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Photo of Vola Vale

Vola Vale

Actor
Born February 12, 1897Died October 17, 1970 (73 years)
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.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Phantom of the Opera

Known For

  • Little Annie Rooney
  • Six Feet Four

Filmography

1936
1925
1925
The Phantom of the Opera · as Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
1923
Soul of the Beast · as Jacqueline
1921
White Oak · as Barbara
1919
Six Feet Four · as Winifred Waverly
1917
The Silent Man · as Betty Bryce

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