Dorothy Phillips

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Dorothy Phillips
Photoplay Magazine May 1921 Dorothy Phillips.jpg
Dorothy Phillips painted by Rolf Armstrong for the cover of Photoplay , May 1923
Born
Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible

(1889-10-30)October 30, 1889
DiedMarch 1, 1980(1980-03-01) (aged 90)
Other namesKid Nazimova
OccupationActress
Years active19111962
Spouse Allen Holubar (m.19121923; his death)

Dorothy Phillips (born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible, October 30, 1889 – March 1, 1980) [1] was an American stage and film actress. She is known for her emotional performances in melodramas, having played a number of "brow beaten" women on screen, but had a pleasant demeanor off. [2] She garnered little press for anything outside of her work. [3]

Contents

Career

Born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible in Baltimore, [4] Phillips was educated at the College of Expression of Maryland. After graduation she acted with the George Fawcett Stock Co. [5] Phillips continued her career as a stage actress with Colonel Savage Productions, acting in New York and Chicago. She made her film debut in 1911 in a two-reeler called The Rosary, and appeared in over 150 films during her career. For a time she was nicknamed Kid Nazimova for her ability to imitate the Russian Hollywood actress Alla Nazimova. [4] Phillips started at Universal Pictures often starring with Lon Chaney. Sometimes she would supplement these features with "shorts" filmed at Fox Studios. By 1917 Phillips had appeared in 22 films over two years and had suffered a breakdown due to exhaustion. It also caused a breach in her working relationship with director Joseph De Grasse and his screenwriter/director wife Ida May Park. [5]

Allen_Holubar 1923 Allen Holubar in The Blue Book of the Screen.jpg
Allen_Holubar 1923
Dorothy Phillips 1919 Dorothy Phillips, silent film actress (SAYRE 7896).jpg
Dorothy Phillips 1919

Once she had rested and recovered, 1918 brought a series of successful films, including A Soul for Sale, the first film starring her that was directed by her husband, Allen J. Holubar. [5] Her pictures during this time scored highly with exhibitors and patrons alike. [2] These successes [6] and newfound working relationship between the couple prompted Phillips to leave Universal and in 1920 she and Holubar formed their own company, Allen Holubar Productions. [7] Their pictures were released through First National Pictures to further acclaim throughout the 1920s. [8] [9] [10]

Phillips' career slowed after 1927, and she mainly appeared in uncredited bit roles for the rest of her career. Her last appearance was in the 1962 western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance .

Marriage and death

Dorothy Phillips was married to actor-director Allen Holubar for 11 years until his death in 1923 from pneumonia, following surgery, at the age of 33. [11] They met when she was starring on stage in the Chicago production of "Every Woman" as the character of Modesty. [5] After his death, she did not return to acting until mid-1925. Phillips also died of pneumonia, in 1980, at the age of 90. She is buried with her husband at the Secret Garden section of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. [12]

Legacy

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Dorothy Phillips has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6358 Hollywood Blvd. [13] Phillips and Holubar's 1918 film The Heart of Humanity was shown at MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art in a 2014 exhibition. [14]

Filmography

Phillips featured in Motion Picture Magazine, 1915 Dorothy Phillips 001.jpg
Phillips featured in Motion Picture Magazine , 1915
YearTitleRoleNotes
1911 His Friend's Wife Short, Uncredited
Lost film
The Rosary Ruth MartinShort
Lost film
Her Dad the Constable Mary PerkinsShort
Lost film
The Gordian Knot Marion WaltersShort
Lost film
Saved from the Torrents Katie CarringtonShort
Lost film
Fate's Funny Frolic Alice TrevorShort
Lost film
A False Suspicion Marion WaltersShort
Lost film
1913The Unburied PastMargaret PhillipsShort
Lost film
The Power of Conscience Dora GordonShort
Lost film
1914In All Things ModerationMary Graham - the Oldest DaughterShort
Lost film
Three Men Who KnewMrs. WatsonShort
Lost film
1915The Affair of the TerraceJasmine RobertsShort
Lost film
The Trail of the Upper YukonMarciaShort
Lost film
1916 Ambition Lost film
The Mark of Cain DorisAlternative title: By Fate's Degree
Lost film
If My Country Should Call Margaret ArdrathIncomplete film
The Place Beyond the Winds Priscilla GlennIncomplete film
The Price of Silence Helen Urmy
1917 The Piper's Price Amy HadleyLost film
Hell Morgan's Girl LolaLost film
The Girl in the Checkered Coat Mary Graham "Flash" FanLost film
The Flashlight Delice BrixtonAlternative title: The Flashlight Girl
Lost film
A Doll's House Nora HelmerLost film
Fires of Rebellion Madge GarveyLost film
The Rescue Anne WetherallLost film
Pay Me! MartaAlternative titles: Pay Day
The Vengeance of the West
Incomplete film
Triumph Nell BaxterIncomplete film
Bondage Elinor CrawfordLost film
1918 The Grand Passion Viola ArgosLost film
Broadway Love Midge O'Hara
The Risky RoadMarjorie Helmer
A Soul for Sale Neila Pendleton
The Mortgaged WifeGloria Carter
The Talk of the Town Genevra FrenchDirected by Allen Holubar, her husband
Lost film
The Heart of Humanity NanetteDirected by Allen Holubar
1919 Destiny Mary BurtonLost film
The Right to HappinessSonia & Vivian - Twin Sisters
Paid in Advance Joan Gray
1920 Once to Every Woman Aurora MeredithLost film
1921 Man, Woman & Marriage Victoria
1922 Hurricane's Gal Lola
The World's a Stage Jo BishopLost film
1923 Slander the Woman Yvonne DesmarestLost film
The Unknown Purple Uncredited
Lost film
1925 Every Man's Wife Mrs. BradinLost film
The Sporting Chance Patricia WinthropLost film
Without Mercy Mrs. Enid Grant
1926 The Bar-C Mystery Jane CortelyouLost film
The Gay Deceiver ClaireLost film
Upstage Miss Weaver
Remember Ruth PomeroyIncomplete film
1927 Women Love Diamonds Mrs. Flaherty
The Broken Gate Aurora LaneLost film
Cradle Snatchers Kitty LaddDirected by Howard Hawks
Incomplete film
1930 The Jazz Cinderella Mrs. Consuelo CarterAlternative title: Love Is Like That
1934 Now I'll Tell Mrs. Farth(scenes deleted)
1936 Thank You, Jeeves! Boy's motherUncredited
1937 Hot Water NurseUncredited
1940 And One Was Beautiful Gertrude's maidUncredited
1942 My Favorite Spy Woman at weddingUncredited
Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood Old Lady at RadioUncredited
1943 The Cross of Lorraine Village womanUncredited
1944 Mrs. Parkington Leaping Rock PedestrianUncredited
1946 The Postman Always Rings Twice NurseUncredited
1949 The Reckless Moment WomanUncredited
1950 Father of the Bride Woman in Nightmare SequenceUncredited
1951 Man in the Saddle TownswomanUncredited
1955 Violent Saturday Bank customerUncredited
How to Be Very, Very Popular Uncredited
1956 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Mr. Hopkins' maidUncredited
1962 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance TownswomanUncredited

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References

  1. Dorothy Phillips. "Social Security Death Index". American Ancestors. New England Historic Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Theatre Magazine. Theatre Magazine Company. 1918.
  3. Motion Picture. Macfadden-Bartell. 1922.
  4. 1 2 Sandra Brennan (2012). "Dorothy Phillips". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lowrey, Carolyn (1920). The First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen. Moffat, Yard. p.  150. dorothy phillips actress.
  6. Dramatic Mirror of Motion Pictures and the Stage. Dramatic Mirror Company. 1918.
  7. Soister, John T.; Nicolella, Henry; Joyce, Steve (January 31, 2013). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913_ÑÐ1929. McFarland. ISBN   9780786487905.
  8. lmharnisch (August 17, 2011). "Found on EBay – Witzel Photograph" . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  9. Life. Life Magazine, Incorporated. 1922.
  10. Photoplay: The Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines. Photoplay Magazine Publishing Company. 1923.
  11. "Franklin film (Holubar)". Newspapers.com. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  12. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN   9781476625997.
  13. "Dorothy Phillips". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  14. "The Heart of Humanity. 1919. Directed by Allen Holubar | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved January 20, 2019.