Vola Vale
Biography
From Wikipedia She was born Vola Smith in Buffalo, New York. Vale was educated in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She began her career in amateur theatricals in Rochester, New York. Then she played in stock companies for a while. Her first movie experience was with Biograph, under the tutelage of the great film director D.W. Griffith. After a month of playing atmosphere parts, Vola was offered a genuine role. She wore a velvet gown with a train and a feathered hat. Soon she was appearing in short reel films for Biograph. Among the actors she was cast with were William S. Hart, Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, William Haines, Harry Carey, Tully Marshall and William Russell. She was adept in playing Spanish, Italian, French, and Gypsy roles. Aside from Biograph Vola worked for Fox Film, Famous Players-Lasky, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures. Her ambition was to play Madame Butterfly with an actual Japanese company, as well as to act as Lorna Doone. She was most inspired by Hayakawa and hoped to learn to act inside, as he did. 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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (50)
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
as Self (uncredited)
2002
One Rainy Afternoon
1936
Tomorrow and Tomorrow
as Townswoman
1932
Black Tears
1927
Home Sweet Home
1926
The Sky Pirate
1926
Two Can Play
as Mimi Allen
1926
Her Big Adventure
as Countess Fontaine
1926
The Phantom of the Opera
as Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
1925
Little Annie Rooney
as Mamie
1925
Heartless Husbands
as Mrs. Jackson Cain
1925
Who Cares
as Tootles
1925
The Mirage
as Betty Bond
1924
The Midnight Flower
as Mary — a foundling
1923
Mothers-in-Law
as Ina Phillips
1923
The Man Between
as Rosie - Joe Cateau's Bride
1923
Soul of the Beast
as Jacqueline
1923
Crashin' Thru
as Diane
1923
Good Men and True
as Georgie Hibbler
1922
The Duke of Chimney Butte
as Vesta Philbrook
1921
White Oak
as Barbara
1921
The Iron Rider
as Mera Donovan
1920
Singing River
as Alice Thornton
1920
Someone in the House
as Molly Brent
1920
The Purple Cipher
as Jeanne Baldwin
1920
Common Sense
as Violet Manners
1920
A Master Stroke
as Minnie Patton
1920
Overland Red
as Louise Alacarme
1920
Alias Jimmy Valentine
as Rose Lane
1920
Six Feet Four
as Winifred Waverly
1919
Hornet's Nest
as Muriel Fletcher
1919
Hearts Asleep
as Virginia Calvert
1919
A Heart in Pawn
as Emily Stone
1919
Happy Though Married
as Diana Ramon
1919
The Locked Heart
as Ruth Mason
1918
Wolves of the Rail
as Faith Lawson
1918
The Silent Man
as Betty Bryce
1917
Zollenstein
as Princess Fulvia / Princess Zenia
1917
The Son of His Father
as Hazel Mallinsbee
1917
The Lady in the Library
as Mildred Vandeburg
1917
The Secret of Black Mountain
as Miriam Vale
1917
The Topsy Turvy Twins
as Mattie
1917
The Bond Between
as Ellen Ingram
1917
Perils of the Secret Service
as Minna Ober (Episode #1)
1917
The Last Cigarette
as Minna Ober
1917
Mentioned in Confidence
as Marjorie Manning
1917
The Winning of Sally Temple
as Lady Pamela Vauclain
1917
Each to His Kind
as Amy Dawe
1917
It Sounded Like a Kiss
as Estelle
1916
The Price of Silence
as Aline Urmy (as Vola Smith)
1916