Vera Lewis

Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films from 1915 to 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis.

Biography She was born in Manhattan, where she began acting in stage productions. Her film career started in 1915 with the film Hypocrites, which starred Myrtle Stedman and Courtenay Foote. From 1915 to 1929, she appeared in 63 silent films, including the film classic Intolerance (1916), where she played the "old maid" Miss Jenkins.

Unlike many silent film stars, she made a smooth transition to sound films, starting with her 1930 appearance in Wide Open, starring Patsy Ruth Miller and Edward Everett Horton. Already age 56 by the time of her first sound film, she appeared in 58 films during the 1930s and another 60 during the 1940s, almost all of them as a character actress. She retired after 1947 and resided at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland Hills, California at the time of her death on February 8, 1956.

Family Vera and Ralph Lewis had a daughter, Monica. During her marriage to Fred Johnson, Monica had four children. Thus in addition to her four grandchildren, Vera and Ralph had 10 great-grandchildren.

Selected filmography

Dot's Elopement (1914, Short) as Dot's Mother Hypocrites (1915) as Parishioner (uncredited) The Caprices of Kitty (1915) as Miss Smyth Sunshine Molly (1915, Short) as Mrs. O'Brien Betty in Search of a Thrill (1915) as Mrs. Hastings The Kid Magicians (1915, Short) as Georgie's Mother Cross Currents (1916) as Mrs. Van de Veer The Price of Power (1916) as Pauline Belmont, John's Second Wife The Argonauts of California - 1849 (1916) Intolerance (1916) as Mary Jenkins Married by Accident (1917, Short) as Edna's Maid Jack and the Beanstalk (1917) as The Giantess Lost in Transit (1917) as Mrs. Flint The Trouble Buster (1917) as Mrs. Westfall A Weaver of Dreams (1918) as Aunt Hattie Taylor A Bit of Jade (1918) as Mrs. Abigail King The Vigilantes (1918) The Long Lane's Turning (1919) as Charlotte Allen As the Sun Went Down (1919) as Ike's Wife The Lamb and the Lion (1919) as Mrs. Robert Derby The Pest (1919) as Housekeeper Yvonne from Paris (1919) as Aunt Marie Provost The Mother and the Law (1919) as Miss Mary Jenkins The Merry-Go-Round (1919) as Mrs. Pomeroy Lombardi, Ltd. (1919) as Mollie The Blooming Angel (1920) as Floss's Aunt The Devil's Riddle (1920) as Leading lady Nurse Marjorie (1920) as Duchess of Donegal The Poor Simp (1920) as Mrs. Adams A Full House (1920) as Aunt Penelope She Couldn't Help It (1920) as Mother Hogan Nancy from Nowhere (1922) as Mrs. Kelly Peg o' My Heart (1922) as Mrs. Chichester The Glorious Fool (1922) as Miss Hart Brass (1923) as Mrs. Jones Desire (1923) as Mrs. De Witt Harlan The Marriage Market (1923) as Aunt Agnes Piggott Long Live the King (1923) as Archduchess Annuncita Innocence (1923) as Wedding Guest (uncredited) How to Educate a Wife (1924) as Mrs. Bancks Broadway After Dark (1924) as Mrs. Smith Cornered (1924) as Mrs. Wells In Every Woman's Life (1924) as Diana Lansdale The Dark Swan (1924) as Mrs. Quinn Who Cares (1925) as Grandmother Ludlow Eve's Secret (1925) as Duchess Enticement (1925) as Mrs. Blake Stella Dallas (1925) as Mrs. Tibbets The Only Thing (1925) as Princess Erek The Gilded Butterfly (1926) as Mrs. Ralston Ella Cinders (1926) as Ma Cinders The Passionate Quest (1926) as Mrs. Gardner The Lily (1926) as Mrs. Arnaud Sr King of the Pack (1926) as 'Widder' Gasper Take It from Me (1926) as Mrs. Forsythe The Broken Gate (1927) as Invalid Resurrection (1927) as Aunt Marya Thumbs Down (1927) as Mrs. Hale What Happened to Father? (1927) as Mrs. Bradberry The Small Bachelor (1927) as Mrs. Waddington Satan and the Woman (1928) as Mrs. Leone Daingerfield Something Always Happens (1928) as Gräfin Agathe Ramona (1928) as Señora Moreno The Home Towners (1928) as Mrs. Calhoun The Iron Mask (1929) as Madame Peronne Coquette (1929) as Miss Jenkins (uncredited) The Drake Case (1929) as 'Miss' Drake (uncredited) Wide Open (1930) as Mrs. Hathaway, Agatha's Mother Strictly Unconventional (1930) as Duchess of Brocklehurst (uncredited) Just Imagine (1930) as 1980 Census Taker (uncredited) Command Performance (1931) as Queen Elizabeth Night Nurse (1931) as Miss Dillon King Kong (1933) as New York Theatergoer (uncredited) Hold Your Man (1933) as Mrs. Gargan (uncredited) My Lips Betray (1933) as Gossipy Woman in Curlers (uncredited) Meet the Baron (1933) as Head Housekeeper (uncredited) After Tonight (1933) as Anna Huber, a Cleaner (uncredited) The Meanest Gal in Town (1934) as Woman at Mayor's Outing (uncredited) Roaring Roads (1935) as Aunt Harriet Alias Mary Dow (1935) as Party Guest (uncredited) The Daring Young Man (1935) as Secretary to the Duchess (uncredited) Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935) as Mrs. Cordelia Neselrode Navy Wife (1935) as Bridge Player (uncredited) Way Down East (1935) as Mrs. Poole Never Too Late (1935) as Mother Hartley Paddy O'Day (1936) as Aunt Flora Don't Get Personal (1936) as Spinster (uncredited) Dancing Pirate (1936) as Orville's Mother (uncredited) Missing Girls (1936) as Ma Barton Maid of Salem (1937) as Townswoman (uncredited) Nothing Sacred (1937) as Miss Sedgewick (uncredited) In Old Chicago (1938) as Wedding Witness (uncredited) Crime School (1938) as Aunt Liz (uncredited) Little Miss Thoroughbred (1938) as Accident Spectator (uncredited) Racket Busters (1938) as Jordan's Neighbor (uncredited) The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) as Juror (uncredited) Mr. Chump (1938) as Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited) Four Daughters (1938) as Mrs. Ridgefield Boy Meets Girl (1938) as Studio Cleaning Woman (uncredited) Broadway Musketeers (1938) as Landlady (uncredited) The Sisters (1938) as Dowager at Ball (uncredited) Girls on Probation (1938) as Miss Lewis, Secretary (uncredited) Nancy Drew... Detective (1938) as Miss Van Deering (uncredited) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) as Soapy's Mother (uncredited) Comet Over Broadway (1938) as Mrs. Appleton Devil's Island (1939) as Gaudet's Housekeeper (uncredited) Blackwell's Island (1939) as Hospital Desk Nurse (uncredited) Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939) as Dowager (uncredited) Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939) as Mrs. Dibble (uncredited) Dodge City (1939) as League Member in Polka-Dot Dress (uncredited) On Trial (1939) as Mrs. Leeds, Juror #8 Women in the Wind (1939) as Farmer's Wife Sweepstakes Winner (1939) as Mrs. McCarthy Naughty but Nice (1939) as Aunt Annabella Hardwick Hell's Kitchen (1939) as Sarah Krispan Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939) as Miss Rosemary Turnbull Espionage Agent (1939) as American Tourist Going to Desert (uncredited) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Mrs. Edwards (uncredited) The Roaring Twenties (1939) as Mrs. Gray Kid Nightingale (1939) as Woman Crashing Vase Over Husband's Head (uncredited) The Return of Doctor X (1939) as Miss Sweetman Private Detective (1939) as Mrs. Widner Four Wives (1939) as Mrs. Ridgefield Granny Get Your Gun (1940) as Carrie Adventure in Diamonds (1940) as Mrs. MacPherson The Courageous Dr. Christian (1940) as Mrs. Norma Stewart An Angel from Texas (1940) as Mrs. Gates (uncredited) Women in War (1940) as Pierre's Wife (uncredited) The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) as Minor Role (scenes deleted) All This, and Heaven Too (1940) as Queen Amélia of France (uncredited) They Drive By Night (1940) as Landlady (uncredited) Money and the Woman (1940) as Mrs. Leslie, First Bank Depositor (uncredited) Calling All Husbands (1940) as Mrs. McGillicuddy (uncredited) Always a Bride (1940) as Second Old Maid (scenes deleted) Father Is a Prince (1940) as Carrie A Night at Earl Carroll's (1940) as Maidy, Wardrobe Woman (uncredited) She Couldn't Say No (1940) as Pansy Hawkins Four Mothers (1941) as Mrs. Ridgefield Honeymoon for Three (1941) as Book Club Member (uncredited) Here Comes Happiness (1941) as Mrs. James Knockout (1941) as Mrs. Turner (scenes deleted) Model Wife (1941) as Mrs. Leahy (uncredited) Million Dollar Baby (1941) (scenes deleted) Bad Men of Missouri (1941) as Mrs. Jordan (uncredited) Manpower (1941) as Wife of the Justice of the Peace (uncredited) The Smiling Ghost (1941) as Mrs. Crockett (uncredited) Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941) as Mrs. Slocum Passage from Hong Kong (1941) as Tourist (uncredited) One Foot in Heaven (1941) as Mrs. Simpson (uncredited) Three Girls About Town (1941) as Clubwoman (uncredited) Miss Polly (1941) as Elvira Pennywinkle They Died with Their Boots On (1941) as Head Nurse (uncredited) The Body Disappears (1941) as Mrs. Moggs (uncredited) Remember the Day (1941) as Teacher (uncredited) Bullet Scars (1942) as Charles' Wife (uncredited) Lady Gangster (1942) as Ma Silsby Larceny, Inc. (1942) as First Customer (uncredited) Moontide (1942) as Mrs. Simpson (uncredited) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) as Actress (uncredited) The Gay Sisters (1942) as Courtroom Visitor with Dog (uncredited) Busses Roar (1942) as Mrs. Dipper The Hard Way (1943) as Actress as 'Aunt Vera Elliott' in 'Morning Melody' (uncredited) The Gorilla Man (1943) as Landlady (uncredited) Someone to Remember (1943) as Aggressive Miss Green Princess O'Rourke (1943) as Matilda (uncredited) Mr. Skeffington (1944) as Wife of Justice of the Peace (uncredited) The Suspect (1944) as Hannah Barlow (uncredited) The Captain from Köpenick (completed in 1941, released in 1945) Hollywood and Vine (1945) as Fanny Rhythm Round-Up (1945) as Mrs. Squimp Cinderella Jones (1946) as Woman in Courtroom (uncredited) The Cat Creeps (1946) as Cora Williams Spook Busters (1946) as Mrs. Grimm The Killers (1946) as Ma Hirsch (uncredited) The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946) as Scrubwoman (uncredited) It's a Joke, Son! (1947) as Hortense Dimwitty Stallion Road (1947) as Mrs. Pelton, Engagement Party Guest (uncredited) It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) as Woman in Chauffeured Car (uncredited) It Had to Be You (1947) as Mrs. Brown (scenes deleted)