Known For
Acting
Born
Feb 12, 1897
Died
Oct 17, 1970
Place of Birth
Buffalo, New York, USA
Credits
56 titles
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.
Known For
Filmography
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Self (uncredited)
One Rainy Afternoon
Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Townswoman
Black Tears
Home Sweet Home
The Sky Pirate
Two Can Play
Mimi Allen
Her Big Adventure
Countess Fontaine
Little Annie Rooney
Mamie
Heartless Husbands
Mrs. Jackson Cain
The Phantom of the Opera
Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
Who Cares
Tootles
The Mirage
Betty Bond
The Midnight Flower
Mary — a foundling
Mothers-in-Law
Ina Phillips
The Man Between
Rosie - Joe Cateau's Bride
Soul of the Beast
Jacqueline
Crashin' Thru
Diane
Good Men and True
Georgie Hibbler
The Duke of Chimney Butte
Vesta Philbrook
White Oak
Barbara
Singing River
Alice Thornton
The Iron Rider
Mera Donovan
Someone in the House
Molly Brent
The Purple Cipher
Jeanne Baldwin
Common Sense
Violet Manners
A Master Stroke
Minnie Patton
Overland Red
Louise Alacarme
Alias Jimmy Valentine
Rose Lane
Six Feet Four
Winifred Waverly
Hornet's Nest
Muriel Fletcher
Hearts Asleep
Virginia Calvert
A Heart in Pawn
Emily Stone
Happy Though Married
Diana Ramon
The Locked Heart
Ruth Mason
Wolves of the Rail
Faith Lawson
The Silent Man
Betty Bryce
Zollenstein
Princess Fulvia / Princess Zenia
The Son of His Father
Hazel Mallinsbee
The Lady in the Library
Mildred Vandeburg
The Secret of Black Mountain
Miriam Vale
The Topsy Turvy Twins
Mattie
The Bond Between
Ellen Ingram
The Last Cigarette
Minna Ober
Perils of the Secret Service
Minna Ober (Episode #1)
Mentioned in Confidence
Marjorie Manning
The Winning of Sally Temple
Lady Pamela Vauclain
Each to His Kind
Amy Dawe
It Sounded Like a Kiss
Estelle
The Price of Silence
Aline Urmy (as Vola Smith)