Eva Novak
Eva Barbara Novak (February 14, 1898 – April 17, 1988) was an American film actress, who was quite popular during the silent film era. On February 14, 1898, Eva Barbara Novak was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Joseph Jerome Novak, an immigrant from Bohemia, and Barbara Medek. Her older sister, Johana, also became an actress. Joseph Novak died when Eva was still a child and Barbara was left to raise five children. Novak began her acting career in 1917 in L-KO's Roped into Scandal, followed by another seven films that same year. She appeared in 17 films in 1918, and another eight in 1919. In 1920, she starred opposite Tom Mix in The Daredevil, one of six film roles she would have that year, and one of ten films in which she starred opposite Mix. In 1921, she married stuntman William Reed, whom she met while on location for a film. They had two daughters Vivian Barbara and Pamela Eve. Novak was interested in stunt performing herself, having been taught by Mix to perform many of her own stunts. From 1921 to 1928, she appeared in and starred in 48 films, including an early version of Boston Blackie. She also co-starred with Betty Bronson and Jack Benny in The Medicine Man (1930) and appeared in the 1922 film Chasing the Moon, which was an early forerunner of the 1950s film D.O.A. In the late 1920s, she and her husband moved to Australia, where she made numerous films, including The Romance of Runnibede. However, with the advent of "talking films", her popularity faded. She would continue to act, but mostly in obscure roles. She appeared in 123 films between 1917 and 1965, when she retired. She was residing in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles at the time of her death from pneumonia at the age of 90, on April 17, 1988. In May 1923, the Altoona Tribune held a contest to find the girl who most closely resembled Novak. An announcement in the newspaper said that the winner would receive $250 worth of clothes from a store.
Known For
Credits
- 1965 · Wild Seed as Mrs. Simms
- 1962 · The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Mrs. Hayes
- 1962 · The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as Townswoman (uncredited)
- 1960 · Sergeant Rutledge as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
- 1957 · Duel at Apache Wells as Mrs. Munn (uncredited)
- 1955 · Tall Man Riding as Mrs. Henderson (uncredited)
- 1950 · Sunset Boulevard as Courtier (uncredited)
- 1949 · The Blonde Bandit as Jail Matron
- 1949 · Hellfire as
- 1948 · 3 Godfathers as Townswoman (uncredited)
- 1948 · Four Faces West as Mrs. Winston
- 1948 · I, Jane Doe as Jury Woman
- 1947 · Blackmail as Mamie, the Maid
- 1947 · Robin Hood Of Texas as Guest
- 1946 · That Brennan Girl as Miss Novak - Elderly Woman (uncredited)
- 1945 · The Bells of St. Mary's as Nun (uncredited)
- 1945 · Apology for Murder as Maid
- 1945 · The Fatal Witness as Elsie - Vera's Maid (uncredited)
- 1930 · Phantom of the Desert as Mary Van Horn
- 1930 · The Medicine Man as Hilda
- 1927 · For the Term of His Natural Life as Sylvia Vickers
- 1927 · Red Signals as Mark Bryson
- 1926 · 30 Below Zero as Ann Ralston
- 1926 · No Man's Gold as Jane Rogers
- 1926 · The Dixie Flyer as Rose Rapley / Rose Jones
- 1926 · Say It with Babies as
- 1926 · Irene as Eleanor Hadley
- 1925 · The Northern Code as Marie La Fane
- 1925 · Sally as Rosie Lafferty
- 1924 · The Triflers as Beatrice Noyes
- 1924 · Laughing at Danger as Carolyn Hollister
- 1924 · The Beautiful Sinner as
- 1924 · Racing for Life as Grace Danton
- 1924 · The Battling Fool as Helen Chadwick
- 1923 · The Man Life Passed By as Joy Moore
- 1923 · Boston Blackie as Mary Carter
- 1923 · The Tiger's Claw as Harriet Halehurst
- 1923 · Temptation as Marjorie Baldwin
- 1922 · Making a Man as Patricia Owens
- 1922 · The Man from Hell's River as Mabella
- 1922 · Up and Going as Jackie McNabb
- 1922 · Chasing the Moon as Jane Norworth
- 1922 · Sky High as Estelle Halloway - his ward
- 1921 · Trailin' as Sally Fortune
- 1921 · The Last Trail as Winifred Samson
- 1921 · The Rough Diamond as Gloria Gómez
- 1921 · Wolves of the North as Aurora Norris
- 1921 · The Smart Sex as Rose
- 1921 · Society Secrets as Louise
- 1921 · O'Malley of the Mounted as Rose Lanier
- 1921 · The Torrent as Velma Patton
- 1920 · The Testing Block as Nelly Gray
- 1920 · Wanted at Headquarters as
- 1920 · Up in Mary's Attic as Mary
- 1920 · Desert Love as Dolly Remington
- 1920 · The Daredevil as Alice Spencer
- 1919 · The Feud as Betty Summers / Betty Brown
- 1919 · The Speed Maniac as Pearl Matthews
- 1919 · All Jazzed Up as Dainty Dotty
- 1918 · The King of the Kitchen as Her niece
- 1918 · The Belles of Liberty as Trixie
- 1918 · A Blind Pig as The Sheriff's Daughter