maid | Uncredited |
References edit
- ^ Katchmer, George A. (May 20, 2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. pp. 168–169. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ "A Film Star Who Rose from Peasantry". Lincoln Journal Star. January 19, 1920. p. 14. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Skolsky, Sidney (September 11, 1934). "Hollywood". Daily News. News Syndicate Co, Inc. p. 44. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Clara Horton". AllMovie. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ Silent Film Necrology, p.251 2nd Edition c.2001 by Eugene Michael Vazzana ...ISBN 0-7864-1059-0
External links edit
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