Vola Vale
From Wikipedia She was born Vola Smith in Buffalo, New York. Vale was 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 great 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. 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.
Known For
Credits
- 2002 · Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story as Self (uncredited)
- 1936 · One Rainy Afternoon as
- 1932 · Tomorrow and Tomorrow as Townswoman
- 1927 · Black Tears as
- 1926 · Home Sweet Home as
- 1926 · The Sky Pirate as
- 1926 · Two Can Play as Mimi Allen
- 1926 · Her Big Adventure as Countess Fontaine
- 1925 · Little Annie Rooney as Mamie
- 1925 · Heartless Husbands as Mrs. Jackson Cain
- 1925 · The Phantom of the Opera as Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
- 1925 · Who Cares as Tootles
- 1924 · The Mirage as Betty Bond
- 1923 · The Midnight Flower as Mary — a foundling
- 1923 · Mothers-in-Law as Ina Phillips
- 1923 · The Man Between as Rosie - Joe Cateau's Bride
- 1923 · Soul of the Beast as Jacqueline
- 1923 · Crashin' Thru as Diane
- 1922 · Good Men and True as Georgie Hibbler
- 1921 · The Duke of Chimney Butte as Vesta Philbrook
- 1921 · White Oak as Barbara
- 1920 · The Iron Rider as Mera Donovan
- 1920 · Singing River as Alice Thornton
- 1920 · Someone in the House as Molly Brent
- 1920 · The Purple Cipher as Jeanne Baldwin
- 1920 · Common Sense as Violet Manners
- 1920 · A Master Stroke as Minnie Patton
- 1920 · Overland Red as Louise Alacarme
- 1920 · Alias Jimmy Valentine as Rose Lane
- 1919 · Six Feet Four as Winifred Waverly
- 1919 · Hornet's Nest as Muriel Fletcher
- 1919 · Hearts Asleep as Virginia Calvert
- 1919 · A Heart in Pawn as Emily Stone
- 1919 · Happy Though Married as Diana Ramon
- 1918 · The Locked Heart as Ruth Mason
- 1918 · Wolves of the Rail as Faith Lawson
- 1917 · The Silent Man as Betty Bryce
- 1917 · Zollenstein as Princess Fulvia / Princess Zenia
- 1917 · The Son of His Father as Hazel Mallinsbee
- 1917 · The Lady in the Library as Mildred Vandeburg
- 1917 · The Secret of Black Mountain as Miriam Vale
- 1917 · The Topsy Turvy Twins as Mattie
- 1917 · The Bond Between as Ellen Ingram
- 1917 · Perils of the Secret Service as Minna Ober (Episode #1)
- 1917 · The Last Cigarette as Minna Ober
- 1917 · Mentioned in Confidence as Marjorie Manning
- 1917 · The Winning of Sally Temple as Lady Pamela Vauclain
- 1917 · Each to His Kind as Amy Dawe
- 1916 · It Sounded Like a Kiss as Estelle
- 1916 · The Price of Silence as Aline Urmy (as Vola Smith)
- 1916 · The Eagle's Wings as Kitty Miles (as Vola Smith)
- 1916 · The Woman He Feared as May Clive
- 1916 · A Great Love as Nell Woodward
- 1915 · The Soul of Pierre as
- 1914 · The Iron Master as The Iron Master's Sister (as Viola Smith)
- 1914 · Liberty Belles as Boarding Schoolgirl