Image of Kathlyn Williams

Kathlyn Williams

From Wikipedia Kathlyn Williams was born Kathleen Mabel Williams on May 31, 1879 in Butte, Montana, and the only child born to Joseph Edwin"Frank" Williams, a boarding house proprietor, and Mary C. Boe (1846–1908) of Welsh and Norwegian descent. Many biographies state her birth year as 1888; however,she is listed on the 1880 United States Census as being a year old. Williams displayed an early interest in becoming an actress in her youth which lead her to become a member of a community thespian group. She also joined the Woman's Relief Corps that allowed her to showcase her vocal prowess at local recitals. Williams began her career with Selig Polyscope Company in Chicago, Illinois and made her first film in 1908 under the direction of Francis Boggs. By 1910, she was transferred to the company's Los Angeles film studio. Williams played "Cherry Malotte" in the first movie based upon Rex Beach's 1906 novel The Spoilers in 1914, a role portrayed in subsequent versions by Betty Compson (1930), Marlene Dietrich (1942), and Anne Baxter (1955). In 1916, she starred in the thirteen episode adventure film serial, The Adventures of Kathlyn. She was busy throughout the silent film era but age and the advent of talkies saw her make only five sound films, the last in 1935. Kathlyn evolved from a comedian and serial player in silents to portraying character roles in the early 1930s. Williams was married three times. Although many biographies erroneously cite her first husband as being Victor Kainer, he was in fact named Otto H. "Harry" Kainer (1876–1952), who ran an import and export business on Wall Street in New York City. They were wed on October 2, 1903, and their son, Victor Hugo, was born in 1905. They supposedly divorced over Kainer's disapproval of his wife having an acting career,and Williams subsequently obtained a divorce from Kainer in 1909 in Nevada. On March 4, 1913, she married Frank R. Allen, also an actor, but the marriage was a failure from the start and lasted a little over a year. On June 30, 1914, she filed for divorce in Los Angeles and listed desertion as the reason as the failure of their marriage She later married Paramount Pictures executive Charles Eyton on June 2, 1916, in Riverside, California. The Eytons eventually divorced in 1931. On December 29, 1949, Williams was involved in a deadly automobile accident, which claimed the life of her friend, Mrs. Mary E. Rose, while they were returning home from a social engagement in Las Vegas. As a result of the accident, Williams lost her right leg. On April 8, 1950, Williams sued the estate of Rose for $136,615, citing negligence and claiming that the automobile had inefficient brakes. In June 1951, Williams accepted the offer of $6,500 dollars from the Rose estate. Kathlyn Williams died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California in 1960. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Kathlyn Williams has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7038 Hollywood Blvd.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
May 31, 1879
Movie/TV Credits:
26
First Appeared:
In the movie Lines of White on a Sullen Sea 1909-10-27
Latest Project:
Movie Rendezvous at Midnight 1935-02-11
Known For
Poster of Souls for Sale
Poster of The Girl at the Cupola
Poster of The Two Orphans
Poster of The Rose of Old St. Augustine
Filmography
Movie Rendezvous at Midnight Mrs. Arthur Dewey 1935-02-11
Movie Blood Money Nightclub Woman Wearing Monocle (uncredited) 1933-11-17
Movie Unholy Love Mrs. Bradford 1932-06-08
Movie Daddy Long Legs Mrs. Paula Pendleton 1931-06-05
Movie Road to Paradise Mrs. Wells 1930-07-20
Movie The Single Standard Mrs. Glendenning 1929-07-27
Movie Our Dancing Daughters Ann's Mother 1928-09-01
Movie Wanderer of the Wasteland Magdalene Virey 1924-08-09
Movie The World's Applause Elsa Townsend 1923-01-29
Movie The Spanish Dancer Queen Isabel of Bourbon 1923-10-06
Movie Souls for Sale Herself - Celebrity Actress in Commisary 1923-04-22
Movie A Private Scandal Carol Lawton 1921-06-11
Movie Morals Judith Mainwaring 1921-10-31
Movie Conrad in Quest of His Youth Mrs. Adaile 1920-11-06
Movie The Whispering Chorus Jane Tremble 1918-03-28
Movie Big Timber Stella Benton 1917-07-04
Movie The Spoilers Cherry Malotte 1914-04-10
Movie Thor, Lord of the Jungles Gene Brant 1913-11-01
Movie The Adventures of Kathlyn Kathlyn Hare 1913-12-29
Movie The Girl at the Cupola Jessie Wilson 1912-08-07
Movie The Rose of Old St. Augustine Dolores, the Rose of St. Augustine 1911-05-31
Movie Back to the Primitive Helen Wilton 1911-05-10
Movie The Two Orphans Henriette 1911-09-24
Movie Captain Kate Captain Kate 1911-07-12
Movie Lost in the Jungle Meta Kruga 1911-10-25
Movie Lines of White on a Sullen Sea Extra 1909-10-27
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