Virginia Brown Faire (born Virginia Cecelia Labuna; June 26, 1904 – June 30, 1980) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, 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) ...

actress, appearing in dramatic films and, later, in sound

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

Early years

Virginia Cecelia Labuna was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Joseph Labuna and Martha Delsand. Other sources have her last name as La Buna. She attended

Wadleigh High School for Girls The Wadleigh High School for Girls, which was established by the NYC Board of Education in 1897, and which moved into its new building in Harlem in September 1902, was the first public high school for girls in New York City. At the time, public s ...

. She was brought to Hollywood in 1919 after being one of the four winners of the '' Motion Picture Classic'' magazine's "Fame and Fortune" contest, which she had entered as Virginia Brown, using her stepfather's last name.

Film

Not long after she turned 15 years old that she presented herself at the Metro studio where she was almost immediately put on. Shortly after she appeared in pictures for Fox, she was with Universal. Between 1920 and 1935, she appeared in some 75 films. Her first film credit was the 1920 film ''Runnin' Straight'', a Hoot Gibson short western at Universal. Faire was the leading lady of John Gilbert in '' Monte Cristo'' (1922). She was selected as one of the

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

in 1923 and appeared with Wallace and

Noah Beery Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominen ...

in ''

Stormswept ''Stormswept'' is a 1923 silent film starring brothers Wallace Beery and Noah Beery. The advertising phrase used for the movie was "Wallace and Noah Beery, The Two Greatest Character Actors on the American Screen." The film was written by Winif ...

'' that same year. She is most remembered for her role as

Tinker Bell Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 ...

in the 1924 film ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

''. In 1926 she had a small role in the

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

film '' The Temptress''. She made it through the transition of sound, making a successful talkie in Frank Capra's '' The Donovan Affair'' (1929), but was soon appearing in more low-budget films. Faire appeared in several westerns, opposite Hoot Gibson,

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

, John Wayne and Ken Maynard. Faire left Hollywood for

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in the late 1930s. She worked in radio and several films for industries prior to retiring to the west coast.

Personal life

Faire married actor Jack Dougherty on February 6, 1927. They separated in September of that year and reconciled briefly, but they separated again by April 5, 1928, and she filed for divorce on June 22, 1928. She married director

Duke Worne Howard "Duke" Worne (December 14, 1888 – October 13, 1933) was an American director and actor of the silent era. He directed more than 70 films between 1919 and 1931. He also appeared in 27 films between 1914 and 1928. He was born in Phi ...

on January 29, 1930. Worne died in 1933. In 1935, she married furniture manufacturer William Bayer, and they remained wed until her death.

Death

Faire died of cancer on June 30, 1980 in Laguna Beach, California, aged 76.

Selected filmography

Gleb W Derujinsky & Virginia Brown Faire

* '' Runnin' Straight'' ( 1920) * '' Masked'' ( 1920) * ''

Without Benefit of Clergy ''Without Benefit of Clergy'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James Young and featuring Virginia Brown Faire, Thomas Holding and Boris Karloff. It is based on the story by Rudyard Kipling. A print of the film still exists at t ...

'' ( 1921) * '' Fightin' Mad'' (1921) * '' Monte Cristo'' ( 1922) * '' Omar the Tentmaker'' ( 1922) *unknown/presumably lost film * '' Vengeance of the Deep'' (

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

) *lost film * '' Shadows of the North'' (

) *lost film * ''

Thundergate ''Thundergate'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and written by Perry N. Vekroff. The film stars Owen Moore, Virginia Brown Faire, Edwin B. Tilton, Sylvia Breamer Sylvia Poppy Bremer (9 June 1897 – 7 June 1943), ...

'' (

) * ''

'' (

) * '' Romance Ranch'' ( 1924) * '' The Lightning Rider'' ( 1924) * ''

Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...

'' ( 1924) *lost film * ''

'' ( 1924) * '' The Lost World'' (

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...

) * '' Friendly Enemies'' (1925) * '' The Thoroughbred'' (1925) * '' The Calgary Stampede'' (

) * ''

His People ''His People'' (also known as Proud Heart) is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman about a young, Jewish boxer growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

'' (1925) * '' Recompense'' (

) *lost film * ''

Chip of the Flying U ''Chip of the Flying U'' is a 1926 American silent Western comedy film based on a novel by Bertha Muzzy Sinclair. It was directed by Lynn Reynolds and starred Hoot Gibson. Universal Pictures produced and released the film. A print is preser ...

'' (

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...

) * '' Wings of the Storm'' (

) * '' The Mile-a-Minute Man'' (1926) * '' The Wolf Hunters'' (1926) * '' Frenzied Flames'' (

) * '' Racing Romance'' (

) * '' The Temptress'' (

) * '' Broadway Billy'' (

) * ''

Pleasure Before Business ''Pleasure Before Business'' is a 1927 silent film comedy directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Max Davidson and Virginia Brown Faire. The film was produced and distributed by then upstart studio Columbia Pictures. Preserved at the Library ...

'' (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

) * '' Hazardous Valley'' (1927) *''

Queen of the Chorus ''Queen of the Chorus'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Charles J. Hunt and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Rex Lease and Betty Francisco.Munden p.625 It was made by the independent producer Morris R. Schlank. Synopsis Broadway ...

'' (1928) * ''

A Race for Life ''A Race for Life'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Originally, the film was presumed to be lost. However, according to the Library of Congress Database, the film was found in the Netherlands. The film was rel ...

'' ( 1928) * '' The Chorus Kid'' ( 1928) *lost film * ''

Undressed ''Undressed'' is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999, to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé. Synopsis The series follows the relationships (both rom ...

'' ( 1928) *lost film * ''

The House of Shame ''The House of Shame'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Creighton Hale, Virginia Brown Faire and Lloyd Whitlock.Pitts p.85 Cast * Creighton Hale as Harvey Baremore * Virginia Brown Faire as Druid ...

'' ( 1928) * ''

Danger Patrol ''Danger Patrol'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Lew Landers from a screenplay by Sy Bartlett based on a story by Helen Vreeland and Hilda Vincent. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on December 3, 1937 ...

'' (1928) * '' The Canyon of Adventure'' ( 1928) * ''

Burning the Wind ''Burning the Wind'' is a 1928 American romantic drama film, directed by Herbert Blaché and Henry MacRae, starring Hoot Gibson and featuring Boris Karloff. The film is considered to be lost.1928) *lost film * ''

The Devil's Chaplain ''The Devil's Chaplain'' is a 1929 American silent romance film directed by Duke Worne, written by Arthur Hoerl and George Bronson Howard and featuring Boris Karloff. It was produced by Trem Carr and released by Rayart Pictures. Cast * Corneli ...

'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * '' The Body Punch'' (

) * ''

Handcuffed ''Handcuffed'' is a 1929 American silent mystery film directed by Duke Worne and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Wheeler Oakman and Dean Jagger.Munden p.322 Synopsis Gerald Morely's father is ruined in a stock fraud and commits suicide. When sho ...

'' (1929) * ''

Untamed Justice ''Untamed Justice'' is a 1929 American silent action film directed by Harry S. Webb and starring Virginia Brown Faire, Gaston Glass and David Torrence.Munden p.850 Cast * Virginia Brown Faire as Louise Hill * Gaston Glass as Norman Bard, Air ...

'' (1929) * '' The Donovan Affair'' (

) *film survives, but soundtrack is lost * '' Murder on the Roof'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

) * '' The Lonesome Trail'' (1930) * '' Breed of the West'' (1930) * '' The Last Ride'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * '' Alias – the Bad Man'' (

) * '' Hell's Valley'' (

) * ''

Secret Menace ''Secret Menace'' is a 1931 American Western film written and directed by Richard C. Kahn. The film stars Glenn Tryon, Virginia Brown Faire, and Arthur Stone. Cast list *Glenn Tryon *Virginia Brown Faire *Arthur Stone *Margaret Mann *Ed Cecil ...

'' (1931) * '' West of the Divide'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown Faire, Virginia 1904 births 1980 deaths American film actresses American radio actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from New York City Actresses from Hollywood, Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses People from Brooklyn WAMPAS Baby Stars Western (genre) film actresses