Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on June 26, 2009 by lmharnisch
 

 June 22, 2009, Mystery Photo

 
Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: As many people guessed, this is Lois Wilson. Above, a publicity still from "The Covered Wagon," July 16, 1924.

 

Lois Wilson; Star of Early Silent Movies

March 9, 1988

By PAUL FELDMAN, Times Staff Writer

Early
screen star Lois Wilson, who acted in many important silent Paramount
productions, including the 1923 Western epic, "The Covered Wagon," has
died at age 93, it was reported Tuesday.

Miss Wilson, who succumbed to pneumonia in Reno, came to Hollywood in 1915 after winning a statewide beauty contest in Alabama.

She
soon wangled a small part in "The Dumb Girl of Portici," which starred
legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, and went on to act in more than 100
silent and sound films over the next 33 years.

Her best known
roles included Molly Wingate in "The Covered Wagon" and Daisy Buchanan
in the 1926 version of "The Great Gatsby," for which she won the
Photoplay magazine best performance award.

In other features, Miss Wilson acted opposite such stars as Rudolph Valentino and John Gilbert.

After
retiring in 1941–except for a bit part in the forgettable 1949 comedy
"The Girl from Jones Beach," starring Ronald Reagan–Miss Wilson turned
to the Broadway stage, road company productions, including "The Women"
for 57 weeks, and, eventually, television.

Among the network soap operas in which she played featured character roles were "The Guiding Light" and "The Edge of Night."

Although
she never wed, Miss Wilson, a 5-foot-5 brunette, was once described as
cultivating a screen image of the "soft, marrying kind of woman."

Selected
in 1924 by Paramount to represent the motion-picture industry at the
British Empire Exposition, studio officials termed her "a typical
example of the American girl in character, culture and beauty."

She
was also typical, for that era anyway, in fudging on her age. While
various studio publicity accounts have listed her year of birth as
anywhere from 1896 to 1902, her actual birthday was June 26, 1894,
according to officials at the Riverside Hospital for Skilled Care in
Reno, where Miss Wilson died March 3.

Born in Pittsburgh to an
English father and a Bostonian mother, Miss Wilson attended grammar and
high school in Birmingham, Ala., where her family moved when she was a
toddler.

Earning a teaching certificate at Alabama Normal
College, Miss Wilson briefly taught in rural schools before winning the
beauty contest and coming west to enter a contest to publicize the
newly founded Universal City.

Miss Wilson parlayed her role in
"The Dumb Girl of Portici" into a contract with Paramount and the role
of leading lady in a series of J. Warren Kerrigan films, including "The
Covered Wagon." Her other film credits included roles in Valentino's
"Monsieur Beaucaire," "Ruggles of Red Gap," "The Vanishing American,"
and her personal favorite, the 1921 "Miss Lulu Bett."

Miss
Wilson made her stage debut in Los Angeles in 1928 and moved to New
York a decade later, appearing on the Broadway stage in such plays as
"Farewell Summer," "Chicken Every Sunday," and, in the late 1960s, "I
Never Sang for My Father."

After retiring, Miss Wilson returned
to North Hollywood, where she shared a home with a sister. She later
moved near her niece, Sheila Fitzmaurice Shay, in Reno, according to
nephew George C. Lewis.

Miss Wilson was buried at Forest Lawn
Memorial-Park, Glendale, on Monday after a memorial service at the
Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

Just
a
reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and
reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time
picking only five pictures — sometimes it's difficult to choose. To
keep the mystery photo from getting
lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to
Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve
all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're
wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone
else, there's no point in submitting it again.) If you're right, you
will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess
five times. Once is enough. The only prize is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Toni Gerry!

June 23, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Lois Wilson and Holmes Herbert in "Another Scandal," Sept. 18, 1924.

Here's another photo of our mystery guest … with a mystery companion. Please congratulate Donna Hill, Dewey Webb, Anne Papineau, Eve Golden, Mike Hawks, Carmen, Mary Mallory, Cinnamon Carter, Dru Duniway and Sandy Reed for identifying her!

June 24, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo
Update: Lois Wilson and Leo Carrillo in "Obey the Law," Feb. 10, 1933.

Here's our mystery woman with another mystery companion. Please congratulate Anne Frye for identifying her!

June 25, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Lois Wilson and Jimmy Dunn at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in an undated photo.

Here's our mystery woman with another mystery companion. Please congratulate Alekszandr, Eric Yockey, Juliet, Barbara, "L.A. Confidential" fan Rolo Tomasi, Margaret, Claire Lockhart, Mary Mallory, William and Sue for identifying her. 

June 26, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Lois Wilson and a mystery companion Sept. 11, 1979

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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107 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

  1. Donna Hill's avatar Donna Hill says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:01 am

    Lois Wilson!

    Like

  2. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:08 am

    Lois Wilson?

    Like

  3. Gary Martin's avatar Gary Martin says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:11 am

    Dorothy Gish!

    Like

  4. Anne Papineau's avatar Anne Papineau says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Lois Wilson.

    Like

  5. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Finally, somebody I know: Lois Wilson!

    Like

  6. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:27 am

    The lady is Lois Wilson. Mike Hawks

    Like

  7. Karen's avatar Karen says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:28 am

    Pert Kelton

    Like

  8. Rogét-L.A.'s avatar Rogét-L.A. says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Laurette Taylor?

    Like

  9. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    June 22, 2009 at 9:51 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  10. Barbara Klein's avatar Barbara Klein says:
    June 22, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Gertrude McCoy

    Like

  11. Rosalyn's avatar Rosalyn says:
    June 22, 2009 at 10:17 am

    Helen Hayes

    Like

  12. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    June 22, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Lois Wilson.

    Like

  13. Rose's avatar Rose says:
    June 22, 2009 at 10:33 am

    Something about her resembles Drew Barrymore. Is she a Barrymore?

    Like

  14. Lili P's avatar Lili P says:
    June 22, 2009 at 11:03 am

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  15. jany's avatar jany says:
    June 22, 2009 at 11:37 am

    LILLIAN GISH

    Like

  16. tonyC's avatar tonyC says:
    June 22, 2009 at 11:49 am

    Dolores Costello

    Like

  17. tanaS's avatar tanaS says:
    June 22, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    Definitely one of the Gish sisters.

    Like

  18. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    June 22, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    Alice Brady

    Like

  19. waldo lydecker's avatar waldo lydecker says:
    June 22, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    The eyes tell me this could this be a very young Fay Bainter?

    Like

  20. Paul Cardinal's avatar Paul Cardinal says:
    June 22, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    Ethel Barrymore

    Like

  21. Cinnamon Carter's avatar Cinnamon Carter says:
    June 22, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Lois Wilson, perhaps?

    Like

  22. J's avatar J says:
    June 22, 2009 at 10:01 pm

    Mary Miles Minter?

    Like

  23. Dru Duniway's avatar Dru Duniway says:
    June 22, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  24. J.A. Brady's avatar J.A. Brady says:
    June 22, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    Jane Wyman

    Like

  25. SandyReed's avatar SandyReed says:
    June 23, 2009 at 8:26 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  26. SandyReed's avatar SandyReed says:
    June 23, 2009 at 8:32 am

    This is definitely Lois Wilson. When I posted it the first time, it appeared in the wrong answers!

    Like

  27. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    June 23, 2009 at 9:59 am

    Mildred Harris

    Like

  28. TonyC's avatar TonyC says:
    June 23, 2009 at 10:53 am

    Jaid Barrymore

    Like

  29. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    June 23, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    Lois Wilson?

    Like

  30. Elizabeth Berger's avatar Elizabeth Berger says:
    June 23, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    I think its Bette Davis

    Like

  31. Ken's avatar Ken says:
    June 23, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    Ida Lupino

    Like

  32. Rogét-L.A.'s avatar Rogét-L.A. says:
    June 23, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    Is it Claudette Colbert?

    Like

  33. Cold in PHX's avatar Cold in PHX says:
    June 24, 2009 at 9:08 am

    I haven’t guessed in a while. I’m going to take a stab and say that it’s Virginia Valli. In that last photo, she appears to be with Leo Carrillo.

    Like

  34. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    June 24, 2009 at 9:33 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  35. william's avatar william says:
    June 24, 2009 at 9:59 am

    lois wilson

    Like

  36. Rosalyn's avatar Rosalyn says:
    June 24, 2009 at 9:59 am

    Grace Moore

    Like

  37. william's avatar william says:
    June 24, 2009 at 10:00 am

    louise fazenda

    Like

  38. LANA's avatar LANA says:
    June 24, 2009 at 10:06 am

    Steffi Duna

    Like

  39. Rosalyn's avatar Rosalyn says:
    June 24, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Mary Brian

    Like

  40. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    June 24, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Wondering if it is Dixie Lee with Leo Carillo. Looked her up on Bing!.

    Like

  41. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    June 24, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Today, Miss Wilson is posing with Leo Carrillo in a still from “Obey the Law.”

    Like

  42. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    June 24, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    Lois Wilson and Leo Carrillo in OBEY THE LAW?

    Like

  44. Cathy taylor's avatar Cathy taylor says:
    June 24, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    Clara Bow?

    Like

  45. Cold in PHX's avatar Cold in PHX says:
    June 24, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Okay then, it’s Louise Fazenda in “The Winning Ticket” with Leo Carrillo.

    Like

  46. Glen Clark's avatar Glen Clark says:
    June 24, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    Mary Pickford.

    Like

  47. Kerry's avatar Kerry says:
    June 24, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    Mabel Norman

    Like

  48. Margaret's avatar Margaret says:
    June 24, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    Lois Wilson?

    Like

  49. Cold in PHX's avatar Cold in PHX says:
    June 24, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    Nuts, I see now that somebody else guessed Louise Fazenda. But that is Leo Carrillo, isn’t it? Why don’t you make him the mystery photo? They did name a state park after him, after all.

    Like

  50. steve sagik's avatar steve sagik says:
    June 24, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    Obviously DOROTHY GISH!

    Like

  51. Charles's avatar Charles says:
    June 24, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Hmm… Rose Hobart?

    Like

  52. Bill Warren's avatar Bill Warren says:
    June 24, 2009 at 3:49 pm

    Clara Bow

    Like

  53. denise l's avatar denise l says:
    June 24, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    ethel barrymore

    Like

  54. tm's avatar tm says:
    June 24, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    Claudette Colbert.

    Like

  55. Eileen's avatar Eileen says:
    June 24, 2009 at 4:27 pm

    Gracie Allen

    Like

  56. Joanna's avatar Joanna says:
    June 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    The man looks like a young Leo Carrillo (spelling?) who played Pancho the the the Cisco Kid.
    Yes????

    Like

  57. Dan briggs's avatar Dan briggs says:
    June 24, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    Look @ the lips….it’s Lillian Gish!

    Like

  58. Jenny's avatar Jenny says:
    June 24, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  59. Wiper's avatar Wiper says:
    June 24, 2009 at 5:50 pm

    Dorothy Gish

    Like

  60. elle fikke's avatar elle fikke says:
    June 24, 2009 at 5:58 pm

    Mary Pickford, I think

    Like

  61. ROLO TOMASI's avatar ROLO TOMASI says:
    June 24, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    LOIS WILSON

    Like

  62. Barbara's avatar Barbara says:
    June 24, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  63. juliet's avatar juliet says:
    June 24, 2009 at 8:07 pm

    Lois Wilson!

    Like

  64. Rose Jefferson's avatar Rose Jefferson says:
    June 24, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    Helen Hayes

    Like

  65. donna hammond's avatar donna hammond says:
    June 24, 2009 at 8:25 pm

    clara bow

    Like

  66. Drew's avatar Drew says:
    June 24, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    Mary Pickford of course!

    Like

  67. jtbwriter's avatar jtbwriter says:
    June 24, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    Lilian Gish..it’s her eyes.

    Like

  68. lisa davis's avatar lisa davis says:
    June 24, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    Mae West?

    Like

  69. Carolyn G's avatar Carolyn G says:
    June 24, 2009 at 11:13 pm

    Corinne Griffith

    Like

  70. David Warheit's avatar David Warheit says:
    June 24, 2009 at 11:24 pm

    I believe it is Irene Hervey. The last photo is with Leo Carrillo in The Winning Ticket (1935).

    Like

  71. Laura Stegman's avatar Laura Stegman says:
    June 25, 2009 at 12:19 am

    Jane Wyman?

    Like

  72. Rob Spencer's avatar Rob Spencer says:
    June 25, 2009 at 2:08 am

    Janet Gaynor.

    Like

  73. don anderson's avatar don anderson says:
    June 25, 2009 at 5:38 am

    gracie allen

    Like

  74. Anne MacPherson's avatar Anne MacPherson says:
    June 25, 2009 at 5:45 am

    How about Theda Bara?

    Like

  75. Sheila's avatar Sheila says:
    June 25, 2009 at 5:54 am

    Jane Wyman?

    Like

  76. Marcy Shonk's avatar Marcy Shonk says:
    June 25, 2009 at 7:15 am

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  77. Unknown's avatar Gregory Moore says:
    June 25, 2009 at 7:24 am

    Hey Larry,
    Don’t know who she is, but the last photo includes Leo Carrillo.
    I’ve been away from the computer for a month and a half, as I’m in the hospital in NY, awaiting, of all things, a heart transplant. Yikes….and I didn’t even know I was sick. They tell me I’m next for a donor, so wish me luck!
    Thanks,
    Gregory

    Like

  78. Christine Flores's avatar Christine Flores says:
    June 25, 2009 at 7:38 am

    ETHEL BARRYMORE

    Like

  79. Eric Yockey's avatar Eric Yockey says:
    June 25, 2009 at 7:42 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  80. barbara's avatar barbara says:
    June 25, 2009 at 7:48 am

    Clara Bow

    Like

  81. Mary's avatar Mary says:
    June 25, 2009 at 8:20 am

    Marion Davies

    Like

  82. Akekszandr's avatar Akekszandr says:
    June 25, 2009 at 8:28 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  83. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    June 25, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Ina Clair

    Like

  84. Beverly's avatar Beverly says:
    June 25, 2009 at 8:46 am

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  85. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Hi Larry,
    Latest mystery companion is a very young James Dunn!
    Take Care, Carmen

    Like

  86. margaret brandon's avatar margaret brandon says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:27 am

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  87. Laura Aikens Goeller's avatar Laura Aikens Goeller says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:45 am

    ELIZABETH ALLEN

    Like

  88. Jaime M's avatar Jaime M says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Mary Pickford

    Like

  89. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Carmen is right, Miss Wilson’s dinner companion is James Dunn.

    Like

  90. Rogét-L.A.'s avatar Rogét-L.A. says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:53 am

    Bernice Claire!

    Like

  91. Anne Papineau's avatar Anne Papineau says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:54 am

    Is she lifting a glass with Jimmy Dunn?

    Like

  92. Kathleen Thorn's avatar Kathleen Thorn says:
    June 25, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Clara Bow?

    Like

  93. Scott's avatar Scott says:
    June 25, 2009 at 10:06 am

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  94. Jim Bertram's avatar Jim Bertram says:
    June 25, 2009 at 10:50 am

    Lillian Gish

    Like

  95. melissa's avatar melissa says:
    June 25, 2009 at 10:56 am

    Theda Barrow

    Like

  96. Tom Murphy's avatar Tom Murphy says:
    June 25, 2009 at 11:08 am

    Blanche Sweet?
    And a very young Robert Young in the most recent photo?

    Like

  97. Mike Anderson's avatar Mike Anderson says:
    June 25, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Mary Pickford?

    Like

  98. Peter Aamodt's avatar Peter Aamodt says:
    June 25, 2009 at 11:22 am

    Janet Gaynor

    Like

  99. Suba in Seattle's avatar Suba in Seattle says:
    June 25, 2009 at 11:24 am

    I agree that it’s Dolores Costello, aka Dolores Costello Barrymore [a wife of John Barrymore and the grandmother of Drew].

    Like

  100. Stephen Driscoll's avatar Stephen Driscoll says:
    June 25, 2009 at 11:24 am

    Clara Bow

    Like

  101. Mark Behr's avatar Mark Behr says:
    June 25, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  102. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    June 25, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    James Dunn.

    Like

  103. herb nichols's avatar herb nichols says:
    June 25, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    louise fazenda

    Like

  104. Sam's avatar Sam says:
    June 25, 2009 at 5:34 pm

    Lois Wilson

    Like

  105. Nancy Price's avatar Nancy Price says:
    June 25, 2009 at 6:44 pm

    Elizabeth Allen and Robert Montgomery

    Like

  106. Joan Y. Compagno's avatar Joan Y. Compagno says:
    June 25, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    Marie Prevost?

    Like

  107. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    June 26, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    Learned an important life lesson here: Not to assume rules of the game that have not been placed in play.
    Put the guess of Lois Wilson aside because she was an earlier subject.
    The lesson above will go to the grave with me.
    Thanks Larry.

    Like

Comments are closed.