Born as Alma Inez Williams in Fort Worth, Texas in 1899, her family soon moved to Los Angeles when she was still a young girl. It was there where she completed her education and then joined a musical comedy company, with which she appeared for one year. She then went to Lyons and Moran comedies at Universal Pictures. It was at Universal where she was "discovered" by director/producer Al Christie, one of the most famous comedic moviemakers of the era. She began playing in small parts in films for Christie, but soon received leads and moved from one-reelers to two-reelers, which would make her a star.
Career
Dorothy became very popular in the film industry during the period of 1918 until the late 1920s. She was a talented actress, specializing in comedic roles, such as in Know Thy Wife (1918), directed by Al Christie. Dorothy was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1923. During a good deal of her career, she achieved stardom in the comedic two-reel Christie Comedies, released through Educational.
A little time after her career kicked off, Christie loaned her out to play the female lead opposite Charles Ray in 45 Minutes from Broadway (1920), in which she had great success. She made several successful films which established her as one of the screen's most talented comedians of the era. She made her last film, Take the Heir, in 1930, and began her retirement from the movies.
Personal life
She married theater owner Albert Wylie Mather in 1926. Devore died in 1976 in Woodland Hills, California, aged 77, from undisclosed causes.
Filmography
Actress
1939
Miracle on Main Street as
Woman in Church
1930
Take the Heir as
Susan
1929
Auntie's Mistake (Short)
1928
Misplaced Husbands (Short)
1928
Companionate Service (Short)
1928
Rah! Rah! Rah! (Short)
1928
Circus Blues (Short)
1928
Cutie (Short) as
The Bride
1927
The Little Rube (Short)
1927
Kilties (Short) as
Dorothy
1927
Better Days
1927
Up in Arms (Short)
1927
Mountains of Manhattan as
Marion Wright
1927
The Wrong Mr. Wright as
Teddy
1927
The First Night as
Doris Frazer
1926
Money to Burn as
Dolores Valdez
1926
No Babies Wanted as
Martha Whitney
1926
Senor Daredevil as
Sally Blake
1926
The Social Highwayman as
Elsie Van Tyler
1926
The Gilded Highway as
Primrose Welby
1926
The Man Upstairs as
Marion Larnard
1925
The Midnight Flyer as
Mary Baxter
1925
Three Weeks in Paris as
Mary Brown
1925
His Majesty, Bunker Bean as
Marie Breede
1925
Fighting the Flames as
Alice Doran
1925
How Baxter Butted In as
Beulah Dyer
1925
A Broadway Butterfly as
Irene Astaire
1925
The Prairie Wife as
Chaddie Green
1925
Who Cares as
Joan
1925
The Narrow Street as
Doris
1924
The Tomboy as
Tommy Smith
1924
Hold Your Breath as
Mabel
1924
Getting Gertie's Goat (Short) as
Gertie
1924
Stay Single (Short)
1923
Kidding Katie (Short) as
Katie - the Younger Sister
1923
When Odds Are Even as
Caroline Peyton
1923
Navy Blues (Short) as
Mrs. James Warren
1923
Pick and Shovel (Short)
1923
Winter Has Came (Short) as
Mary
1923
Babies Welcome (Short)
1923
Hazel from Hollywood (Short) as
Hazel Nutt
1922
Chop Suey (Short) as
The Hopeful Actress
1922
Let 'Er Run (Short) as
Dorothy
1922
Mile-a-Minute Mary (Short) as
Mile-a-Minute Mary
1922
Fair Enough (Short) as
Dolly aka Dolly the Dip
1922
One Stormy Knight (Short)
1921
Saving Sister Susie (Short)
1921
Paying Patients (Short)
1921
Nothing Like It (Short)
1921
Sneakers (Short)
1921
The Magnificent Brute as
Yvonne
1921
Naughty Mary Brown (Short) as
Naughty Mary Brown
1921
The Reckless Sex (Short)
1921
Man vs. Woman (Short)
1921
Mind Your Business (Short)
1921
Movie Mad (Short)
1920
Call a Cop (Short)
1920
Should Husbands Dance (Short)
1920
45 Minutes from Broadway as
Mary Jane Jenkins
1920
Seven Bald Pates (Short)
1920
A Home Made Hero (Short)
1920
Biff Bang Bomb (Short) as
The Editor's Daughter
1920
Her Perfect Husband (Short)
1920
All Jazzed Up (Short)
1920
Neat But Not Gaudy (Short)
1920
Should a Wife Come Back? (Short)
1920
Nearly Newlyweds (Short)
1920
No Babies Allowed (Short)
1920
It Takes a Crook (Short)
1920
Should a Husband Tell? (Short)
1919
Her Bear Escape (Short)
1919
A Flirt There Was (Short)
1919
Love in a Hurry (Short)
1919
Anybody's Widow (Short)
1919
A Cheerful Liar (Short)
1919
A Full House (Short)
1919
All in the Swim (Short)
1919
Kiss the Bride (Short)
1919
Oh, Susie, Be Careful (Short)
1919
Too Many Wives (Short)
1919
Lost: A Bridegroom (Short)
1919
Marrying Molly (Short)
1919
Brides for Two (Short)
1919
Oh, What a Night! (Short)
1919
Bobby Comes Marching Home (Short)
1919
Welcome Home (Short)
1919
Four of a Kind (Short)
1919
Salvation Sue (Short)
1919
The Girl Dodger as
Minor Role (uncredited)
1919
Marry My Wife (Short)
1919
You Couldn't Blame Her (Short)
1919
Good Gracious, Bobby (Short)
1919
Sing, Rosa, Sing! (Short)
1919
How's Your Husband? (Short)
1918
Know Thy Wife (Short) as
Betty Browning (as Dorothy De Vore)
1918
Swat the Flirt (Short)
1918
String Beans as
Minor Role (uncredited)
1918
Camping Out (Short)
1918
Maid Wanted (Short) as
The Maid
1918
The Price of a Rotten Time (Short)
1918
Frenzied Film (Short)
1918
Please Hit Me (Short)
1918
The Law of the North as
Minor Role (uncredited)
1918
The Extra Bridegroom (Short)
1918
The House Cleaning Horrors (Short)
Self
1971
The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series) as
Self
- A Special Salute to the Silent Screen with guests Richard Arlen, Buddy Rogers, Jackie Coogan, Babe London, Chester Conklin, Ken Maynard, Neil Hamilton and many other silent screen stars. (1971) - Self
