Vola Vale

Vola Vale (born Vola Smith; February 12, 1897 – October 17, 1970) was a silent film actress. She was active in the film industry from 1916 through 1936.

Early career Vale was born in Buffalo, New York and educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Her high school friends in Rochester, New York, where she was raised, knew her as Vola Smith. She began her career in amateur theatricals in Rochester. Then she played in stock companies for a while.

After working under Bert Lytell on stage, in 1916 Vale began working in film for Biograph, With Sessue Hayakawa, she made Each To His Kind (1917). Before filming began it was decided that the name Smith was too common to be used by a motion picture star. She changed her professional name to Vola Vale.

Vale reflected in the early 1920s about observation, particularly its power in attaining one's acting proficiency. It is the ability of the actress to see and note of the little things in life and then store them in her subconscious mind where they await her call to use at the psychological moment before the camera that enables her to either register success in her chosen work, or be merely mediocre. She began this process as a youth acting with D.W. Griffith. She observed how the director took notice of everything the actors did.

Model Vale modeled clothes for the Broadway Department Store in Los Angeles, California. A 1916 photo from the Los Angeles Times shows her in an exclusive Betty Wales frock from Broadway. This was a very popular dress among college women of the era.

Private life In the summer of 1917, Vale began living in an Ocean Bluff home in the city of Long Beach. Vale was married to film director and producer Al Russell. They had a son. On December 8, 1926, Vale married director John. W. Gorman in Santa Ana, California. They kept the wedding secret until they told friends on February 2, 1927. She married a third time to Lawrence McDougal, with whom she remained until his death in February 1970.

She was a member of Our Club, a group of seventeen of Hollywood's baby cinema stars. Mary Pickford served as honorary president. Fellow members were Mildred Davis, Helen Ferguson, Patsy Ruth Miller, Clara Horton, Gertrude Olmstead, Laura La Plante, Virginia Fox, Colleen Moore, ZaSu Pitts, Lois Wilson, May McAvoy, Gloria Hope, Virginia Valli, Carmel Myers, Edna Murphy, and Carmelita Geraghty.

Vale died in Hawthorne, California in 1970, aged 73, of heart disease. She is interred at Roosevelt Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1916 Timothy Dobbs, That's Me Mary Clarkson Lost film 1916 The Eagle's Wings Kitty Miles Lost film 1916 The Price of Silence Aline Urmy 1917 Each to His Kind Amy Dawe Lost film 1917 The Winning of Sally Temple Lady Pamela Vauclain 1917 Mentioned in Confidence Marjorie Manning 1917 Perils of the Secret Service Minna Ober (Episode #1) 1917 The Bond Between Ellen Ingram Lost film 1917 The Secret of Black Mountain Miriam Vale Short Incomplete film 1917 The Son of His Father Hazel Mallinsbee 1917 The Lady in the Library Mildred Vandeburg 1917 Zollenstein Princess Fulvia / Princess Zenia 1917 The Silent Man Betty Bryce 1918 Wolves of the Rail Faith Lawson 1918 The Locked Heart Ruth Mason Lost film 1919 Happy Though Married Diana Ramon Lost film 1919 A Heart in Pawn Emily Stone Lost film 1919 Hearts Asleep Virginia Calvert Lost film 1919 Hornet's Nest Muriel Fletcher Lost film 1919 Six Feet Four Winifred Waverly 1919 Someone Must Pay Molly Brent Lost film 1920 Overland Red Louise Alacarme Lost film 1920 Alias Jimmy Valentine Rose Lane Lost film 1920 A Master Stroke Minnie Patton Lost film 1920 The Purple Cipher Jeanne Baldwin Lost film 1920 Someone in the House Molly Brent Lost film 1920 The Iron Rider Mera Donovan Lost film 1920 Common Sense Violet Manners Lost film 1921 Singing River Alice Thornton Lost film 1921 The Duke of Chimney Butte Vesta Philbrook Lost film 1921 White Oak Barbara 1922 Good Men and True Georgie Hibbler Lost film 1923 Crashin' Thru Diane Lost film 1923 Soul of the Beast Jacqueline 1923 The Man Between Rosie (Joe Cateau's bride) Lost film 1923 Mothers-in-Law Ina Phillips Lost film 1923 The Midnight Flower Myra Lost film 1924 The Mirage Betty Bond Lost film 1925 Who Cares Tootles 1925 The Phantom of the Opera Ballerina / Christines Maid Uncredited 1925 Little Annie Rooney Mamie 1925 Heartless Husbands Mrs. Jackson Cain Lost film 1926 Her Big Adventure Countess Fontaine Lost film 1926 Two Can Play Mimi Lost film 1926 The Sky Pirate Lost film 1926 Home Sweet Home 1927 Black Tears Lost film 1932 Tomorrow and Tomorrow Townswoman Uncredited 1936 One Rainy Afternoon Minor Role Uncredited