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
It Happened One Night
(1934)
Mother on Bus (uncredited)
Hangmen Also Die!
(1943)
Counterwoman (uncredited)
Boys Town
(1938)
Nun (uncredited)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
(1925)
Princess of Hur
The Big Parade
(1925)
Mrs. Apperson
Imitation of Life
(1934)
Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
Thunder Afloat
(1939)
Nurse (uncredited)
Test Pilot
(1938)
Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)
The Big House
(1930)
Mrs. Marlowe
Three Comrades
(1938)
Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)
Lady Scarface
(1941)
Mrs. Tuckerman
Full Filmography
Acting
The Devil
(1908)
The Planter's Wife
(1908)
Mrs. John Holland
The Usurer
(1910)
Despairing Mother / One of the Third Debtors
Waiter No. 5
(1910)
The Chief of Police's Wife
Rose o' Salem Town
(1910)
A Flash of Light
(1910)
At First Party
The Oath and the Man
(1910)
Rebel
A Mohawk's Way
(1910)
Love Among the Roses
(1910)
Muggsy Becomes a Hero
(1910)
One of the Sisters Frost
The Golden Supper
(1910)
Lady-in-Waiting
Wilful Peggy
(1910)
Housemaid
The Iconoclast
(1910)
His New Lid
(1910)
What Shall We Do with Our Old?
(1911)
The Old Carpenter's Wife
His Trust
(1911)
Col. Frazier's wife
The Adventures of Billy
(1911)
Rich Woman
A Decree of Destiny
(1911)
A Nun
Fisher Folks
(1911)
At Fair
His Trust Fulfilled
(1911)
Mrs. Frazier
A Country Cupid
(1911)
The Half-Wit's Mother
A Woman Scorned
(1911)
The Doctor's Wife
The Long Road
(1911)
Ned's Wife
Swords and Hearts
(1911)
Irene Lambert
Fate's Turning
(1911)
At Hotel/At Wedding
The Manicure Lady
(1911)
Lunchroom Hostess
The Primal Call
(1911)
The Woman
The Squaw's Love
(1911)
Silver Fawn
The New York Hat
(1912)
The Main Gossip
The School Teacher and the Waif
(1912)
The Street Fakir's Sweetheart
The Baby and the Stork
(1912)
The Mother
The Old Actor
(1912)
At Audition
The Massacre
(1912)
Stephen's Belle - In Prologue
Two Daughters of Eve
(1912)
The Mother
In the Aisles of the Wild
(1912)
The Elder Daughter
Man's Genesis
(1912)
Cave Woman
The Sands of Dee
(1912)
Artist's fiancee
A Sailor’s Heart
(1912)
The Sailor's Third Sweetheart
A Temporary Truce
(1912)
Mexican Jim's Wife
A Cry for Help
(1912)
The Thief's Wife - the Charity Patient
The Sunbeam
(1912)
The Spinster
So Near, Yet So Far
(1912)
Rich Woman in Other Town
When the Fire-Bells Rang
(1912)
An Actress
The Female of the Species
(1912)
The Miner's Wife
Billy's Stratagem
(1912)
Billy's Mother
The God Within
(1912)
The Woodsman's Wife
Under Burning Skies
(1912)
The Friend
Lena and the Geese
(1912)
Lena's Mother
For Her Government
(1913)
The Stopped Clock
(1913)
The Antique Dealer's Daughter
The Mirror
(1913)
Daisy
The Stolen Loaf
(1913)
The Rich Woman
A Misappropriated Turkey
(1913)
Mrs. Fallon / Widow Logan
The Abandoned Well
(1913)
The Widow
The Stolen Treaty
(1913)
Olga
The Ranchero's Revenge
(1913)
The Schemer's Associate
The Telephone Girl and the Lady
(1913)
The Lady
All for Science
(1913)
Detective
The Crook and the Girl
(1913)
The Uncle's Adopted Daughter
The Well
(1913)
The Farmer's Wife
The House of Discord
(1913)
The Sister-in-Law
A Gamble with Death
(1913)
Kate
The Tenderfoot's Money
(1913)
The Prospector's Wife
The Switchtower
(1913)
The Switchman's Wife
Under the Shadow of the Law
(1913)
John Haywood's Sister
The Vengeance of Galora
(1913)
Galora
The Wanderer
(1913)
The Female Lover
The Detective's Stratagem
(1913)
Kate, the Bank Clerk's Sweetheart
The House of Darkness
(1913)
The Doctor's Wife
A Tender-Hearted Crook
(1913)
Edith
The Enemy's Baby
(1913)
Miller's Wife
The Wrong Bottle
(1913)
The Blind Sister
The Law and His Son
(1913)
Marguerite, Manning's Sister
The Stolen Bride
(1913)
The Wife
The Unwelcome Guest
(1913)
The Wife
Olaf—An Atom
(1913)
A Parent
The Work Habit
(1913)
The Daughter in the City
The Strong Man's Burden
(1913)
Ida Glynn, The Nurse
I Was Meant for You
(1913)
Lavina
The Van Nostrand Tiara
(1913)
Kate
A Gambler's Honor
(1913)
Beth
The Fatal Wedding
(1914)
His Fireman's Conscience
(1914)
Mrs. Daily
Men and Women
(1914)
Mrs. Stephen Rodman
Her Hand
(1914)
Olga
Concentration
(1914)
The Mother
Her Father's Silent Partner
(1914)
Waifs
(1914)
The Cracksman's Gratitude
(1914)
A Nest Unfeathered
(1914)
Kate
The Miser's Legacy
(1915)
The Crook's Wife
Her Dormant Love
(1915)
The Discontented Wife
Old Offenders
(1915)
Joe's Wife
The Gambler's I.O.U.
(1915)
Nell - Daddy Wilson's Daughter
The Canceled Mortgage
(1915)
The Widowed Mother
The Sheriff's Dilemma
(1915)
Molly
A Day's Adventure
(1915)
Hogan's Moll
As It Happened
(1915)
The Ranchman's Daughter
Truth Stranger Than Fiction
(1915)
Crook
The Way Out
(1915)
The Young School Teacher
Her Convert
(1915)
The Old Inventor's Daughter
A Stranger from Somewhere
(1916)
Olga
Mixed Blood
(1916)
Nita Valyez
The Right to Be Happy
(1916)
Mrs. Cratchit
Avarice
(1917)
The Miserly Old Woman
The Empty Gun
(1917)
Mary
The Gates of Doom
(1917)
Indore / Agatha
The Storm Woman
(1917)
The Clean-Up
(1917)
Vera Vincent
The White Raven
(1917)
Daisy
The Bronze Bride
(1917)
A-Che-Chee
Captain of His Soul
(1918)
You Can't Believe Everything
(1918)
Grace Dardley
The Feud
(1919)
Mary Lynch
The Follies Girl
(1919)
Nina
Rosalind at Redgate
(1919)
Prudence on Broadway
(1919)
Miss Grayson
Heart o' the Hills
(1919)
Martha Hawn
Something to Think About
(1920)
Housekeeper
The Jack-Knife Man
(1920)
Lize Merdin
The Gift Supreme
(1920)
Lalia Graun
The Woman in the Suitcase
(1920)
Mrs. James B. Moreland
The Mark of Zorro
(1920)
Dona Catalina Pulido
What Every Woman Knows
(1921)
Comtesse de la Brière
Love Never Dies
(1921)
Liz Trott
Midsummer Madness
(1921)
Mrs. Osborne
Prisoners of Love
(1921)
Her Mother
Heart's Haven
(1922)
May Caroline
Penrod
(1922)
Mrs. Schofield
Rent Free
(1922)
Countess de Mourney
Quincy Adams Sawyer
(1922)
Mrs. Putnam
Nice People
(1922)
Margaret Rainsford
Human Wreckage
(1923)
Mrs. Brown
Ponjola
(1923)
Mrs. Hope
Ashes of Vengeance
(1923)
Margot's Aunt
Circus Days
(1923)
Martha
The West~Bound Limited
(1923)
Mrs. Bill Buckley
Thy Name Is Woman
(1924)
Juan's Mother
Those Who Dare
(1924)
Mrs. Rollins
Judgment of the Storm
(1924)
Mrs. Heath
Secrets
(1924)
Elizabeth Channing
Waking Up the Town
(1925)
Mrs. Joyce
The Midnight Flyer
(1925)
Liza Slater
The Tower of Lies
(1925)
Katrina
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
(1925)
Princess of Hur
The Big Parade
(1925)
Mrs. Apperson
The Unknown Soldier
(1926)
John Phillips' sister
The Devil's Circus
(1926)
Mrs. Peterson
The Shamrock Handicap
(1926)
Molly O'Shea
The Flaming Forest
(1926)
Mrs. McTavish
The Show Off
(1926)
Mom Fisher
Tillie the Toiler
(1927)
Ma Jones
The Auctioneer
(1927)
Mrs. Tim Eagan
A Little Journey
(1927)
Aunt Louise
The Taxi Dancer
(1927)
Aunt Mary
Almost Human
(1927)
Mrs. Livingston
The Shield of Honor
(1927)
Mrs. MacDowell
The Black Diamond Express
(1927)
Martha Foster
The Tragedy of Youth
(1928)
Mother
Don't Marry
(1928)
Aunt Abigail Bowen
The Viking
(1928)
Lady Editha (as Claire MacDowell)
The Quitter
(1929)
Mrs. Abbott
The Flying Fleet
(1929)
Mrs. Hastings (uncredited)
Silks and Saddles
(1929)
Mrs. Calhoun
Young Desire
(1930)
Mrs. Spencer
Mothers Cry
(1930)
Mary's Mother
Wild Company
(1930)
Mrs. Laura Grayson
Redemption
(1930)
Anna Pavlovna
The Second Floor Mystery
(1930)
Aunt Hattie
The Big House
(1930)
Mrs. Marlowe
An American Tragedy
(1931)
Mrs. Samuel Griffiths
Manhattan Parade
(1931)
Nancy - the Maid
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
(1932)
Ann Marie's Caregiver Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)
Lawyer Man
(1932)
Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity
(1932)
Struthers' Secretary (uncredited)
Union Depot
(1932)
Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)
Cornered
(1932)
Jane's Aunt
The Famous Ferguson Case
(1932)
Brooks' Landlady (uncredited)
The Phantom Express
(1932)
Ma Nolan
Under Eighteen
(1932)
Seamstress (uncredited)
Central Airport
(1933)
Mrs. Blaine
By Appointment Only
(1933)
Mrs. Mary Carroll
The Working Man
(1933)
Benjamin's Secretary
Wild Boys of the Road
(1933)
Mrs. Smith
Imitation of Life
(1934)
Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
Dr. Monica
(1934)
Miss Bryerly (uncredited)
It Happened One Night
(1934)
Mother on Bus (uncredited)
Journal of a Crime
(1934)
Sister at Hospital (uncredited)
Two Heads on a Pillow
(1934)
Mrs. Helen Gorman
British Agent
(1934)
Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)
Bedside
(1934)
Nurse
Murder by Television
(1935)
Mrs. Houghland
Small Town Girl
(1936)
Woman in Bed (uncredited)
August Week End
(1936)
Alma Washburne
Song of Revolt
(1937)
Artistocratic Dowager (uncredited)
Two-Fisted Sheriff
(1937)
Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt
A Night at the Movies
(1937)
Movie Patron (uncredited)
The Man on the Rock
(1938)
Napoleon's Mother (uncredited)
Boys Town
(1938)
Nun (uncredited)
Test Pilot
(1938)
Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)
They're Always Caught
(1938)
Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited)
Three Comrades
(1938)
Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)
One Against the World
(1939)
Jane Todd Crawford (uncredited)
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
(1939)
Gossiper
Angel of Mercy
(1939)
Mother (uncredited)
Miracles for Sale
(1939)
Jack of Diamonds Woman
Thunder Afloat
(1939)
Nurse (uncredited)
Stand Up and Fight
(1939)
Woman
Idiot's Delight
(1939)
Crying Mother
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
(1940)
Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)
The Golden Fleecing
(1940)
Pedestrian (uncredited)
Young Tom Edison
(1940)
Woman at Station
A Failure at Fifty
(1940)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Lady Scarface
(1941)
Mrs. Tuckerman
Whispers
(1941)
Gossip (uncredited)
Du Barry was a Lady
(1943)
Subway Passenger
This Land Is Mine
(1943)
Woman in Bathroom
Hangmen Also Die!
(1943)
Counterwoman (uncredited)
Presenting Lily Mars
(1943)
Dowager
Keeper of the Flame
(1943)
Men on Her Mind
(1944)
Mother Goodwin
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
(1944)
Dr. Standish's Servant (uncredited)
Adventure
(1945)
Woman in Library (uncredited)