Occupation Actress Name Claire McDowell | Years active 1908-1945 Role Actress | |
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Born November 2, 1877 ( 1877-11-02 ) New York City, New York, U.S. Died October 23, 1966, Hollywood, California, United States Spouse Charles Hill Mailes (m. 1906–1937) Children Eugene Mailes, Robert Mailes Movies Ben‑Hur, The Big Parade, The Mark of Zorro, Wild Boys of the Road, His Trust Similar People Fred Niblo, Robert McKim, Marguerite De La Motte, Billy Bitzer, D W Griffith | ||
Claire McDowell (November 2, 1877 – October 23, 1966) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 350 films between 1908 and 1945. Still something of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films she appeared in numerous short, early feature films. She graduated to playing character and mother types. She appeared in Douglas Fairbanks's 1920 The Mark of Zorro. McDowell costarred in two of the biggest films of the silent era, The Big Parade and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, in which she played mothers both times.
McDowell was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California, aged 88. She was married to silent screen character actor Charles Hill Mailes from 1906 to his 1937 death. The happy couple appeared in numerous silent films together including The Mark of Zorro. They had two sons, Robert and Eugene.
Filmography
Actress
1945
Adventure as
Woman in Library (uncredited)
1945
Having Wonderful Crime as
Guest (uncredited)
1944
The Thin Man Goes Home as
Train Passenger in Passageway (uncredited)
1944
Are These Our Parents? as
Miss Winfield
1944
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble as
Dr. Standish's Servant (uncredited)
1944
Men on Her Mind as
Mother Goodwin
1943
Teen Age as
Mrs. Mary Abbott
1943
Black Market Rustlers as
Mrs. Prescott (uncredited)
1943
Du Barry Was a Lady as
Subway Passenger (uncredited)
1943
This Land Is Mine as
Woman in Bathroom (uncredited)
1943
Presenting Lily Mars as
Dowager (uncredited)
1943
Hangmen Also Die! as
Counterwoman (uncredited)
1943
The Human Comedy as
Woman on Street (uncredited)
1943
The Youngest Profession as
Woman (uncredited)
1942
Keeper of the Flame as
Mourner (uncredited)
1942
Reap the Wild Wind as
Ettie (uncredited)
1941
Lady Scarface as
Mrs. Tuckerman (uncredited)
1941
Your Last Act (Short) as
Old Lady with Memories (uncredited)
1941
More Trifles of Importance (Short) as
Duchess (uncredited)
1941
Whispers (Short) as
Gossip (uncredited)
1941
Respect the Law (Short) as
Nun (uncredited)
1940
Third Finger, Left Hand as
Witness at wedding (uncredited)
1940
Dr. Kildare Goes Home as
Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)
1940
The Golden Fleecing as
Pedestrian (uncredited)
1940
A Failure at Fifty (Short) as
Minor Role (uncredited)
1940
The Captain Is a Lady as
Old Lady (uncredited)
1940
Young Tom Edison as
Woman at Station (uncredited)
1939
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President as
Gossiper (uncredited)
1939
Those High Grey Walls as
Mother (uncredited)
1939
Thunder Afloat as
Nurse (uncredited)
1939
One Against the World (Short) as
Townswoman (uncredited)
1939
Miracles for Sale as
Jack of Diamonds Woman (uncredited)
1939
Angel of Mercy (Short) as
Mother (uncredited)
1939
Idiot's Delight as
Crying Mother (uncredited)
1939
Stand Up and Fight as
Woman (uncredited)
1938
Boys Town as
Catholic Nun (uncredited)
1938
The Man on the Rock (Short) as
Napoleon's Mother (uncredited)
1938
They're Always Caught (Short) as
Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited)
1938
Three Comrades as
Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)
1938
Test Pilot as
Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)
1937
Decathlon Champion: The Story of Glenn Morris (Short) as
Glenn's Mother (uncredited)
1937
A Night at the Movies (Short) as
Movie Patron (uncredited)
1937
Give Till It Hurts (Short) as
Door-to-Door Saleswoman (uncredited)
1937
High, Wide and Handsome as
Seamstress (uncredited)
1937
Two-Fisted Sheriff as
Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt
1937
Song of Revolt (Short) as
Artistocratic Dowager (uncredited)
1937
Criminal Lawyer as
Night Court Judge (uncredited)
1936
Small Town Girl as
Woman in Bed (uncredited)
1936
August Weekend as
Alma Washburne
1935
Murder by Television as
Mrs. Houghland
1935
Black Fury as
Nurse (uncredited)
1934
Imitation of Life as
Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
1934
Two Heads on a Pillow as
Mrs. Helen Gorman
1934
British Agent as
Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)
1934
Dr. Monica as
Miss Bryerly (uncredited)
1934
Journal of a Crime as
Sister at Hospital (uncredited)
1934
It Happened One Night as
Mother on Bus (uncredited)
1934
Bedside as
Nurse (uncredited)
1933
Wild Boys of the Road as
Mrs. Smith
1933
Paddy the Next Best Thing as
Miss Breen (uncredited)
1933
By Appointment Only as
Mrs. Mary Carroll
1933
The Working Man as
Benjamin's Secretary
1933
Central Airport as
Mrs. Blaine
1932
Lawyer Man as
Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)
1932
The Phantom Express as
Ma Nolan
1932
A Successful Calamity as
Struthers' Secretary (uncredited)
1932
Cornered as
Jane's Aunt
1932
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm as
Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
1932
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain as
Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)
1932
The Famous Ferguson Case as
The Brookses' Landlady (uncredited)
1932
Union Depot as
Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)
1931
Manhattan Parade as
Nancy - the Maid
1931
Under Eighteen as
Seamstress (uncredited)
1931
An American Tragedy as
Mrs. Samuel Griffiths
1930
Mother's Cry as
Mary's Mother (uncredited)
1930
Brothers as
Mrs. Bess Naughton
1930
Wild Company as
Mrs. Laura Grayson
1930
Young Desire as
Mrs. Spencer
1930
The Big House as
Mrs. Marlowe
1930
The Second Floor Mystery as
Aunt Hattie
1930
Redemption as
Anna Pavlovna
1929
Whispering Winds as
Mrs. Benton
1929
The Quitter as
Mrs. Abbott
1929
Silks and Saddles as
Mrs. Calhoun
1929
The Flying Fleet as
Mrs. Hastings - Anita's Mother (uncredited)
1929
When Dreams Come True as
Martha Shelby
1928
Marriage by Contract as
Mother
1928
The Viking as
Lady Editha (as Claire MacDowell)
1928
4 Devils as
Woman
1928
Don't Marry as
Aunt Abigail Bowen
1928
The Tragedy of Youth as
Mother
1927
The Shield of Honor as
Mrs. MacDowell
1927
Winds of the Pampas as
Doña Maria Casandos
1927
Almost Human as
Mrs. Livingston
1927
Tillie the Toiler as
Ma Jones
1927
The Black Diamond Express as
Martha Foster
1927
The Taxi Dancer as
Aunt Mary
1927
Cheaters as
Mrs. Robin Carter
1927
The Auctioneer as
Mrs. Tim Eagan
1927
A Little Journey as
Aunt Louise
1926
The Flaming Forest as
Mrs. McTavish
1926
The Show-Off as
Mom Fisher (as Clare Mc Dowell)
1926
The Unknown Soldier as
John Phillips' sister
1926
The Shamrock Handicap as
Molly O'Shea
1926
The Dixie Merchant as
Josephine Fippany
1926
The Devil's Circus as
Mrs. Peterson
1925
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as
Princess of Hur
1925
The Midnight Flyer as
Liza Slater
1925
The Big Parade as
Mrs. Apperson
1925
One of the Bravest as
Mrs. Kelly
1925
The Tower of Lies as
Katrina
1925
Dollar Down as
Mrs. Meadows -Ruth's Sister
1925
The End of the World as
Mrs. Joyce
1925
Waking Up the Town as
Mrs. Joyce
1925
The Reckless Sex as
Concha
1924
Those Who Dare as
Mrs. Rollins
1924
A Fight for Honor as
Mrs. Hill
1924
Secrets as
Elizabeth Channing
1924
Thy Name Is Woman as
Juan's Mother
1924
Leave It to Gerry as
Mrs. Brent
1924
Judgment of the Storm as
Mrs. Heath
1923
Black Oxen as
Agnes Trevor
1923
Enemies of Children as
Godfrey sister
1923
Ponjola as
Mrs. Hope
1923
Ashes of Vengeance as
Margot's Aunt
1923
Circus Days as
Martha
1923
Human Wreckage as
Mrs. Brown
1923
Michael O'Halloran as
Nancy Harding
1923
The West~Bound Limited as
Mrs. Bill Buckley
1922
Quincy Adams Sawyer as
Mrs. Putnam
1922
Heart's Haven as
May Caroline
1922
In the Name of the Law as
Mrs. O'Hara
1922
Nice People as
Margaret Rainsford
1922
A Ladies Man (Short) as
His Wife
1922
The Lying Truth as
Mrs. Sam Clairborne
1922
The Ragged Heiress as
Sylvia Moreton
1922
Penrod as
Mrs. Schofield
1922
The Gray Dawn as
Mrs. Bennett
1922
Rent Free as
Countess de Mourney
1921
Love Never Dies as
Liz Trott
1921
Wealth as
Mrs. Dominick
1921
Mother o' Mine as
Mrs. Sheldon
1921
What Every Woman Knows as
Comtesse de la Brière
1921
Chickens as
Aunt Rebecca
1921
Prisoners of Love as
Her Mother
1920
Midsummer Madness as
Mrs. Osborne
1920
The Mark of Zorro as
Doña Catalina Pulido
1920
Something to Think About as
Housekeeper
1920
The Jack-Knife Man as
Lize Merdin (as Claire MacDowell)
1920
Through Eyes of Men as
Mrs. Virginia All
1920
Blind Youth as
Elizabeth Monnier (as Claire MacDowell)
1920
The Devil's Riddle as
Mrs. Potts
1920
The Gift Supreme as
Lalia Graun
1920
The Woman in the Suitcase as
Mrs. James B. Moreland
1919
The Feud as
Mary Lynch
1919
Heart o' the Hills as
Martha Hawn
1919
Chasing Rainbows as
Mrs. Walters
1919
Prudence on Broadway as
Miss Grayson
1919
The Follies Girl as
Nina
1919
Rosalind at Redgate (Short)
1918
The Return of Mary as
Mrs. John Denby Sr.
1918
Closin' In
1918
You Can't Believe Everything as
Grace Dardley
1918
Isn't It Warm? (Short)
1918
Captain of His Soul as
Annette De Searcy
1918
The Man Above the Law as
Natchah
1917
The Ship of Doom as
Clara Gove
1917
Fighting Back as
The Fury
1917
The Storm Woman (Short) as
Maria Martelli
1917
A Romany Rose (Short) as
Rozeska's Mother
1917
A Dream of Egypt (Short)
1917
The Empty Gun (Short) as
Mary
1917
The Clean-Up as
Vera Vincent
1917
The Black Mantilla (Short) as
Marachita
1917
Doomed (Short) as
Anne Blackwood
1917
The Pace That Kills (Short) as
The Wife
1917
The Bronze Bride as
A-Che-Chee
1917
The Gates of Doom as
Indore / Agatha
1917
The Rented Man (Short) as
The Mother
1917
Avarice (Short) as
The Miserly Old Woman
1917
The White Raven as
Daisy
1916
The Right to Be Happy as
Mrs. Cratchit
1916
Mixed Blood as
Nita Valyez
1916
A Stranger from Somewhere as
Olga
1916
Sea Mates (Short) as
Jane Lavoir
1916
Somewhere on the Battle Field (Short) as
Fraulein Emma
1916
Husks of Love (Short) as
Mary Holmes
1916
The Caravan (Short) as
Hathor
1916
The Lady from the Sea (Short) as
The Shipwrecked Girl
1916
Merry Mary (Short) as
Miss Twemlow
1916
Celeste (Short) as
The Artist's Wife
1916
Paths That Crossed (Short) as
Madame de Lisle
1916
A Grip of Gold (Short) as
Kate Wiggin
1916
What Happened to Peggy (Short) as
Tessie
1916
His White Lie (Short) as
Linda Ford - Peter's Ward
1916
The Chain of Evidence (Short)
1915
Cupid Entangled (Short) as
The Actress
1915
Love's Enduring Flame (Short) as
Elice Carter
1915
Eyes of the Soul (Short) as
The Blind Woman
1915
The Passing Storm (Short) as
The Blacksmith's Wife
1915
Bad Money (Short)
1915
The Inevitable (Short) as
The Wife
1915
Her Renunciation (Short) as
Miriam Drayton
1915
Behind the Mask (Short) as
Mrs. Rathbone
1915
A Lasting Lesson (Short) as
The Daughter
1915
The Stranger in the Valley (Short) as
Mabel Burton
1915
Ashes of Inspiration (Short) as
Mrs. Adrian West
1915
Mrs. Randolph's New Secretary (Short) as
Mrs. Randolph
1915
His Singular Lesson (Short) as
Mrs. Smith - the Wife
1915
As It Happened (Short) as
The Ranchman's Daughter
1915
Old Offenders (Short) as
Joe's Wife
1915
Her Convert (Short) as
The Old Inventor's Daughter
1915
The Way Out (Short) as
The Young School Teacher
1915
Her Dormant Love (Short) as
The Discontented Wife
1915
Truth Stranger Than Fiction (Short) as
Crook
1915
The Canceled Mortgage (Short) as
The Widowed Mother
1915
A Day's Adventure (Short) as
Hogan's Moll
1915
The Gambler's I.O.U. (Short) as
Nell - Daddy Wilson's Daughter
1915
The Miser's Legacy (Short) as
The Crook's Wife
1915
The Sheriff's Dilemma (Short) as
Molly
1915
The Box of Chocolates (Short) as
Lorimer's Daughter
1915
The Borrowed Necklace (Short) as
Florence Barlow
1915
The Dancer's Ruse (Short) as
Lydia - the Dancer
1915
The Inevitable Retribution (Short) as
His wife
1915
From the Shadow (Short) as
His daughter
1914
The Bond Sinister (Short) as
The Jeweler's Daughter
1914
Just a Kid (Short) as
Alice - Jim's Best Girl
1914
His Old Pal's Sacrifice (Short) as
The Nurse
1914
The Child Thou Gavest Me (Short) as
Mrs. Graham
1914
The Dole of Destiny (Short) as
Ruth - the Planter's Daugher
1914
The Tides of Sorrow (Short) as
Ruth
1914
Their Soldier Boy (Short) as
The Young Man's Sweetheart
1914
The Guiding Fate (Short) as
The Wife
1914
The Gold Thief (Short) as
The Stenographer
1914
The Indian (Short)
1914
The Peddler's Bag (Short) as
The Gamekeeper's Faithful Wife
1914
The New Reporter (Short) as
The Newspaper Owner's Daughter
1914
Men and Women (Short) as
Mrs. Stephen Rodman
1914
The Man and the Master (Short)
1914
The Cracksman's Gratitude (Short)
1914
The Ragamuffin (Short) as
The Schoolteacher
1914
Her Mother's Weakness (Short) as
The Daughter
1914
The Scar (Short) as
The Wife
1914
Her Hand (Short) as
Olga
1914
For Auld Lang Syne (Short) as
The Wife
1914
Her Father's Silent Partner (Short)
1914
A Nest Unfeathered (Short) as
Kate
1914
His Fireman's Conscience (Short) as
Mrs. Daily
1914
The Fatal Wedding (Short)
1914
Waifs (Short)
1914
Concentration (Short) as
The Mother
1913
The Abandoned Well (Short) as
The Widow
1913
For Her Government (Short)
1913
Beyond All Law (Short)
1913
The House of Discord (Short) as
The Sister-in-Law (unconfirmed)
1913
All for Science (Short) as
Detective
1913
The Detective's Stratagem (Short) as
Kate, the Bank Clerk's Sweetheart
1913
Diversion (Short) as
Mrs. Wilson
1913
The Stopped Clock (Short) as
The Antique Dealer's Daughter
1913
The Van Nostrand Tiara (Short) as
Kate
1913
A Tender-Hearted Crook (Short) as
Edith
1913
The Law and His Son (Short) as
Marguerite, Manning's Sister
1913
The Stolen Treaty (Short) as
Olga
1913
The Strong Man's Burden (Short) as
Ida Glynn, The Nurse
1913
The Crook and the Girl (Short) as
The Uncle's Adopted Daughter
1913
The Work Habit (Short) as
The Daughter in the City
1913
I Was Meant for You (Short) as
Lavina
1913
Under the Shadow of the Law (Short) as
John Haywood's Sister
1913
The Vengeance of Galora (Short) as
Galora
1913
The Mirror (Short) as
Daisy
1913
A Gambler's Honor (Short) as
Beth
1913
The Enemy's Baby (Short) as
Miller's Wife
1913
A Gamble with Death (Short) as
Kate
1913
The Switch Tower (Short) as
The Switchman's Wife
1913
The Well (Short) as
The Farmer's Wife
1913
The Ranchero's Revenge (Short) as
The Schemer's Associate
1913
Olaf-an Atom (Short) as
A Parent
1913
The House of Darkness (Short) as
The Doctor's Wife
1913
The Stolen Loaf (Short) as
The Rich Woman
1913
The Tenderfoot's Money (Short) as
The Prospector's Wife
1913
The Wanderer (Short) as
The Female Lover
1913
The Stolen Bride (Short) as
The Wife
1913
A Welcome Intruder (Short) as
A Widow
1913
The Unwelcome Guest (Short) as
The Son's Wife
1913
The Wrong Bottle (Short) as
The Blind Sister
1913
Drink's Lure (Short) as
The Neglected Wife
1913
A Father's Lesson (Short) as
The Wife
1913
A Misappropriated Turkey (Short) as
Mrs. Fallon / Widow Logan
1913
The Telephone Girl and the Lady (Short) as
The Lady
1912
The God Within (Short) as
The Woodsman's Wife
1912
A Cry for Help (Short) as
The Thief's Wife - the Charity Patient
1912
The Massacre (Short) as
Stephen's Belle - In Prologue
1912
The New York Hat (Short) as
First Gossip
1912
A Sailor's Heart (Short) as
The Sailor's Third Sweetheart
1912
In the Aisles of the Wild (Short) as
The Elder Daughter
1912
So Near, Yet So Far (Short) as
Rich Woman in Other Town
1912
Two Daughters of Eve (Short) as
The Mother
1912
In the North Woods (Short) as
The Trapper's Wife
1912
A Child's Remorse (Short) as
The Child's Mother
1912
The Sands of Dee (Short) as
The Artist's Fiancée
1912
Man's Genesis (Short) as
Tribe Member (unconfirmed)
1912
Trying to Fool Uncle (Short) as
Dick's Wife
1912
The School Teacher and the Waif (Short) as
The Street Fakir's Sweetheart
1912
Lena and the Geese (Short) as
Lena's Mother
1912
A Temporary Truce (Short) as
Mexican Jim's Wife
1912
When Kings Were the Law (Short) as
A Lady-in-Waiting
1912
When the Fire-Bells Rang (Short) as
An Actress
1912
The Old Actor (Short) as
At Audition
1912
The Fickle Spaniard (Short) as
Margot
1912
The Leading Man (Short) as
A Boarder
1912
The Female of the Species (Short) as
The Miner's Wife
1912
Iola's Promise (Short) as
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
1912
A String of Pearls (Short) as
The Italian Shoemaker's Wife
1912
The Sunbeam (Short) as
The Spinster
1912
Under Burning Skies (Short) as
The Friend
1912
Billy's Stratagem (Short) as
Billy's Mother
1912
A Blot on the 'Scutcheon (Short) as
Gwendolyn - Tresham's Cousin
1912
The Baby and the Stork (Short) as
Bobby's Mother
1911
As in a Looking Glass (Short) as
The Wife
1911
The Failure (Short)
1911
A Woman Scorned (Short) as
The Doctor's Wife
1911
The Long Road (Short) as
Ned's Wife
1911
The Adventures of Billy (Short) as
Rich Woman
1911
The Unveiling (Short)
1911
Josh's Suicide (Short) as
Girl at party
1911
The Making of a Man (Short) as
Actress
1911
The Squaw's Love (Short) as
Silver Fawn
1911
Swords and Hearts (Short) as
Irene Lambert
1911
The Sorrowful Example (Short) as
The Wife
1911
The Ruling Passion (Short) as
Billy's Mother
1911
A Country Cupid (Short) as
The Half-Wit's Mother
1911
The Primal Call (Short) as
The Woman
1911
A Romany Tragedy (Short) as
The Elder Sister
1911
The Crooked Road (Short) as
A Neighbor
1911
The Manicure Lady (Short) as
Lunchroom Hostess
1911
In the Days of '49 (Short) as
Edith Weston - Bill's Wife
1911
Misplaced Jealousy (Short) as
The Manicurist
1911
The Chief's Daughter (Short) as
Susan - Frank's Fiancée
1911
The Broken Cross (Short) as
Kate's Mother
1911
The Spanish Gypsy (Short) as
Paula
1911
Cured (Short) as
Old Woman
1911
Conscience (Short) as
A Maid
1911
A Decree of Destiny (Short) as
The Nun
1911
Fisher Folks (Short) as
At Fair
1911
What Shall We Do with Our Old? (Short) as
The Old Carpenter's Wife
1911
Three Sisters (Short) as
Investigating Committee
1911
Fate's Turning (Short) as
At Hotel / At Wedding
1911
His Trust Fulfilled (Short) as
Mrs. Frazier
1911
His Trust: The Faithful Devotion and Self-Sacrifice of an Old Negro Servant (Short) as
Colonel Frazier's Wife
1911
The Italian Barber (Short) as
At Ball
1910
The Recreation of an Heiress (Short) as
The Heiress' Maid
1910
His Sister-in-Law (Short) as
The Maiden Aunt
1910
The Golden Supper (Short) as
Lady-in-Waiting
1910
Happy Jack, a Hero (Short) as
The Maid
1910
A Child's Stratagem (Short) as
The Designing Woman
1910
His New Lid (Short) as
Mourner
1910
Simple Charity (Short) as
Charity Worker
1910
The Fugitive (Short) as
Woman in Farewell Crowd
1910
Waiter No. 5 (Short) as
The Chief of Police's Wife
1910
Two Little Waifs (Short) as
Nun
1910
The Message of the Violin (Short) as
The Other Woman's Servant
1910
A Lucky Toothache (Short) as
A Cousin
1910
How Hubby Got a Raise (Short) as
Neighbor (uncredited)
1910
The Iconoclast (Short) as
The Worker's Wife
1910
Rose o' Salem Town (Short) as
Indian / Puritan
1910
The Oath and the Man (Short) as
Rebel
1910
A Mohawk's Way (Short) as
Indian Mother
1910
A Summer Idyll (Short) as
At Party
1910
Muggsy Becomes a Hero (Short) as
One of the Sisters Frost
1910
Wilful Peggy (Short) as
The Maid
1910
The Usurer (Short) as
Despairing Mother / One of the Third Debtors
1910
A Flash of Light (Short) as
At First Party
1910
Love Among the Roses (Short)
1910
His Last Burglary (Short)
1908
The Call of the Wild (Short) as
Party Guest
1908
The Planter's Wife (Short) as
Mrs. John Holland
1908
The Devil (Short) as
Mrs. Harold Thornton
Self
1963
Delta Kappa Alpha Silver Anniversary Banquet (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
Archive Footage
2023
Compression (TV Series documentary)
- Compression Ben-Hur: a Tale of the Christ de Fred Niblo (2023)
1957
Project Twenty (TV Series documentary) as
Self - Actress
- The Innocent Years (1957) - Self - Actress
1956
MGM Parade (TV Series documentary) as
Napoleon's Mother in 'The Man on the Rock'
- Episode #1.18 (1956) - Napoleon's Mother in 'The Man on the Rock'
1947
Flicker Flashbacks No. 2, Series 5 (Documentary short) as
Self (uncredited)
References
Claire McDowell Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA