Fannie Ward

Fannie Ward (June 22, 1872 - January 27, 1952) was both a famous vaudeville and silent film actress.

Fannie Ward was born in St. Louis, Missouri and made her stage debut in 1890 in "Peppina". She went on to become a very successful stage star for many years to come. Around 1890, she sailed for London and made a hit in music halls there, as well. She married diamond broker Joe Lewis who was worth an estimated $50 million. After a short break, she went back to the stage, returning to the United States in 1907. While playing in "Madame President" in 1913-1914, she divorced Lewis. In January 1916, she married her leading man, John Dean (1874-1950).

In 1915, Cecil B. DeMille convinced her to star in his new movie, "The Cheat", which co-starred Sessue Hayakawa. Although she considered herself a comedienne, she was determined to play the part well, which she did. Although she was 43 when she made the film, she appeared much younger (she claimed she was 40). This began a busy film career for the next few years, many of her features co-starring husband John Dean. Ward's films were successful, and she gained a loyal following of fans. When she and Dean built their huge Italian mansion in 1919, it was a well-publicized event.

After making "The Hardest Way" in 1921, Ward decided to go back on the vaudeville circuit. She appeared in a 1923 Phonofilm short film singing "Father Time", and in a 1929 Vitaphone short "Fannie Ward in the Miracle Woman". Ward's daughter by first husband Lewis married into British society, and she sailed for Europe where she spent much of her time. In 1926, she opened a Paris beauty shop, "The Fountain of Youth". She continued touring on vaudeville occasionally into the 1930's, still belying her age, now well into her sixties.

Her daughter died in a plane crash in 1938, and Ward lost her husband in 1950. On January 25, 1952, she was found unconscious in her Park Avenue apartment following a stroke. She never regained consciousness and died January 27.

Daughter

Ward's daughter Dorothy was married twice. Her second husband was 6th Baron Plunket and she was the mother of Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket and the current Robin Rathmore Plunket, 8th Baron Plunket. Though her father was listed as Joe Lewis, Dorothy's actual father was the married Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry with whom her mother was having an affair.

After Ward's daughter and son-in-law's death in an air accident in 1938, her three grandsons were raised by her sister-in-law, Helen Rhodes, nee Plunket.

Filmography

* "Fannie Ward in the Miracle Woman" (1929) Ward stars in a Vitaphone short film
* "Fannie Ward" (1923) Ward sings "Father Time" in a DeForest Phonofilm short film
* "La Rafale" (1920)
* "Le Secret du Lone Star" (1920)
* "Our Better Selves" (1919) .... Loyette Merval
* "The Profiteers" (1919) .... Beverly Randall
* "The Cry of the Weak" (1919) .... Mary Dexter
* "Common Clay" (1919) .... Ellen Neal
* "The Only Way" (1919)
* "The Narrow Path" (1918) .... Marion Clark
* "A Japanese Nightingale" (1918) .... Yuki
* "The Yellow Ticket" (1918) .... Anna Mirrel
* "Innocent" (1918) .... Innocent
* "On the Level" (1917) .... Merlin Warner, aka Mexicali May
* "The Crystal Gazer" (1917) .... Rose Jorgensen/Rose Keith/Norma Dugan
* "Her Strange Wedding" (1917) .... Coralie Grayson
* "Unconquered" (1917) .... Mrs. Jackson
* "A School for Husbands" (1917) .... Lady Betty Manners
* "The Winning of Sally Temple" (1917) .... Sally Temple
* "Betty to the Rescue" (1917)
* "The Years of the Locust" (1916) .... Lorraine Roth
* "Witchcraft" (1916) .... Suzette
* "Each Pearl a Tear" (1916) .... Diane Winston, aka "Each Hour a Pearl" (USA: alternative title), "Every Pearl a Tear"
* "A Gutter Magdalene" (1916) .... Maida Carrington
* "For the Defense"(1916) .... Fidele Roget
* "Tennessee's Pardner" (1916) .... Tennessee
* "The Cheat" (1915) .... Edith Hardy
* "The Marriage of Kitty" (1915) .... Katherine "Kitty" Silverton

External links

* [http://silentsaregolden.com/photos2/fanniewardphoto.html Fannie Ward at Silents Are Golden]
* [http://imdb.com/name/nm0911531 Fannie Ward at Internet Movie Database]
* [http://silent-movies.org/Ladies/OSLWard.html Fannie Ward at Silent Ladies & Gents]