Laura Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Laura Sawyer was an American film actress of the silent era
.
, some 75 miles or so south of St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Alvah Hayden and Laurette Sawyer. Little is known here about the early life of Laura Sawyer except that her father was a doctor and that by 1900 she was a boarder at the Ursuline Academy
in St. Louis.
theatrical company before joining Edison Studios
while still in her early twenties. She almost immediately found stardom at Edison and remained with the studio until 1913. Her most memorable performance during the period was probably playing the title role in The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter (1912). Over her tenure with his film studio Thomas Edison
was said to have considered Sawyer as his favorite actress. She later joined the Famous Players Film Company
where she played Kate Kirby in the detective films Chelsea 7750, An Hour Before Dawn and The Port of Doom, all released in 1913, and was praised for her performance in The Daughter of the Hills, also produced in 1913.
Sawyer’s last known film appearance was in The Daughter of the People, produced by the Dyreda Art Film Corporation in 1915. Afterwards Laura Sawyer disappeared from the public eye until her death in 1970. At some point she married Charles Frederick Wolff and spent time living in Florida and New Jersey.
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...
.
Early life
Laura A. Sawyer was born in Iron CountyIron County, Missouri
Iron County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,697. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 9,918. The largest city and county seat is Ironton...
, some 75 miles or so south of St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Alvah Hayden and Laurette Sawyer. Little is known here about the early life of Laura Sawyer except that her father was a doctor and that by 1900 she was a boarder at the Ursuline Academy
Ursuline Academy (St. Louis, Missouri)
Ursuline Academy is a private, all-girls' Roman Catholic high school in St. Louis, Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.-Background:...
in St. Louis.
Career
Laura Sawyer began her career with the Otis SkinnerOtis Skinner
Otis Skinner was an American actor.He was the son of a Universalist minister; his brother, Charles Montgomery Skinner, was a noted journalist and critic in New York. Skinner was educated in Hartford, Connecticut, with an eye towards a career in commerce. A visit to the theater left him stage-struck...
theatrical company before joining Edison Studios
Edison Studios
Edison Studios was an American motion picture production company owned by the Edison Company of inventor Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films as the Edison Manufacturing Company and Thomas A. Edison, Inc. until the studio's closing in 1918...
while still in her early twenties. She almost immediately found stardom at Edison and remained with the studio until 1913. Her most memorable performance during the period was probably playing the title role in The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter (1912). Over her tenure with his film studio Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
was said to have considered Sawyer as his favorite actress. She later joined the Famous Players Film Company
Famous Players Film Company
The Famous Players Film Company was founded in 1912 by Adolph Zukor in partnership with the Frohman brothers, the powerful New York City theatre impresarios. The company advertised "Famous Players in Famous Plays" and its first release was the French film Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth starring...
where she played Kate Kirby in the detective films Chelsea 7750, An Hour Before Dawn and The Port of Doom, all released in 1913, and was praised for her performance in The Daughter of the Hills, also produced in 1913.
Sawyer’s last known film appearance was in The Daughter of the People, produced by the Dyreda Art Film Corporation in 1915. Afterwards Laura Sawyer disappeared from the public eye until her death in 1970. At some point she married Charles Frederick Wolff and spent time living in Florida and New Jersey.
Selected filmography
- Hulda of HollandHulda of HollandHulda of Holland is a 1913 short drama film. Harold Lloyd features in an uncredited role.-Cast:* Ben F. Wilson - Heintz* Laura Sawyer - Hulda* Jessie McAllister* Charles Sutton* Harold Lloyd - Bit Role...
(19131913 in filmThe year 1913 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* The Squaw Man, the first Hollywood feature film, is made.* December 29, Charlie Chaplin signs a contract with Mack Sennett to begin making films at Keystone Studios.* D. W...
) - The Twelfth JurorThe Twelfth JurorThe Twelfth Juror is a 1913 drama film. It features an early appearance of Harold Lloyd in an uncredited role.-Cast:* Ben F. Wilson - Harry Baker* Laura Sawyer - Alice Charlton* Jack Conway - Clarence Morton* R. Henry Grey - Jeff Robey...
(1913) - The Old Monk's TaleThe Old Monk's TaleThe Old Monk's Tale is a 1913 drama film. It features the first known film appearance of Harold Lloyd as an uncredited Yaqui Indian at a party.-Cast:* Ben F...
(1913) - On The Broad Stairway (1913)
External links
- Laura Sawyer portrait NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection