Education University of Texas Years active 1912–1934 Name Edwin Carewe | Occupation Film director, actor Home town Gainesville, Texas Role Director | |
Born March 22, 1883 ( 1883-03-22 ) Gainesville, Texas Family F. Finish Carewe (brother)
Wallace Carewe (brother) Died January 22, 1940, Hollywood, California, United States Spouse Mary Akin (m. 1929–1940), Mary Akin (m. 1925–1928) Children Rita Carewe, Mary Jane Carewe, Carol Lee Carewe, Sally Ann Carewe, William Carewe Parents Sallie J. Priddy, Franklin Marion Fox Movies Ramona, Evangeline, Revenge, The Spoilers, Mighty Lak' a Rose Similar People Rita Carewe, Dolores del Rio, Roland Drew, Warner Baxter, LeRoy Mason | ||
Are We Civilized? (1934) WILLIAM FARNUM
Edwin Carewe (March 3, 1883–January 22, 1940) was a Native American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. His birth name was Jay John Fox, and born in Gainesville, Texas. His father, Frank Fox, was an intermarried white man in the Chickasaw Nation, and his mother Sallie (Priddy) Fox was Chickasaw. Edwin and his two brothers, F. Finis and Wallace Carewe were enrolled members of the Chickasaw Nation. He was likely the most prolific of Native American directors of feature films in Hollywood history.
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Career
After brief studies at the Universities of Texas and Missouri and a period of work with regional theatrical groups, Carewe moved to New York in 1910, where he became a member of the Dearborn Stock Company. He then changed his name to Edwin Carewe; Edwin after the actor "Edwin Booth," and "Carewe" after a character he was portraying. He was on stage as an actor before he worked for Lubin studios.
Later, Carewe directed films for MGM, First National, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and United Artists. During his career, he provided early screen exposure to many actors such as Dolores del Rio, Warner Baxter, Francis X. Bushman and Gary Cooper. He directed 58 films including the acclaimed 1928 version of Ramona starring Dolores del Rio and Warner Baxter, which was rediscovered and restored by the Library of Congress and had its world premiere at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2014.
Although Jay Fox was his real name, Carewe chose Edwin from stage actor Edwin Booth and Carewe from a character he was playing. Carewe and his two brothers, Wallace Fox (a director/producer) and Finis Fox (a scenario writer), were all 1/16 Chickasaw according to the 1907 Chickasaw Rolls.
Another of Carewe's notable films was Evangeline in 1929 also with Dolores del Rio and written by his brother Finis Fox. Evangeline was based upon the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem and earned praise for its exceptional lighting and camera work.
Although Carewe directed and produced a number of critically and financially successful pictures during the silent era, he was not fully able to make the transition to sound. After resorting to sound remakes of his earlier successes, and later to low-budget and religious films, he made his last feature Are We Civilized? in 1934. He was married three times, twice to actress Mary Akin.
Death
Carewe died from a heart ailment in his Hollywood apartment, and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.