Person Details

Birthday: 1897-02-12 09:15:04

Death: 1970-10-17 09:15:04

Aliases: Violet Irene Smith , Viola Smith , Vola Smith

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Buffalo, New York, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 23

TV Involvements: 0


Most Famous Work

Biography

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.

Most Famous Work

The Phantom of the Opera
Average
7

The Phantom of the Opera

(1925) Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
The Silent Man
Average
5

The Silent Man

(1917) Betty Bryce
Alias Jimmy Valentine
Average
0

Alias Jimmy Valentine

(1920) Rose Lane
Soul of the Beast
Average
6

Soul of the Beast

(1923) Jacqueline
Overland Red
Average
0

Overland Red

(1920) Louise Alacarme
Crashin' Thru
Average
0

Crashin' Thru

(1923) Diane
Six Feet Four
Average
5

Six Feet Four

(1919) Winifred Waverly
White Oak
Average
6

White Oak

(1921) Barbara

Acting


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