Christine Mayo (December 25, 1883 – January 9, 1961) was a

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 ...

actress.

Biography

Mayo was featured in

vamp Vamp most commonly refers to: * Vamp (shoe), the upper part of a shoe * Vamp (woman), a seductress or ''femme fatale''; derived from "vampire" * Vamp (music), a repeating musical figure or accompaniment Vamp or vamps may also refer to: Science ...

roles produced by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at le ...

, World Film Corporation, and Ivan Film Productions, Inc.''Famous Movie Actress Is Coming To The City'',

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, Ohio, Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of th ...

Daily Times, April 13, 1917, pg. 13 Mayo's motion picture career was launched when she won a ''New York Telegraph'' contest as the most beautiful girl in New York. In '' The Spell of the Yukon'' (1916), she had the leading female part in a feature starring

Edmund Breese Edmund Breese (June 18, 1871 – April 6, 1936) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. Biography Breese was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Renshaw Breese and Josephine Busby. The Opera House in Eureka Sprin ...

, which was adapted from a poem by

Robert W. Service Robert William Service (16 January 1874 – 11 September 1958) was an English-born Canadian poet and writer, often called “The Poet of the Yukon" and "The Canadian Kipling". Born in Lancashire of Scottish descent, he was a bank clerk by trade ...

. Service was known as the "Kipling of the North." Mayo performed the role of Hattie Fenshaw in ''

Who's Your Neighbor? ''Who's Your Neighbor?'' is a 1917 silent American propaganda and drama film directed by S. Rankin Drew. The film's plot focuses around reformers who pass a law to force prostitutes, including Hattie Fenshaw, out of the red light district. Fe ...

'' (1917). International spy Dr. Karl Graves was arrested in

Lima, Ohio Lima ( ) is a city in Allen County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 35,579. It is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75, appr ...

, where he traveled after watching Mayo perform at the Empire Theater in New York City. Graves authored ''Revelations of the Kaiser's Personal Spy''. Mayo was in Lima with her manager, Phil Selznik, when Graves was apprehended, stopping first in

Bucyrus, Ohio Bucyrus ( ) is a city in Crawford County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in northern Ohio approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of Mansfield, Ohio, Mansfield and southeast of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 1 ...

, when she left New York.''International Spy, In Lima , Is Caught'', Lima Daily News, Friday, August 17, 1917, pg 1.

was one of the thirty American cities Mayo toured in 1917. After the screening of one of her feature films, she discussed her movie career with the audience. A reception was held in the lobby of the Columbia Theater in Portsmouth. Aside from promoting movies, Mayo utilized her tour to recruit troops for service in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and to sell

Liberty Bonds A liberty bond or liberty loan was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financia ...

. She was assigned to the recruiting department of the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

. She received a solid gold medal representing the American flag from the hospital corps in recognition of her service to the government. Mayo was one of the first women of the stage to be awarded the right to wear the button of the

Liberty Legion The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II. Composed of existing heroes from Marvel's 1940s Golden Age of Comic Bo ...

. Mayo plays the scatterbrained Mrs. Chadwick in ''

The Hottentot ''The Hottentot'' is a lost 1929 American all-talking sound pre-Code comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Edward Everett Horton and Patsy Ruth Miller. It is based on the 1920 Broadway play ''The Hottentot'' by William Collier, S ...

'' (1922). One reviewer complimented her acting as a "bright characterization". In the 1923 feature '' The Shock'', starring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often gr ...

, Mayo was compared to

Mary Alden Mary Maguire Alden (June 18, 1883 – July 2, 1946) was an American motion picture and stage actress. She was one of the first Broadway actresses to work in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Life Alden was born in New York City on June 1 ...

in her rendition of Ann Cardington, queen of the underworld. The same year, she was also cast as a supporting player in '' Don't Marry for Money'', along with

Edith Yorke Edith Yorke (born Edith Murgatroyd; 23 December 1867 – 28 July 1934) was an English actress. She appeared in more than 60 films from 1919 to 1933. Biography Yorke was born in Derby; her family later moved to Croydon. Edith returned to D ...

and

Charles Wellesley Charles Wellesley (November 17, 1873 – July 24, 1946) was an Irish-born American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1928. He was born in Dublin and died in Amityville, New York. Partial filmograph ...

. Mayo appeared with some of the most popular actors of her era. She made '' For Sale'' (1924) with

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...

Tully Marshall Tully Marshall (born William Phillips; April 10, 1864 – March 10, 1943) was an American character actor. He had nearly a quarter century of theatrical experience before his debut film appearance in 1914 which led to a film career spanning alm ...

, and

Vera Reynolds Vera Reynolds (born Vera Nancy Reynolds; November 25, 1899 – April 22, 1962) was an American film actress. Early life and career Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1899, Reynolds first worked in films at age 12. She began as a dancer, worked ...

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reviewed the movie unfavorably, comparing it to a discarded

Daisy Ashford Margaret Mary Julia Devlin (née Ashford; 3 April 1881 – 15 January 1972), known as Daisy Ashford, was an English writer who is most famous for writing '' The Young Visiters'', a novella concerning the upper class society of late 19th century ...

effort. The heroine resides in a mansion of

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

-like dimensions. When her father loses his wealth entirely, he comes up with the idea of having his daughter,

Claire Windsor Claire Windsor (born Clara Viola Cronk; April 14, 1892 – October 24, 1972) was an American film actress of the silent screen era. Early life Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk (nicknamed "Ola") in 1892 in Marvin (later known as Glade), Kans ...

, marry a

profligate A spendthrift (also profligate or prodigal) is someone who is extravagant and recklessly wasteful with money, often to a point where the spending climbs well beyond their means. ''Spendthrift'' derives from an obsolete sense of the word ''thrift'' ...

, a rich one. Mayo was in the troupe of the Wilkes Stock Company in April 1929 at the Majestic Theater in Los Angeles, California. She joined

Edward Everett Horton Edward Everett Horton, Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor and comedian. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. Early life Horton was born March 18 ...

in a stage production of ''The Hottentot''. Mayo enjoyed cooking chicken a la king, interior decorating, and reading classic novels by Balzac and

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

.''Miss Mayo, Actress Is A Real Versatile Girl'',

Ironwood, Michigan Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County, Michigan, Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The city is on U.S. Route 2 in Michigan, US Highway 2 across the Montreal River (Wisconsin-Michig ...

Daily Globe, Wednesday Evening, December 1, 1920, pg. 5.

Selected filmography

* '' A Mother's Confession'' (1915) * '' The Spell of the Yukon'' (1916) * ''

The Iron Woman ''The Iron Woman'' is a science fiction novel by British writer Ted Hughes, published in 1993. It is a sequel to the 1968 novel ''The Iron Man (novel), The Iron Man''. Synopsis "The Iron Woman has come to take revenge on mankind for its tho ...

'' (1916) * ''Two Men and a Woman'' (1917) * ''

'' (1917) * '' Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'' (1917) * ''

A Successful Adventure ''A Successful Adventure'' is a lost 1918 silent film romantic comedy starring May Allison and Harry Hilliard. It was produced by Maxwell Karger and released through Metro Pictures. An alternative title was ''The Way to a Man's Heart''. Cast * ...

'' (1918) * ''

The House of Mirth ''The House of Mirth'' is a novel by American author Edith Wharton, published on 7 October 1905. It is a sharp, brutal, and destructive tragedy which tells the story of Lily Bart, a well-born but impoverished woman belonging to New York City's ...

'' (1918) * ''

Fair and Warmer ''Fair and Warmer'' is a three-act comedy play by the American writer Avery Hopwood. It was first staged at the Eltinge Theatre in New York City on November 15, 1915, running for 377 performances, featuring Madge Kennedy, John Cumberland, Janet ...

'' (1919) * '' A Fugitive from Matrimony'' (1919) * ''

Duds A dud is in general something that fails to function in the way it is intended to. In a military context the word is often used to refer to an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate as expected. Poorly designed devices ( ...

'' (1920) * '' An Amateur Devil'' (1920) * ''

The Girl in the Web ''The Girl in the Web'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent mystery film directed by Robert Thornby and starring Blanche Sweet, Nigel Barrie, and Adele Farrington. Plot Cast * Blanche Sweet as Esther Maitland * Nigel Barrie as Dick Ferguso ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Palace of Darkened Windows ''The Palace of Darkened Windows'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent comedy-drama film directed by Henry Kolker and starring Claire Anderson (actress), Claire Anderson, Arthur Edmund Carewe and Jay Belasco. It is based on the 1914 novel of t ...

'' (1920) * '' Don't Ever Marry'' (1920) * '' When We Were 21'' (1921) * '' The Understudy'' (1922) * '' A Dangerous Game'' (1922) * ''

'' (1922) * '' The Shock'' (1923) * '' Don't Marry for Money'' (1923) * '' For Sale'' (1924)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayo, Christine American stage actresses American vaudeville performers American film actresses American silent film actresses 1961 deaths 1883 births 20th-century American actresses