Claire McDowell

Oct 31, 1877 - Oct 23, 1966 (88 years old) in New York City, New York, USA

Claire McDowell (2 November 1877 – 23 October 1966) was an American actress. She appeared in 360 films between 1908 and 1945.

Still somewhat of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films, McDowell appeared in numerous films, eventually graduating to playing character and mother types. She can be seen to good advantage in Douglas Fairbanks's 1920 The Mark of Zorro. McDowell appeared in two of the biggest films of the silent era, The Big Parade (1925) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), both in which she played mothers.

She was married to silent screen character actor Charles Hill Mailes from 1906 to his 1937 death. The couple appeared in numerous silent films together, including The Mark of Zorro. They had two sons, Robert Mailes and Eugene Mailes.

Claire McDowell died, aged 88, in Hollywood, California.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Known For

Fisher Folks

At Fair

The Unveiling

MGM Parade

Self

The Unwelcome Guest

The Wife

The Phantom Express

Ma Nolan

Heart's Haven

May Caroline

The Clean-Up

Vera Vincent

The West~Bound Limited

Mrs. Bill Buckley

A Failure at Fifty

Minor Role (uncredited)

The Planter's Wife

Mrs. John Holland

Credits

MGM Parade 1955

Self

★ NR
Adventure 1945

Woman in Library (uncredited)

★ 6.2
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble 1944

Dr. Standish's Servant (uncredited)

★ 5.8
Men on Her Mind 1944

Mother Goodwin

★ 4
Du Barry Was a Lady 1943

Subway Passenger (uncredited)

★ 6.4
This Land Is Mine 1943

Woman in Bathroom

★ 7.2
Presenting Lily Mars 1943

Dowager

★ 6.3
Keeper of the Flame 1943

★ 6.7
Hangmen Also Die! 1943

Counterwoman (uncredited)

★ 6.9
Lady Scarface 1941

Mrs. Tuckerman

★ 5.1
Whispers 1941

Gossip (uncredited)

★ NR
Dr. Kildare Goes Home 1940

Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)

★ 6.8
The Golden Fleecing 1940

Pedestrian (uncredited)

★ 5.3
A Failure at Fifty 1940

Minor Role (uncredited)

★ 4.5
Young Tom Edison 1940

Woman at Station

★ 5.8
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President 1939

Gossiper

★ 2
Thunder Afloat 1939

Nurse (uncredited)

★ 5.9
One Against the World 1939

Jane Todd Crawford (uncredited)

★ NR
Miracles for Sale 1939

Jack of Diamonds Woman

★ 6.4
Angel of Mercy 1939

Mother (uncredited)

★ 6
Idiot's Delight 1939

Crying Mother

★ 5.9
Stand Up and Fight 1939

Woman

★ 5.8
Boys Town 1938

Nun (uncredited)

★ 6.8
The Man on the Rock 1938

Napoleon's Mother (uncredited)

★ 6
They're Always Caught 1938

Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited)

★ 5.9
Three Comrades 1938

Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)

★ 7.2
Test Pilot 1938

Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)

★ 6.5
A Night at the Movies 1937

Movie Patron (uncredited)

★ 5.7
Two-Fisted Sheriff 1937

Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt

★ 2.3
Song of Revolt 1937

Artistocratic Dowager (uncredited)

★ 6
Small Town Girl 1936

Woman in Bed (uncredited)

★ 5.9
August Week End 1936

Alma Washburne

★ 5
Murder by Television 1935

Mrs. Houghland

★ 4
Imitation of Life 1934

Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)

★ 7
Two Heads on a Pillow 1934

Mrs. Helen Gorman

★ NR
British Agent 1934

Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)

★ 5.6
Dr. Monica 1934

Miss Bryerly (uncredited)

★ 4.3
Journal of a Crime 1934

Sister at Hospital (uncredited)

★ 5.7
It Happened One Night 1934

Mother on Bus (uncredited)

★ 7.8
Bedside 1934

Nurse

★ 5.4
Wild Boys of the Road 1933

Mrs. Smith

★ 6.8
By Appointment Only 1933

Mrs. Mary Carroll

★ 5.8
The Working Man 1933

Benjamin's Secretary

★ 6.6
Central Airport 1933

Mrs. Blaine

★ 6.1
Lawyer Man 1932

Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)

★ 6
A Successful Calamity 1932

Struthers' Secretary (uncredited)

★ 5.2
The Phantom Express 1932

Ma Nolan

★ 4.7
Cornered 1932

Jane's Aunt

★ 6
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain 1932

Ann Marie's Caregiver Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)

★ 5.9
The Famous Ferguson Case 1932

Brooks' Landlady (uncredited)

★ 6.2
Union Depot 1932

Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)

★ 5.8
Under Eighteen 1932

Seamstress (uncredited)

★ 6.2
Manhattan Parade 1931

Nancy - the Maid

★ 1.8
An American Tragedy 1931

Mrs. Samuel Griffiths

★ 6.1
Mothers Cry 1930

Mary's Mother

★ NR
Brothers 1930

Bess Naughton

★ NR
Wild Company 1930

Mrs. Laura Grayson

★ 5
The Big House 1930

Mrs. Marlowe

★ 6.5
Young Desire 1930

Mrs. Spencer

★ 5
The Second Floor Mystery 1930

Aunt Hattie

★ NR
Redemption 1930

Anna Pavlovna

★ 4.5
The Quitter 1929

Mrs. Abbott

★ NR
Silks and Saddles 1929

Mrs. Calhoun

★ NR
The Flying Fleet 1929

Mrs. Hastings (uncredited)

★ 6.3
When Dreams Come True 1929

Martha Shelby

★ NR
Marriage by Contract 1928

Mother

★ NR
The Viking 1928

Lady Editha (as Claire MacDowell)

★ 6.4
4 Devils 1928

Woman

★ 7
Don't Marry 1928

Aunt Abigail Bowen

★ NR
The Tragedy of Youth 1928

Mother

★ 1
Almost Human 1927

Mrs. Livingston

★ 8
The Shield of Honor 1927

Mrs. MacDowell

★ 5
Winds of the Pampas 1927

Doña Maria Casandos

★ NR
Tillie the Toiler 1927

Ma Jones

★ NR
The Black Diamond Express 1927

Martha Foster

★ NR
The Taxi Dancer 1927

Aunt Mary

★ 6.5
The Auctioneer 1927

Mrs. Tim Eagan

★ NR
A Little Journey 1927

Aunt Louise

★ NR
The Flaming Forest 1926

Mrs. McTavish

★ NR
The Show Off 1926

Mom Fisher

★ 7
The Unknown Soldier 1926

John Phillips' sister

★ NR
The Shamrock Handicap 1926

Molly O'Shea

★ 5.1
The Dixie Merchant 1926

Josephine Fippany

★ NR
The Devil's Circus 1926

Mrs. Peterson

★ 7.1
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 1925

Princess of Hur

★ 7.3
The Midnight Flyer 1925

Liza Slater

★ NR
The Big Parade 1925

Mrs. Apperson

★ 7.5
The Tower of Lies 1925

Katrina

★ NR
Dollar Down 1925

Mrs. Meadows

★ NR
The End of the World 1925

Mrs. Joyce

★ NR
Waking Up the Town 1925

Mrs. Joyce

★ NR
The Reckless Sex 1925

Concha

★ NR
Those Who Dare 1924

Mrs. Rollins

★ NR
Secrets 1924

Elizabeth Channing

★ 5.5
Thy Name Is Woman 1924

Juan's Mother

★ NR
Judgment of the Storm 1924

Mrs. Heath

★ NR
Black Oxen 1923

Agnes Trevor

★ 5.2
Enemies of Children 1923

Godfrey sister

★ NR
Ponjola 1923

Mrs. Hope

★ 5
Ashes of Vengeance 1923

Margot's Aunt

★ 5.7
Circus Days 1923

Martha

★ 6.3
Human Wreckage 1923

Mrs. Brown

★ NR
Michael O'Halloran 1923

Nancy Harding

★ NR
The West~Bound Limited 1923

Mrs. Bill Buckley

★ 6
Quincy Adams Sawyer 1922

Mrs. Putnam

★ NR
Heart's Haven 1922

May Caroline

★ NR
Nice People 1922

Margaret Rainsford

★ NR
The Ragged Heiress 1922

Sylvia Moreton

★ NR
Penrod 1922

Mrs. Schofield

★ NR
Rent Free 1922

Countess de Mourney

★ NR
Love Never Dies 1921

Liz Trott

★ 5.6
Wealth 1921

Mrs. Dominick

★ NR
What Every Woman Knows 1921

Comtesse de la Brière

★ NR
Midsummer Madness 1921

Mrs. Osborne

★ 1
Prisoners of Love 1921

Her Mother

★ NR
The Mark of Zorro 1920

Dona Catalina Pulido

★ 7.1
Something to Think About 1920

Housekeeper

★ 6.4
The Jack-Knife Man 1920

Lize Merdin

★ 6
Through Eyes of Men 1920

Mrs. Virginia All

★ NR
The Gift Supreme 1920

Lalia Graun

★ NR
Blind Youth 1920

Elizabeth Monnier

★ NR
The Devil's Riddle 1920

Mrs. Potts

★ NR
The Woman in the Suitcase 1920

Mrs. James B. Moreland

★ 3.1
The Feud 1919

Mary Lynch

★ NR
Heart o' the Hills 1919

Martha Hawn

★ 6
Chasing Rainbows 1919

Mrs. Walters

★ NR
Prudence on Broadway 1919

Miss Grayson

★ NR
The Follies Girl 1919

Nina

★ NR
Rosalind at Redgate 1919

★ NR
The Return of Mary 1918

Mrs. John Denby Sr.

★ NR
You Can't Believe Everything 1918

Grace Dardley

★ NR
Captain of His Soul 1918

Annette

★ NR
The Storm Woman 1917

★ NR
The Empty Gun 1917

Mary

★ NR
The Clean-Up 1917

Vera Vincent

★ NR
The Bronze Bride 1917

A-Che-Chee

★ NR
The Gates of Doom 1917

Indore / Agatha

★ NR
Avarice 1917

The Miserly Old Woman

★ NR
The White Raven 1917

Daisy

★ 6
The Right to Be Happy 1916

Mrs. Cratchit

★ 10
Mixed Blood 1916

Nita Valyez

★ NR
A Stranger from Somewhere 1916

Olga

★ NR
As It Happened 1915

The Ranchman's Daughter

★ NR
Old Offenders 1915

Joe's Wife

★ NR
Her Convert 1915

The Old Inventor's Daughter

★ NR
The Way Out 1915

The Young School Teacher

★ NR
Her Dormant Love 1915

The Discontented Wife

★ NR
Truth Stranger Than Fiction 1915

Crook

★ NR
The Canceled Mortgage 1915

The Widowed Mother

★ NR
A Day's Adventure 1915

Hogan's Moll

★ NR
The Gambler's I.O.U. 1915

Nell - Daddy Wilson's Daughter

★ NR
The Miser's Legacy 1915

The Crook's Wife

★ NR
The Sheriff's Dilemma 1915

Molly

★ NR
The Heart of a Bandit 1915

Claire

★ NR
Men and Women 1914

Mrs. Stephen Rodman

★ NR
The Cracksman's Gratitude 1914

★ NR
Her Hand 1914

Olga

★ NR
Her Father's Silent Partner 1914

★ NR
A Nest Unfeathered 1914

Kate

★ NR
His Fireman's Conscience 1914

Mrs. Daily

★ NR
The Fatal Wedding 1914

★ NR
Waifs 1914

★ NR
Concentration 1914

The Mother

★ NR
The Abandoned Well 1913

The Widow

★ NR
For Her Government 1913

★ NR
The House of Discord 1913

The Sister-in-Law

★ NR
All for Science 1913

Detective

★ NR
The Detective's Stratagem 1913

Kate, the Bank Clerk's Sweetheart

★ NR
The Stopped Clock 1913

The Antique Dealer's Daughter

★ NR
The Van Nostrand Tiara 1913

Kate

★ NR
A Tender-Hearted Crook 1913

Edith

★ NR
The Law and His Son 1913

Marguerite, Manning's Sister

★ NR
The Stolen Treaty 1913

Olga

★ NR
The Strong Man's Burden 1913

Ida Glynn, The Nurse

★ 5
The Crook and the Girl 1913

The Uncle's Adopted Daughter

★ NR
The Work Habit 1913

The Daughter in the City

★ NR
Under the Shadow of the Law 1913

John Haywood's Sister

★ 6
I Was Meant for You 1913

Lavina

★ NR
The Vengeance of Galora 1913

Galora

★ NR
A Misappropriated Turkey 1913

Mrs. Fallon / Widow Logan

★ NR
The Mirror 1913

Daisy

★ NR
A Gambler's Honor 1913

Beth

★ NR
A Gamble with Death 1913

Kate

★ NR
The Switchtower 1913

The Switchman's Wife

★ 5
The Well 1913

The Farmer's Wife

★ NR
The Enemy's Baby 1913

Miller's Wife

★ NR
The Ranchero's Revenge 1913

The Schemer's Associate

★ NR
Olaf—An Atom 1913

A Parent

★ NR
The Stolen Loaf 1913

The Rich Woman

★ NR
The House of Darkness 1913

The Doctor's Wife

★ 5
The Tenderfoot's Money 1913

The Prospector's Wife

★ NR
The Wanderer 1913

The Female Lover

★ 5.4
The Stolen Bride 1913

The Wife

★ NR
The Unwelcome Guest 1913

The Wife

★ 5
The Wrong Bottle 1913

The Blind Sister

★ NR
The Telephone Girl and the Lady 1913

The Lady

★ 5.7
The God Within 1912

The Woodsman's Wife

★ NR
A Cry for Help 1912

The Thief's Wife - the Charity Patient

★ NR
The Massacre 1912

Stephen's Belle - In Prologue

★ 5.9
The New York Hat 1912

The Main Gossip

★ 5.6
A Sailor’s Heart 1912

The Sailor's Third Sweetheart

★ NR
In the Aisles of the Wild 1912

The Elder Daughter

★ NR
So Near, Yet So Far 1912

Rich Woman in Other Town

★ 5.9
Two Daughters of Eve 1912

The Mother

★ NR
Man's Genesis 1912

Cave Woman

★ 4.6
The School Teacher and the Waif 1912

The Street Fakir's Sweetheart

★ 4.8
Lena and the Geese 1912

Lena's Mother

★ 4.7
A Temporary Truce 1912

Mexican Jim's Wife

★ 4
When the Fire-Bells Rang 1912

An Actress

★ NR
The Old Actor 1912

At Audition

★ 5.4
The Female of the Species 1912

The Miner's Wife

★ 4.2
A String of Pearls 1912

The Italian Shoemaker's Wife

★ NR
The Sunbeam 1912

The Spinster

★ 6.3
The Sands of Dee 1912

Artist's fiancee

★ 5.6
Under Burning Skies 1912

The Friend

★ 4.7
Billy's Stratagem 1912

Billy's Mother

★ 5
The Baby and the Stork 1912

The Mother

★ NR
A Woman Scorned 1911

The Doctor's Wife

★ NR
The Long Road 1911

Ned's Wife

★ NR
The Adventures of Billy 1911

Rich Woman

★ 5.7
The Unveiling 1911

★ NR
The Squaw's Love 1911

Silver Fawn

★ 5
Swords and Hearts 1911

Irene Lambert

★ 4.6
The Sorrowful Example 1911

The Wife

★ NR
A Country Cupid 1911

The Half-Wit's Mother

★ 5.6
The Primal Call 1911

The Woman

★ 4
The Manicure Lady 1911

Lunchroom Hostess

★ 5
The Broken Cross 1911

Kate's Mother

★ NR
The Spanish Gypsy 1911

Paula

★ NR
A Decree of Destiny 1911

A Nun

★ NR
Fisher Folks 1911

At Fair

★ NR
What Shall We Do with Our Old? 1911

The Old Carpenter's Wife

★ 5.5
Fate's Turning 1911

At Hotel/At Wedding

★ 5
His Trust Fulfilled 1911

Mrs. Frazier

★ 3.7
His Trust 1911

Col. Frazier's wife

★ 4.1
The Golden Supper 1910

Lady-in-Waiting

★ 4.5
His New Lid 1910

★ NR
Waiter No. 5 1910

The Chief of Police's Wife

★ NR
The Message of the Violin 1910

The Other Woman's Servant

★ NR
The Iconoclast 1910

★ NR
Rose o' Salem Town 1910

★ 5.2
The Oath and the Man 1910

Rebel

★ 4.5
A Mohawk's Way 1910

★ NR
Muggsy Becomes a Hero 1910

One of the Sisters Frost

★ 5
Wilful Peggy 1910

Housemaid

★ 5
The Usurer 1910

Despairing Mother / One of the Third Debtors

★ 5
A Flash of Light 1910

At First Party

★ 5
Love Among the Roses 1910

★ 4.7
The Call of the Wild 1908

Party Guest

★ 3.1
The Planter's Wife 1908

Mrs. John Holland

★ 5
The Devil 1908

★ 1.5