Marie Doro

Classical stage and movie actress Marie Doro was a direct descendant of American political leader Patrick Henry. She was born Marie Katherine Steward in Pennsylvania in 1882. She began as a chorus girl in musical comedy under the management of impresario Charles Frohman, who took her to Broadway. There she worked for actor/stage director William Gillette, appearing in many melodrama, thrillers and comedies including "The Admirable Crichton" in 1903, "Sherlock Holmes" in 1905-06, "Electricity" in 1910 and "Diplomacy" in 1914 est. On tour of England in the mid-1900s, she starred with the unknown teenage Charles Chaplin. She starred in at least 18 movie, first under contract to Adolph Zukor in 1915, making her film debut in the starring role as Carlotta in Edwin S. Porter's comedy/drama The Morals of Marcus (1915) for the Famous Players Film Co. She is perhaps best remembered in the title role in Oliver Twist (1916), directed by James Young for the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Co. in 1916. Although still a well-known movie star by the early 1920s, she became increasingly disillusioned with Hollywood and her acting career. She returned to the Broadway stage for one last time in "Lillies of the Field" in 1921. She moved to Europe for a time and starred in a few films in Italy and England, the last being Maurice Elvey's )Sally Bishop (1924)_ in 1924,' co-starring with Henry Ainley in the Stoll Film Co. production. In later life she became increasingly drawn to a more spiritual life, and ended as a recluse, actively avoiding friends and acquaintances. She was briefly married to actor Elliott Dexter, the marriage soon ending in divorce. She had no children and never remarried.