Ann Little (born Mary Hankins Brooks; February 7, 1891 – May 21, 1984), also known as Anna Little, was an American film actress whose career was most prolific during the

silent film A silent film is a film without 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 ...

era of the early 1910s through the early 1920s. Today, most of her films are lost, with only 12 known to survive.

Life and career

Ann Little was born Mary Hankins Brooks on February 7, 1891, on a ranch in

Mount Shasta, California Mount Shasta (also known as Mount Shasta City) is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States, at about above sea level on the flanks of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark. The city is less than southwest of the s ...

. She was the only child of Mary Mariah "Mamie" Hankins Brooks, who was from Montana, and James Luther Brooks, who was from New York. In the 1900 census, she is listed as living in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, alongside her mother and father as roomers. She appears in the 1910 census as living in Mount Shasta again as a roomer with the Levy family, and her marital status is "married". Little first appeared in a traveling, stock-theater group after graduating from high school at age 16. After briefly relocating to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

in the early 1910s, she acted in musical comedies on stage before she made the transition to films; first appearing in one-reel

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

shorts with actor and director

Broncho Billy Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western film genre. He was a founder and star ...

. Her first film appearance was in the 1911 release ''The Indian Maiden's Lesson'' as a Native American named Red Feather. Little subsequently appeared as Native American characters in many of her earliest films. By 1912, Little appeared regularly in Thomas H. Ince-directed Western-themed serials, often as an Indian princess and usually with Francis Ford,

Grace Cunard Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries; April 8, 1893 – January 19, 1967) was an American actress, screenwriter and film director. During the silent era, she starred in over 100 films, wrote or co-wrote at least 44 of those productions ...

Olive Tell Olive Tell (September 27, 1894 – June 8, 1951) was a stage and screen actress from New York City. Biography Tell was educated in several cities in Europe. She and her younger actress sister Alma Tell, Alma graduated from the American Academy ...

, Jack Conway, Ethel Grandin,

Mildred Harris Mildred Harris (November 29, 1901 – July 20, 1944) was an American stage, film, and vaudeville actress during the early part of the 20th century. She began her career in the film industry as a child actress at age 10. She was also the first w ...

, and early cowboy star

Art Acord Arthemus Ward "Art" Acord (April 17, 1890 – January 4, 1931) was an American silent film actor and rodeo champion. After his film career ended in 1929, Acord worked in rodeo road shows and as a miner in Mexico. Early life and career Acord ...

for

Essanay Studios Essanay Studios, officially the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago by George Kirke Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson, originally as the Peerless Film Manufactu ...

. Between 1911 and 1914, Little was in around 60 shorts, the overwhelming majority of them Westerns, including many serials. Her other notable co-stars at this time included Harold Lockwood,

Jane Wolfe Sarah Jane Wolfe (March 21, 1875 – March 29, 1958) was an American silent film character actress who is considered an important female figure in Thelema. She was a friend and a colleague of Aleister Crowley and a founding member of Agape Lod ...

, William Worthington,

Tom Chatterton Tom Chatterton (February 12, 1881 – August 17, 1952) was an American actor and director. Born in Geneva, New York, Chatterton was active in sports as a youth. He gained early acting experience with Ben Horning's stock theater company in Syracu ...

, and actor/director

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

. Although possibly best recalled for her appearances in Westerns, Little showed versatility as an actress by appearing in a number of well-received roles in other dramatic genres and even comedies. Most notably among her dramatic roles was the early American cinematic

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

serials directed by William J. Bauman and Thomas Ince. Another notable film was the 1914 Ruth Ann Baldwin-penned and

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

-adapted epic ''Damon and Pythias'', which had thousands of extras. While signed under contract to

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

, she made nearly six serials, most of them Western-themed one- and two-reel dramas. By 1917, Little signed to

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

and was often paired with highly successful actor

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Lou ...

in a number of popular dramas and comedies. Although she was allegedly tired of being typecast in Western serials, she starred opposite cowboy actor

Jack Hoxie John Hartford Hoxie (January 11, 1885 – March 28, 1965) was an American rodeo performer and motion-picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s. Hoxie is best recalled for his roles in ...

in the 1919 serial ''

Lightning Bryce ''Lightning Bryce'' is a 1919-1920 American Western film serial directed by Paul Hurst and starring Ann Little and Jack Hoxie (his first starring role). In all, 15 episodes were produced; all episodes survive today and are in the public ...

''. She left

Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...

studios in 1919 to sign with National Film Corporation. By the early 1920s, Little only took dramatic roles outside the Western genre. Some of her notable films in this period include the World War I drama '' The Firefly of France'' (1918), the race-car adventure films '' The Roaring Road'' (1919) and '' Excuse My Dust'' (1920) with Wallace Reid, ''The Cradle of Courage'' with

William S. Hart William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integ ...

, and the crime-drama ''The Greatest Menace'' (1923) opposite

Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...

Later years

While still at the peak of her public popularity in the early 1920s, Little retired from the motion picture industry. In her later years, she managed the

Chateau Marmont The Chateau Marmont is a hotel located at 8221 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The hotel was designed by architects Arnold A. Weitzman and William Douglas Lee and completed in 1929. It was modeled loosely after the Château d'Ambois ...

on the

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...

, but rarely spoke of her years in acting. Ann Little died at age 93, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and was interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography

* '' Custer's Last Fight'' (1912, short) * '' The Invaders'' (1912, short) as Sky Star * '' The Paymaster's Son'' (1913) * ''

The Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union army, Union and Confederate States Army, Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylva ...

'' (1913, short, lost film) as Virginia Burke, the Confederate Sister * ''The Voice at the Telephone'' (1914) as Clara Morrison * '' The Opened Shutters'' (1914) as Sylvia Lacey *''

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; , gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against the tyrannical Dion ...

'' (1914) as Calanthe * '' Called Back'' (1914) as Pauline March * '' The Black Box'' (1915, serial, lost film) as Lenora MacDougal * ''

That Gal of Burke's ''That Gal of Burke's'' is a lost 1916 silent short film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Ann Little. It was released by the Mutual Film Mutual Film Corporation was an early American film conglomerate that produced some of Charlie C ...

'' (1916, short) as Tommie Burke * ''Land o' Lizards'' (1916) as Bobbie Moore * ''Immediate Lee'' (1916) as Beulah * '' The Silent Master'' (1917) as Jacqueline * ''Under Handicap'' (1917) as Argyl Crawford * ''

Nan of Music Mountain ''Nan of Music Mountain'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by George Melford and Cecil B. DeMille (who receives no screen credit). The film is based on Frank H. Spearman's novel of the same name and stars Wallace Reid and Anna L ...

'' (1917) as Nan Morgan * '' The World for Sale'' (1918) as Fieda Druse * '' Rimrock Jones'' (1918, lost film) as Mary Fortune * '' The House of Silence'' (1918, lost film) as Toinette Rogers * '' Believe Me, Xantippe'' (1918, lost film) as Dolly Kamman * '' The Firefly of France'' (1918, lost film) as Esme Falconer * ''

Less Than Kin ''Less Than Kin'' is a lost film, lost 1918 American silent film, silent comedy film directed by Donald Crisp and written by Marion Fairfax and Alice Duer Miller. The film stars Wallace Reid, Ann Little, Raymond Hatton, Noah Beery, Sr., James Nei ...

'' (1918) as Nellie Reid * ''The Source'' (1918) as Svea Nord * '' The Man from Funeral Range'' (1918, lost film) as Janice Williams * '' The Squaw Man'' (1918, lost film, only the last reel exists) as Naturich * '' Alias Mike Moran'' (1919) as Elaine Debaux * '' The Roaring Road'' (1919) as Dorothy Ward, the Cub * ''Something to Do'' (1919) as Jane Remwick * '' Square Deal Sanderson'' (1919) as Mary Bransford * '' Told in the Hills'' (1919) as Rachel Hardy * ''

'' (1919) as Kate Arnold * '' Excuse My Dust'' (1920) as Dorothy Ward Walden * '' The Cradle of Courage'' (1920) as Rose Tierney * '' The Blue Fox'' (1921) as Ann Calvin * '' Nan of the North'' (1922, lost film) as Nan * '' Chain Lightning'' (1922) as Peggy Pomeroy * ''

The Eagle's Talons ''The Eagle's Talons'' is a 1923 American film serial directed by Duke Worne. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Fred Thomson Frederick Clifton Thomson (February 26, 1890 – December 25, 1928) was an American silent film cowbo ...

'' (1923, lost film) as Enid Markham * '' The Greatest Menace'' (1923) as Velma Wright * ''Secret Service Sanders'' (1925) as Ann Walters

References

External links

*
Ann Little
at Silent Era People * {{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Ann 1891 births 1984 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses Film serial actresses Western (genre) film actresses Actresses from California 20th-century American actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) People from Mount Shasta, California