Dorothy Dunbar
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Dunbar was a American
actress and socialite
, who appeared in silent movies
in the 1920s.
Born in Colorado Springs
, Colorado
, she appeared on the Broadway
stage as a child in The School Girl (1904).
In 1924, Dunbar went to Hollywood, where she starred in several motion pictures
, including her role as the heroine in The Amateur Gentleman (1926
) opposite Richard Barthelmess
, which attracted considerable attention for her. She was also the fourth actress who played Jane
, starring in the 1927
version of the Tarzan
story, Tarzan and the Golden Lion
, opposite James Pierce
, who played the title role. Also in the cast was Boris Karloff
, who played a native named Owaza.
Dunbar left the movies upon marrying her second husband, wealthy Minneapolis
society man Thomas Bucklin Wells, II, who apparently acted in one movie himself, Ain't Love Funny? released in 1927 by Film Booking Offices of America (FBO).
She is said to have had seven husbands, including theatrical producer Maurice (divorced); Thomas Wells (married October 1926-his death); South America
n millionaire Jaime De Garson (divorced 1931); boxer
/actor
Max Baer (married July 8, 1931-divorced 1933); portrait painter Tino Costa (married 1936 -annulled 1937); and Russell Lawson.
She and Lawson had two sons, Richard and Russell.
When Dunbar was preparing to divorce Tommy Wells, she received a cable from him to come to Paris
, where he was dying. She rushed to his bedside in the French
capital and forgave him. He died in her arms, having succumbed to drug
addiction. She received a $2,500 monthly income from his estate. She divorced De Garson, whom she married in London
, to marry Baer.
She later styled herself as Dorothy Dunbar Wells. In 1936, she completed a book of poetry
, but had not found enough nerve to send it to a publisher. She had long decided movies were behind her.
Dunbar asked that her marriage to French husband Costa be annulled because he was "temperamental and cold." In December 1937, she sued family members of her former husband, Wells, seeking $270,000 in trusts from his estate, because she said they had misrepresented certain papers they gave her to sign after his death. They told her, she said, the documents were to make certain the trusts were held for her, but she learned later the papers were actually waivers of her interest in the trusts.
After marrying Lawson, her seventh husband, Dunbar went by the name Dorothy Wells Lawson. She played bridge and golf, and won some trophies.
Dorothy Dunbar died at age ninety in Seattle, Washington
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, who appeared in silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
in the 1920s.
Born in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, she appeared on the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage as a child in The School Girl (1904).
In 1924, Dunbar went to Hollywood, where she starred in several motion pictures
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, including her role as the heroine in The Amateur Gentleman (1926
1926 in film
-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) opposite Richard Barthelmess
Richard Barthelmess
Richard Semler "Dick" Barthelmess was an Oscar-nominated silent film star.-Early life:Barthelmess was educated at Hudson River Military Academy at Nyack and Trinity College at Hartford, Connecticut...
, which attracted considerable attention for her. She was also the fourth actress who played Jane
Jane Porter (Tarzan)
Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.- In the novels :...
, starring in the 1927
1927 in film
-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
version of the Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
story, Tarzan and the Golden Lion
Tarzan and the Golden Lion (film)
Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a Tarzan film based on the 1923 novel of the same title written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan character. The film starred James Pierce as Tarzan, Frederick Peters as Esteban Miranda, Dorothy Dunbar as Jane, and Edna Murphy as Betty Greystoke. The film...
, opposite James Pierce
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...
, who played the title role. Also in the cast was Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, who played a native named Owaza.
Dunbar left the movies upon marrying her second husband, wealthy Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
society man Thomas Bucklin Wells, II, who apparently acted in one movie himself, Ain't Love Funny? released in 1927 by Film Booking Offices of America (FBO).
She is said to have had seven husbands, including theatrical producer Maurice (divorced); Thomas Wells (married October 1926-his death); South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n millionaire Jaime De Garson (divorced 1931); boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
/actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Max Baer (married July 8, 1931-divorced 1933); portrait painter Tino Costa (married 1936 -annulled 1937); and Russell Lawson.
She and Lawson had two sons, Richard and Russell.
When Dunbar was preparing to divorce Tommy Wells, she received a cable from him to come to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he was dying. She rushed to his bedside in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
capital and forgave him. He died in her arms, having succumbed to drug
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
addiction. She received a $2,500 monthly income from his estate. She divorced De Garson, whom she married in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to marry Baer.
She later styled herself as Dorothy Dunbar Wells. In 1936, she completed a book of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, but had not found enough nerve to send it to a publisher. She had long decided movies were behind her.
Dunbar asked that her marriage to French husband Costa be annulled because he was "temperamental and cold." In December 1937, she sued family members of her former husband, Wells, seeking $270,000 in trusts from his estate, because she said they had misrepresented certain papers they gave her to sign after his death. They told her, she said, the documents were to make certain the trusts were held for her, but she learned later the papers were actually waivers of her interest in the trusts.
After marrying Lawson, her seventh husband, Dunbar went by the name Dorothy Wells Lawson. She played bridge and golf, and won some trophies.
Dorothy Dunbar died at age ninety in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Filmography
- The Flaming Crises (19241924 in film-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
) (Mesco Productions) (Western) ... Tex Miller - The Masquerade Bandit (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) (FBO) (Western) ... Molly Marble - The Amateur Gentleman (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) (First National Pictures) (Drama/Romance) ... Lady Cleone Meredith - Breed of the Sea (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) (FBO) (Drama) ... Ruth Featherstone - Red Hot Hoofs (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) (FBO) (Western) ... Frances Morris - Tarzan and the Golden LionTarzan and the Golden Lion (film)Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a Tarzan film based on the 1923 novel of the same title written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan character. The film starred James Pierce as Tarzan, Frederick Peters as Esteban Miranda, Dorothy Dunbar as Jane, and Edna Murphy as Betty Greystoke. The film...
(19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) (FBO) (Action/Adventure) ... Lady Greystoke/Jane - Lightning Lariats (19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) (FBO) (Western) ... Janet Holbrooke - When a Dog Loves (19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) (FBO) (Drama) ... Letty Carroll - What Price Love? (19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) (Anchor Film Distributors) (Drama) ... Alice George