Claire Adams

For other people named Claire Adams, see Claire Adams (disambiguation).
Claire Adams

Publicity photo of Adams from Famous Film Folk: A Gallery of Life Portraits and Biographies (1925)
Born (1898-09-24)24 September 1898
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died 25 September 1978(1978-09-25) (aged 80)
Melbourne, Australia
Years active 1912-1963
Spouse(s) Benjamin B. Hampton (1924-1932) (his death)
Donald John Scobie Mackinnon (1932-1974) (his death)

Claire Adams (24 September 1898 – 25 September 1978) was a Canadian silent film actress and benefactor. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the daughter of Stanley Wells Adams, a Welsh-born accountant, and his Canadian wife, Lillian Adams (née Kennedy). Educated in Canada and England, Claire Adams worked briefly as a nurse with the Red Cross during World War I.

Career

In 1920 Adams signed a five-year contract with Benjamin Bowles Hampton, a Hollywood producer and her future husband. She later moved to California where she acted in more than forty silent films, including melodramas, comedies and westerns.

Described as "patricianly beautiful," Adams worked with many of Hollywood's leading actors, including Adolphe Menjou, Tom Mix, Wallace Beery, and Lon Chaney. In 1923 she was Rin Tin Tin's leading lady in Where the North Begins, which was a huge success and is often credited with saving Warner Bros. from bankruptcy. She later maintained that Rin Tin Tin was her "favourite leading man."

Her best-known film was The Big Parade, the second largest grossing silent film in cinematic history. It was directed by King Vidor and Adams starred alongside John Gilbert. Perhaps her most memorable role came in 1920 as Barbara, the artist who helps humanize the crippled crime boss played by Lon Chaney in The Penalty.

Personal life and death

She married film producer Benjamin B. Hampton in Hollywood on 18 September 1924. They had no children. He died in 1932 leaving her very wealthy. Later that year Adams met Scobie Mackinnon, the second son of L.K.S. Mackinnon, at a party in London and three weeks later they married on 1 April in Mayfair. They remained childless.

After a protracted honeymoon, in March 1938, Mackinnon brought Adams to Victoria, Australia. The couple divided their time between Mooramong, a Western District grazing property, and their Melbourne townhouse at 220 Domain Road South Yarra. They entertained often at Mooramong, which they transformed from a staid Victorian homestead into a Jazz Age showpiece. On their frequent trips to Melbourne to attend the races and innumerable cocktail parties, they travelled in their Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Adorned in smart hats and chic outfits, and often graced with diamonds, Adams was an exotic figure at Government House functions and at the race course.

She was a life governor of Skipton Hospital and vice president of Lort Smith Hospital for sick animals.

On his death in 1974, Scobie Mackinnon's estate was left entirely to Adams; it was worth A$2,111,729. She died on 25 September 1978, in Windsor, Victoria and was cremated. After generous bequests to family, friends, and animal welfare bodies, she left the remainder of her estates to the National Trust of Victoria for the creation of a wildlife sanctuary and fauna and flora park at Mooramong.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1934 What a Mother-in-Law! Frances
1927 Combat Wanda
Married Alive Viola Helmesley Duxbury
The Lunatic
1926 The Sea Wolf Maud Brewster
The Combat
Yellow Fingers Nona Deering
1925 The Big Parade Justyn Reed
The Wheel Kate O'Hara
Souls for Sables Helen Ralston[1] Uncredited
The Kiss Barrier Marion Weston
Men and Women Agnes Prescott
The Devil's Cargo Martha Joyce
1924 The Brass Bowl Sylvia
The Fast Set Fay Colleen
The Painted Flapper Eunice Whitney
Helen's Babies Helen Lawrence
Oh, You Tony! Betty Faine
Honor Among Men Patricia Carson
The Girl in the Limousine The Girl
Missing Daughters Claire Mathers
The Night Hawk Clia Milton
Daddies Bobette Audrey
1923 The Clean-Up Phyllis Andrews
Legally Dead Minnie O'Reilly
Where the North Begins Felice McTavish
Stepping Fast Helen Durant
Brass Commandments Ellen Bosworth
The Scarlet Car Beatrice Forbes
1922 Do and Dare Juanita Sánchez
Heart's Haven Vivian Breed
Just Tony Marianne Jordan
Golden Dreams Mercedes McDonald
When Romance Rides Lucy Bostil
The Gray Dawn Nan Bennett
1921 The Mysterious Rider Columbine
Man of the Forest Helen Raynor
A Certain Rich Man Molly Culpepper
The Lure of Egypt Margaret Lampton
Black Beauty
The Killer Ruth Emory
The Spenders Avice Milbrey
1920 The Dwelling Place of Light Janet Butler
The Penalty Barbara
Riders of the Dawn Lenore Anderson
The White Dove Ella De Fries Credited as Clare Adams
The Key to Power Ann Blair
The Money Changers Lucy Hegan
The Great Lover Ethel
1919 The Invisible Bond Leila Templeton Also known as Should a Wife Forgive? (USA)
A Misfit Earl Phyllis Burton
Speedy Meade Alice Hall
The End of the Road Mary Lee
1918 The Spirit of the Red Cross Ethel
Adam and Some Eves
The Man-Eater Credited as Peggy Adams
1917 Nutty Knitters
Faint Heart and Fair Lady
Your Obedient Servant
Chris and His Wonderful Lamp Betty
1913 The Widow's Suitors Credited as Clara Adams
Boy Wanted As Clara Adams
A Shower of Slippers As Clara Adams
Aunt Elsa's Visit As Clara Adams
The Office Boy's Birthday As Clara Adams
Bragg's New Suit As Clara Adams
1912 Kitty at Boarding School
Revenge Is Sweet As Clara Adams
The Artist's Joke As Clara Adams
An Intelligent Camera
Apple Pies As Clara Adams
Kitty's Holdup
Eddie's Exploit As Clara Adams
Curing the Office Boy As Clara Adams
A Heroic Rescue As Clara Adams

References

  1. ↑ Souls for Sables Cast Information

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Claire Adams.

Archival collections

Other

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