Anita Stewart

Anita Stewart (born Anna Marie Stewart; February 7, 1895 – May 4, 1961) was an American actress and film producer of the early silent film era.

Vitagraph Studios

Stewart began her acting career in 1911 at the age of 16 while still attending Erasmus Hall High School Stewart's brother-in-law, director Ralph Ince at Vitagraph film studios, married to Lucille Lee, arranged for the teen-aged Stuart to appear as a juvenile extra at their New York City studio location.

When Vitagraph publicity personnel accidentally published Stewart's name as "Anita Stewart" rather the hitherto "Anna M. Stewart", she adopted it as her professional name. By 1914, with the release of the melodramatic romance A Million Bid (1914), in which she played the long-suffering Agnes Belgradin, Stewart was elevated to a veritable screen icon. Film historian Hugh Neely describes the phenomenon:

Stewart's success at Vitagraph proceeded unabated through 1915, where she was working with director and brother-in-law Ralph Ince. Vitagraph began assigning Stewart vehicles to directors other than Ince in 1916. The screen star objected, questioning the professionalism of one director, Wilfred North. Stewart walked off the set, reporting that she needed to convalesce after suffering injuries in an automobile accident—effectively canceling the production. This legal contretemps signaled the end of Stewart's six-year tenure at Vitagraph and her recruitment as a business associate and co-producer with aspiring movie mogul Louis B. Mayer in 1917.

Anita Stewart Productions: 1918–1922 Motion Picture Magazine, April 1919. Anita Stewart: "America's daintiest actress" and "a slender screen fairy." Publicity portrait. In 1917, Louis B. Mayer, then a successful New England movie exhibitor, wished to engage in producing independent films under the aegis of First National Exhibitors Circuit. As a prerequisite, he needed to bring a high-profile screen personality into the enterprise to attract investors. Mayer approached Stewart, who was still under contract to Vitagraph, and proposed they establish "Anita Stewart Productions."

Anxious to move to Hollywood, and promised opportunities to acquire quality directors and film roles, she contractually formed Anita Stewart Productions with Mayer in 1917. Stewart's husband and former co-star Rudolph Cameron, who she had married secretly in 1917, was enlisted as her business manager.

Vitagraph moved quickly to open litigation against Stewart for breach of contract, claiming that she was under obligation to the studio until 31 January 1918. Stewart's claims of illness or disability were rejected by the court, and she was made liable for all the days absent from the set. The settlement included $70,000 compensation to Vitagraph and a loss of revenue from her films. The decision is still cited today in actor–studio legal disputes. After this successful production, Stewart and Mayer moved to Hollywood in 1919, operating at the facilities of the Selig Polyscope Company.

As actress-producer, Stewart enlisted filmmaker Lois Weber as a writer-director. At the time, Weber enjoyed her own studio provided by Universal Pictures, where she "controlled every aspect of production" creating films that advanced her "conservative moral universe." The Stewart-Weber collaboration produced the "unapologetically commercial" A Midnight Romance (1919), an adaption of a Marion Orth mystery-romance and Mary Regan (1919), another romance. An accomplished pianist and composer, Stewart wrote the music and lyrics for both films.

Stewart and Mayer obtained the services of some of Hollywood's most talented directors of that era. Marshall Neilan, who had directed and starred opposite Mary Pickford in several productions, made two pictures with Stewart: In Old Kentucky and Her Kingdom of Dreams (1919). Neilan's own recent attempt at independent filmmaking had failed. Among her other directors at Anita Stewart Productions were Edward José (The Fighting Shepherdess) (1920), Edwin Carewe (Playthings of Destiny) (1921) and John Stahl (Sowing the Wind) (1921).

Although the extent of Stewart's oversight as co-producer at Anita Stewart Productions is not clearly documented, historian Hugh Neely surmises that, as she was "consistently present on the set of her films, it seems logical to conclude that Stewart was in position to make the daily production decisions that might be required of her, as well as other creative decisions."

Stewart's increasing disaffection in her role as co-producer arose over Mayer's veto power over subject matter and the treatment of scenarios. Stewart championed adapting films that presented socially significant topics, including realistic literary treatments of prostitution (e.g. Theodore Dreiser's sexually provocative Sister Carrie). Mayer's "moralistic" outlook allowed only for features that would be suitable for family entertainment: "The sort of mature stories that appealed to Anita Stewart were out of the question." Stewart declined to renew her contract with Mayer in 1922 to resume a career in acting.

Shortly after closing Anita Stewart Productions, Stewart received news that her younger brother, actor George Stewart, suffered brain damage in a physical assault by their brother-in-law, director Ralph Ince. Ince was indicted for the assault. Invalided, Stewart would ultimately assume responsibility for George's care.

Final years in Hollywood: 1923–1928

Stewart returned to acting at William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Productions in 1923, where she starred in Frank J. Marion's The Love Pilot (1923). She completed two more Cosmopolitan pictures: The Great White Way (1924), directed by E. Mason Hopper, and Never the Twain Shall Meet (1925), directed by Maurice Tourneur. Stewart regarded the latter, in which she plays Tamea, her personal favorite, now a lost film. After leaving Cosmopolitan, Stewart began accepting roles offered by Poverty Row studios in order to stay employed.

The final film of her career was Romance of a Rogue (1928), in which she played opposite H. B. Warner and directed by King Baggot.

On May 4, 1961, Stewart died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills, California.

Writing Stewart authored the murder mystery novel The Devil's Toy, published in New York in 1935 by E.P. Dutton. Though the book's dust jacket traded on the author's Hollywood connection, the plot concerned the killing of a stage actor and was set in San Francisco.

Recognition For her contribution to motion picture industry as an actress, Stewart was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6724 Hollywood Boulevard.

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Notes 1911 Prejudice of Pierre Marie Credited as Anna Stewart Lost film 1912 Her Choice May – The Vain Niece Billy's Pipe Dream Pert Dawson Lost film 1913 The Swan Girl The Swan Girl Lost film A Regiment of Two Mrs. Harry Bennett Lost film Credited as Anna Stewart The Wreck Rita Carlyle Lost film 1914 The Girl from Prosperity Bessie Williams Lost film A Million Bid Agnes Belgradin Lost film The Painted World Yvette Murree Lost film The Sins of the Mothers Trixie Graham Raymond Lost film 1915 The Awakening Jo Lost film The Juggernaut Viola Rushin/Louise Hardin Incomplete film Two of five reels survive The Goddess Celestia – The Goddess Lost film 1916 My Lady's Slipper Countess Gabrielle de Villars Lost filmThe Suspect Sophie Karrenina Lost film The Daring of Diana Diana Lost film The Combat Muriel Fleming Lost film 1917 The Glory of Yolanda Yolanda Lost film The Girl Philippa Philippa Lost film The More Excellent Way Chrissy Desselden Lost filmThe Message of the MouseWynn Winthrop Clover's Rebellion Clover Dean Lost film 1918 Virtuous Wives Amy Forrester Lost film Also producer 1919 The Painted World Yvette Murree Lost film Two Women Enid Arden Lost film Mary Regan Mary Regan Lost film Also producer Shadows of the PastAntoinette Lost film Her Kingdom of DreamsJudith Rutledge Lost film Also producer Human Desire Bernice Also producer The Mind the Paint Girl Lily Upjohn/Lily Parradell Lost film Also producer In Old Kentucky Madge Brierly Also producer A Midnight Romance Marie Incomplete film Also producer 1920 The Fighting Shepherdess Kate Prentice Alternative title: VindicationAlso producer The Yellow Typhoon Hilda / Berta Nordstrom Lost film Also producer Harriet and the PiperHarriet Field Lost film Also producer 1921 Playthings of Destiny Julie Arnold Also producer Sowing the Wind Rosaamund Athelstane Also producer The Invisible Fear Sylvia Langdon Lost film Also producer Her Mad Bargain Alice Lambert Lost film Also producer 1922 Rose o' the Sea Rose Elton Lost film Also producer A Question of Honor Anne Wilmot Lost film Also producer The Woman He Married Natalie Lane Lost film Also producer 1923 Souls for Sale Herself The Love Piker Hope Warner Lost film Mary of the Movies Herself Incomplete film Hollywood Herself Lost film 1924 The Great White Way Mabel Vandegrift Lost film 1925 Never the Twain Shall Meet Tamea Lost film The Boomerang Virginia Zelva Go Straight Self Lost film Baree, Son of Kazan Nepeese Lost film 1926 Rustling for Cupid Sybil Hamilton Lost film The Prince of Pilsen Nellie Wagner Lost film Morganson's Finish Barbara Wesley Lost film The Lodge in the WildernessVirginia Coulson Whispering Wires Doris Stockbridge 1927 The Isle of Sunken Gold Princess Kala of Tafofu Incomplete film Wild Geese Lind Archer Lost film 1928 Sisters of Eve Beatrice Franklin Lost film Romance of a RogueCharmain Name the Woman Florence