About Jennie Lee
Lived 1848 – 1925 (aged 76). Jennie Lee was an American actor, stage actor and film actor.
Mary Jane Lee (September 4, 1848 – August 5, 1925; known professionally as Jennie Lee) was an American actress of the stage and screen.
Lee appeared in more than 50 films between 1912 and 1924, working especially in character parts under the directors John Ford and D. W. Griffith. She began her stage career at age nine and went on to support such actors as John Edward McCullough, Joseph Jefferson, Edwin Booth, and Helena Modjeska. She and her husband, actor William Courtright, appeared together in Griffith's Intolerance (1916). Lee portrayed Mammy in The Birth of a Nation (1915). Another notable performance of the actress occurs in Lloyd Ingraham's A Child of the Paris Streets, in which she portrays Madame Dufrane.
Selected filmography
The Mothering Heart (Griffith, 1913, Short) - The Wash Customer The Sorrowful Shore (Griffith, 1913, Short) - On Shore (uncredited) Two Men of the Desert (Griffith, 1913, Short) - Old Indian Woman The Battle at Elderbush Gulch (Griffith, 1913, Short) - The Waifs' Guardian Judith of Bethulia (Griffith, 1913) - Bethulian The Yaqui Cur (1913) as Yaqui Woman Almost a Wild Man (1913) as In Audience Brute Force (Griffith, 1914, Short) - Cavewoman The Birth of a Nation (Griffith, 1915) - Mammy - The Faithful Servant The Slave Girl (Browning, 1915, Short) Her Shattered Idol (1915) - Ben's Mother A Child of the Paris Streets (1916) - Madame Dufrane An Innocent Magdalene (Dwan, 1916) - Mammy Pillars of Society (1916) - Nurse (uncredited) Intolerance (1916) - Woman at Jenkins Employees Dance (uncredited) The Little Liar (1916) - Boardinghouse Keeper The Children Pay (Ingraham, 1916) - Susan - the Girls' Governess Nina, the Flower Girl (Ingraham, 1917) - Nina's grandmother Stage Struck (Morrissey, 1917) - Mrs. Teedles A Woman's Awakening (1917) - Mammie Her Official Fathers (1917) - Aunt Lydia Souls Triumphant (O'Brien, 1917) Madame Bo-Peep (1917) - Housekeeper The Innocent Sinner (1917) - Mother Ellis The Clever Mrs. Carfax (1917) - Mrs. Mary Keyes Sandy (1918) - Aunt Melvy Riders of Vengeance (Ford, 1919) - Harry's Mother Bill Henry (Storm, 1919) - Aunt Martha Jenkins Rider of the Law (Ford, 1919) - Jim's Mother The Secret Gift (1920) - Aunt Soiphie The Big Punch (Ford, 1921) - Buck's Mother One Man in a Million (1921) - Mrs. Koppel North of Hudson Bay (Ford, 1923) - Mother Dane Young Ideas (1924) - Grandma Hearts of Oak (Ford, 1924) - Grandma Dunnivan
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Important facts
People in Jennie Lee's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jennie Lee's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jennie Lee?
American actress (1848-1925)
When was Jennie Lee born?
Jennie Lee was born on 4 September 1848 in Sacramento.
When did Jennie Lee die?
Jennie Lee died on 5 August 1925 in Hollywood.
What was Jennie Lee's occupation?
Jennie Lee was an actor, stage actor and film actor.
What nationality was Jennie Lee?
Jennie Lee was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Jennie Lee (American actress)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jennie Lee. https://biography.guide/jennie-lee-actor/
MLA: "Jennie Lee." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jennie-lee-actor/.
Chicago: "Jennie Lee." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jennie-lee-actor/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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