Edythe Chapman (October 8, 1863 – October 15, 1948) was an American stage and

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

actress.

Career

Born in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, Chapman began her stage career as early as 1898 when she appeared in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in ''The Charity Ball''. She performed at the Shubert Theater in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

in a production of ''The Light Eternal'' in 1907. The play was a romantic drama of

Imperial Rome The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...

which was supported by a cast of approximately 100 people. Chapman played maternal roles in numerous silent motion pictures and became known in the 1920s as ''Hollywood's Mother''. She played ''Ma Jones'' in the film version of '' Lightnin''' (1925), a screen production which featured

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

. Edythe was ''Grandmother Janeway'' in ''Man Crazy'' (1927). The film starred Dorothy Mackaill and Jack Mulhall. Chapman was praised by reviewers for her performance. Edythe Chapman in The Ten Commandments

Chapman came to Hollywood around 1909 with her husband, screen and stage actor, James Neill. The two met in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

when Chapman was working in Neill's stock company. The couple got married in 1897 and soon began making movies with Cecil B. DeMille and other noteworthy directors and producers. They had leading roles in ''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ� ...

'' (1923), ''

Manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

'' (1922), '' The Little American'' (1917), and other silent motion pictures. Neill died in 1931. The final movie in which Edythe appeared was ''Double Crossroads'' in 1930. Prior to this, she had a large role in '' Navy Blues'' (1929).

Death

Edythe Chapman Neill died in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

after a brief illness, a week past her 85th birthday. She was interred alongside her husband at

Bonaventure Cemetery Bonaventure Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on a scenic bluff of the Wilmington River, east of Savannah, Georgia. The cemetery became famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' by John Berendt, ...

Partial filmography

*'' Richelieu'' (1914) (a lost film) *''

The Pretty Sister of Jose The Pretty Sister of Jose may refer to: * The Pretty Sister of José, an 1889 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett * The Pretty Sister of Jose (play), a 1903 American play, based on the novel * The Pretty Sister of Jose (film), a 1915 American silent ro ...

'' (1915) (lost) *''

The Golden Chance ''The Golden Chance'' is a 1915 American drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A print of the film survives at George Eastman House. DeMille remade the film in 1921 as ''Forbidden Fruit''. Cast * Cleo Ridgely as Mary Denby * Wallace Reid as ...

'' (1915) (directed by Demille) *''

The Heir to the Hoorah ''The Heir to the Hoorah'' is a surviving 1916 silent film produced by Jesse Lasky and released through Paramount Pictures. It was directed by William C. deMille. A print survives in the Library of Congress. Cast *Thomas Meighan - Joe Lacy *An ...

'' (1916) *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (1916) (lost) *''

A Mormon Maid ''A Mormon Maid'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Charles Sarver and Paul West. While traveling westward with her family, Dora must face the proposal to become a Mormon elders sixth wife. The fil ...

'' (1917) *'' The Little American'' (1917) *''

The Crystal Gazer ''The Crystal Gazer'' is a lost 1917 American drama silent film directed by George Melford, and written by Eve Unsell, Edna G. Riley, and Marion Fairfax. The film stars Fannie Ward, Jack Dean, Winifred Greenwood, Harrison Ford, Raymond Hatton ...

'' (1917) *''

Tom Sawyer Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...

'' (1917) *''

A Modern Musketeer ''A Modern Musketeer'' is a 1917 American silent adventure comedy film directed and written by Allan Dwan. Based on the short story, "D'Artagnan of Kansas" by E. P. Lyle, Jr., the film was produced by and stars Douglas Fairbanks. A now complete ...

'' (1917) *''

The Whispering Chorus ''The Whispering Chorus'' is a 1918 American silent psychological drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is the first and earliest film was considered a psychological drama. Plot John Tremble (Hatton), an impoverished cashier in a cont ...

'' (1918) (produced and directed by Demille) *''

Old Wives for New ''Old Wives for New'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Prints of the film survive at the International Museum of Photography and Film at George Eastman House. Plot As described in a film magazine, disgusted by ...

'' (1918) (uncredited) *'' Rose o' Paradise'' (1918) *'' The Only Road'' (1918) *''

Say! Young Fellow ''Say! Young Fellow'' was a 1918 American silent romantic comedy film produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks and distributed by Famous Players-Lasky /Artcraft. The picture was directed by Joseph Henabery. The film is now considered lost. C ...

'' (1918) (lost) *'' Bound in Morocco'' (1918) (lost) *''

The Gypsy Trail ''The Gypsy Trail'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film directed by Walter Edwards and written by Robert Housum and Julia Crawford Ivers. The film stars Bryant Washburn, Wanda Hawley, Casson Ferguson, Clarence Geldart, Georgie Stone, and Edy ...

'' (1918) * '' Unexpected Places'' (1918) *''

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people ofte ...

'' (1919) *''

The Winning Girl ''The Winning Girl'' is a lost 1919 silent film comedy drama directed by Robert G. Vignola and starring Shirley Mason. Cast * Shirley Mason - Jemmy Milligan * Theodore Roberts - Major Milligan * Harold Goodwin - Jack Milligan * Lincoln Stedman ...

'' (1919) *'' The Twin Pawns'' (1919) *uncredited role *'' The Knickerbocker Buckaroo'' (1919) (lost) *''

An Innocent Adventuress ''An Innocent Adventuress'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Robert G. Vignola and written by Clara Genevieve Kennedy. The film stars Vivian Martin, Lloyd Hughes, Edythe Chapman, Gertrude Norman, Jane Wolfe, and Tom Ba ...

'' (1919) *''

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...

'' (1919) *''

Flame of the Desert ''Flame of the Desert'' is a 1919 American silent drama film starring Geraldine Farrar and Lou Tellegen. It was directed by Reginald Barker and produced by Samuel Goldwyn. Plot Cast * Geraldine Farrar as Lady Isabelle Channing *Lou Tellegen ...

'' (1919) *'' Everywoman'' (1919) *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (1920) *''

Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...

(1920) *''

A Double-Dyed Deceiver ''A Double-Dyed Deceiver'' is a lost 1920 American silent crime-drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Jack Pickford. It was produced and distributed by the Goldwyn Pictures company. Plot As described in a film magazine, The Llan ...

'' (1920) * ''

Pinto Pinto is a Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India especially in Mangalore, Karnatak ...

'' (1920) *'' The County Fair'' (1920) *''

Bunty Pulls the Strings ''Bunty Pulls the Strings'' is a lost 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Leatrice Joy. It is based on a Broadway play by Graham Moffat. On stage the part of Bunty was played and made famous by Molly Pearso ...

'' (1921) *''

A Tale of Two Worlds ''A Tale of Two Worlds'' is a 1921 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and directed by Frank Lloyd. The film stars several well-known actors including Leatrice Joy, Wallace Beery, Edythe Chapman, and J. Frank ...

'' (1921) *'' One Wild Week'' (1921) (lost) *'' Bits of Life'' (1921) (lost) * '' A Wife's Awakening'' (1921) *''

Dangerous Curve Ahead ''Dangerous Curve Ahead'' is a 1921 American silent film, silent comedy film, comedy starring Helene Chadwick and Richard Dix. The film is considered to be lost films, lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, Phoebe Mabee (Chadwick) is a muc ...

'' (1921) (lost) *''

Alias Ladyfingers ''Alias Ladyfingers'' is a lost 1921 American silent comedy film based on the 1920 mystery novel ''Ladyfingers'' by Jackson Gregory. It was adapted for the screen by Lenore Coffee and was directed by Bayard Veiller. The film stars Bert Lytel ...

'' (1921) *'' Voices of the City'' (1921) (lost) *'' Saturday Night'' (1922) (lost) *''

Her Husband's Trademark ''Her Husband's Trademark'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Sam Wood and starring Gloria Swanson and Richard Wayne. Produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film was shot on location in El ...

'' (1922) *'' Beyond the Rocks'' (1922) *'' North of the Rio Grande'' (1922) *''

'' (1922) (directed by Demille) *'' My American Wife'' (1922) (lost) * '' Youth to Youth'' (1922) *''

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

'' (1923) (cameo in lost film) *''

'' (1923) * ''

Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...

'' (1923) * ''

Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...

'' (1923) * '' The Miracle Makers'' (1923) *''

The Shadow of the Desert ''The Shadow of the Desert'' (also released under its original title ''The Shadow of the East'') is a 1924 American silent horror film directed by George Archainbaud. The film is based upon the novel ''The Shadow of the East'' by Edith Maude H ...

'' (1924) (lost) *''

Daughters of Pleasure ''Daughters of Pleasure'' is a 1924 American silent romantic comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Marie Prevost and Monte Blue. Based on a story by Caleb Proctor, the film features an early appearance by Clara Bow who plays a ...

'' (1924) *'' Broken Barriers'' (1924) *'' In the Name of Love'' (1925) *''

Learning to Love ''Learning to Love'' is a 1925 American comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and written by John Emerson and Anita Loos. The film stars Constance Talmadge, Antonio Moreno, Emily Fitzroy, Edythe Chapman, John Harron, and Ray Hallor. The fil ...

'' (1925) * '' The Pride of the Force'' (1925) *'' Lightnin''' (1925) *''

Classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

'' (1925) * '' Havoc'' (1925) *'' Lazybones'' (1925) *'' Soul Mates'' (1925) *'' Three Faces East'' (1926) *'' The Runaway'' (1926) *''

The Boob ''The Boob'' (released in the UK as ''The Yokel'') is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by William A. Wellman, and starring Gertrude Olmstead, Antonio D'Algy, George K. Arthur, and Joan Crawford as a law enforcement agent. ...

'' (1926) *''

The King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...

'' (1927) (uncredited in Demille-directed film) *'' Naughty but Nice'' (1927) *''

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg ''The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg'', also known as ''The Student Prince'' and ''Old Heidelberg'', is a 1927 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent drama film based on the 1901 play '' Old Heidelberg'' by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster. It was directed by Ern ...

'' (1927) (uncredited) *'' American Beauty'' (1927) *'' Man Crazy'' (1927) *'' Happiness Ahead'' (1928) *'' Heart Trouble'' (1928) *''

Three Weekends ''Three Week-Ends'' is a 1928 American comedy drama film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Clara Bow and Neil Hamilton. It is believed lost. "Three Week-Ends" is the title given in the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, with alternate titl ...

'' (1928) *'' The Count of Ten'' (1928) * '' The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1928) *''

Synthetic Sin Synthetic Sin is a 1929 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, based on a play of the same name. While filmed as a silent, it was released by Warner Bros. accompanied with a Vitaphone music soundtrack and sound effects. However mo ...

'' (1929) *'' Twin Beds'' (1929) *'' The Idle Rich'' (1929) *'' Navy Blues'' (1929) * ''

Take the Heir ''Take the Heir'' is a 1930 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Edward Everett Horton, Dorothy Devore and Edythe Chapman.Pitts p.62 It was produced during the transition to sound film and a separate silent version was ...

'' (1930)

References

External links

*
photo gallery, by the window with husband James Neill
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Edythe 1863 births 1948 deaths 19th-century American actresses 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses Actresses from Rochester, New York burials in Georgia