Violet Wilkey
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(August 2019) |
Violet Wilkey | |
|---|---|
 Wilkey in 1917 | |
| Born | Violet Louise Wilkey January 10, 1903 St. Louis, Missouri,U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1976(aged 73) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1913–1917 |
| Spouse | Russell Gilbert Kauffmann (1927–?) |
Violet Louise Wilkey(January 10, 1903 – June 5, 1976) was an Americanchild actresswho appeared in 18 films over a four-year period during thesilent filmera.
Career
[edit]Violet Wilkey was born inSt. Louis, Missourito anEnglishfather named Arthur Wilkey and anAmericanmother named Anna Dora Wilkey (née Winter). Violet made her motion picture debut at the age of 10 in a 1913 dramatic short entitledThe Little Motheropposite actressRuth Stonehouse.Her follow-up film would be the 1914 releaseThe Old MaidoppositeBlanche Sweet,Spottiswoode Aitken,Mary AldenandJack Conway.
She is possibly best remembered for her appearance as a young Flora inD. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 classicThe Birth of a Nation.[1]Wilkey portrayed the character Flora Cameron as a child in flashback scenes; the character of Flora as an adult in the film was portrayed by actressMae Marsh.
Wilkey spent the next few years in relatively minor roles; including one of actor/directorTod Browning's early effortsThe Burned Handfrom 1915. Other notable films of the period were theLloyd Ingrahamdirected andAnita Loospenned dramaThe Children Pay(1916), oppositeLillian GishandAlma Rubensand the 1917 dramaCheerful GiversoppositeBessie Love,Aitken,Kenneth HarlanandPauline Starke.
Wilkey's final film performance was in the role of Minnie Smellie in the 1917 comedy-dramaRebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,which was directed byMarshall Neilanand starredMary Pickfordin the title role. She retired from acting shortly thereafter at the age of 14.
Personal life
[edit]Wilkey married Russell Gilbert Kauffmann on January 27, 1927 and the couple had two children, Robert Russell and Patricia. The marriage ended in divorce.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | The Little Mother | Short | |
| 1914 | The Old Maid | Dorothy as a Child | Short |
| 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | Flora Cameron as a Child | Uncredited |
| 1915 | The Little Mother | Mamie Delmar | Short |
| 1915 | Mike's Elopement | Bridget | Short |
| 1915 | Hearts United | Elsie Windom | Short |
| 1915 | The Burned Hand | Short | |
| 1915 | A Bad Man and Others | Dorothy Hewitt - the Child | Short |
| 1915 | The Healers | Violet | Short |
| 1915 | Her Fairy Prince | Violet Nash | Short |
| 1915 | The Little Orphans | Doris | Short |
| 1915 | The Wayward Son | Katie Didyer | Short |
| 1916 | Little Miss Nobody | ||
| 1916 | The Children Pay | Jean - Millicent's sister | |
| 1917 | Cheerful Givers | Oldest Orphan Girl | |
| 1917 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Minnie Smellie | (final film role) |
References
[edit]External links
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