Ethel Shannon (May 22, 1898 – July 10, 1951) was an American actress. She appeared in over 30

silent movies 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, wh ...

in the early 20th century.

Early life and career

Ethel Shannon was born in

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, the daughter of James and Agnes (Knight) Shannon. After finishing school, she moved to

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) * Hollywood ...

. Not long afterward, she was asked by a friend if she wanted to work as an

extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

in a

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and she readily said yes. The extra part lasted several days and, before she left the

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

, Shannon was offered a role in a

Bert Lytell Bertram Mortimer Lytell (February 24, 1885 – September 28, 1954) was an American actor in theater and film during the silent film era and early talkies. He starred in romantic, melodrama, and adventure films. Background Born in New York ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

, '' Easy to Make Money'' (1919), which sparked her career. After playing the role as Gwendolyn, the American, in

Tsuru Aoki was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career was most prolific in the United States during the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1920s. Aoki may have been the first Asian actress to garner top billing in American motion pictures. ...

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 ...

production, '' The Breath of the Gods'' (1920), Shannon replaced Josephine Hill as

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

with Universal's

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 ...

star,

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

. Shannon later signed a contract with B.P. Schulberg and became a featured player. She was selected by Schulberg to play the principal feminine role in the most extravagantly produced picture at Schulberg Studios, '' Daughters of the Rich'' (1923), from the book of the same title by Edgar Saltus. In her first production, Shannon had a supporting cast that included at least half a dozen players who either had appeared as stars in their own right, or had seen their names in lights as featured players. Shannon was chosen 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. ...

of 1923, along with

Eleanor Boardman Olive Eleanor Boardman (August 19, 1898 – December 12, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent era. Early life and career Olive Eleanor Boardman was born on August 19, 1898, the youngest child of George W. Boardman and Janice Merriam ...

Evelyn Brent Evelyn Brent (born Mary Elizabeth Riggs; October 20, 1895 – June 4, 1975) was an American film and stage actress. Early life Brent was born in Tampa, Florida and known as "Betty." When she was 10 years old, her mother Eleanor ( Warner) die ...

, Dorothy Devore,

Virginia Browne Faire Virginia Brown Faire (born Virginia Cecelia Labuna; June 26, 1904 – June 30, 1980) was an American silent film actress, appearing in dramatic films and, later, in sound westerns. Early years Virginia Cecelia Labuna was born in Brooklyn, New Y ...

Betty Francisco Betty Francisco (born Elizabeth Barton; September 26, 1900 – November 25, 1950) was an American silent-film actress, appearing primarily in supporting roles. Her sisters Evelyn Francisco, Evelyn and Margaret were also actresses. Early y ...

Pauline Garon Marie Pauline Garon (September 9, 1900 – August 30, 1965) was a Canadian silent film, feature film, and stage actress. Early life Marie Pauline Garon was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on September 9, 1898, the daughter of Pierre-Auguste Ga ...

Kathleen Key Kathleen Key (born Kitty Lanahan; April 1, 1903 – December 22, 1954) was an American actress who achieved a brief period of fame during the silent era. She is best remembered for playing Tirzah in the 1925 film ''Ben-Hur''. Early life and care ...

Laura La Plante Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose more notable performances were in the silent era. Early life La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 1, 1904, the daug ...

, Margaret Leahy,

Helen Lynch Helen Lynch (April 6, 1900 – March 2, 1965) was an American silent film actress, mainly known for her roles playing gun molls and other morally dubious characters. Biography Lynch was born on April 6, 1900 in Billings, Montana, where she wa ...

, Derelys Perdue, and

Jobyna Ralston Jobyna Ralston (born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston, November 21, 1899 – January 22, 1967) was an American stage and film actress. She had a featured role in ''Wings'' in 1927, and is remembered for her on-screen chemistry with Harold Lloyd, with w ...

. In the mid-1920s she appeared in several films produced by Gotham Pictures. She appeared opposite Harry Carey in ''

The Texas Trail ''The Texas Trail'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and featuring Harry Carey. Plot As described in a film magazine reviews, when Betty Foster comes West, she finds that real cowboys are not a match to wha ...

'' (1925) and ''

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 ...

'' proclaimed her "one of the best leading women you could imagine for this kind of photoplay." Despite good reviews and a promising future, Shannon's last movie role was as Ruth Morris in '' Through Thick and Thin'' (1927) opposite William Fairbanks. She then retired from the screen to become a wife and "take up a home-making career."

Personal life

She was first married to broker Robert Cary and divorced. She and Joseph Jackson (June 8, 1894 – May 26, 1932),

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and former

press agent In marketing, publicity is the public visibility or awareness for any product, service, person or organization. It may also refer to the movement of information from its source to the general public, often (but not always) via the media. The subj ...

, were married April 10, 1927, at the Wilshire Boulevard Congregational Church,

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, ...

. The couple then moved into a new home on Tuxedo Terrace in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

. They had one son, Joseph Shannon Jackson (born September 11, 1928). At a

housewarming party A housewarming party is a party traditionally held soon after moving into a new residence. The hosts present their new home to their friends, post-moving, and for friends to give gifts to furnish the new home. House-warming parties are generall ...

for newlyweds

Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon (November 2, 1880 – June 27, 1961) was an American screenwriter, who wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for more than 110 films between 1915 and 1946. He was married to actress Jane Winton from 1927 to 1930. Kenyon was born i ...

and

Jane Winton Jane Winton (October 10, 1905 – September 22, 1959) was an American film actress, dancer, opera soprano, writer, and painter. Early years Winton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1905. The deaths of her father when she was four yea ...

in October 1927, Shannon was there "looking altogether too pretty to quit the screen," but declared herself quite contented. "On the way over here," she joked, "I thought of all the famous red heads of history, so as to be able to forget the fact that I had cooked the dinner at home myself! 'What,' I said to myself, 'would my public think of me if they knew I had really peeled the potatoes myself?' " Her marriage to Joe Jackson ended when he drowned while swimming at

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic coves, and environ ...

in 1932.

Later years

Although it was announced a couple of times that Shannon was to marry again, she apparently never did. In August 1935, an article in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' stated that the "piquant red-haired" actress was coming out of her retirement to resume her career as she was signed to a long-term contract by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

and given, as her first assignment, an important part in '' Stars Over Broadway'' and was to be billed as Ethel Shannon Jackson. The occurrence that changed her comeback to the screen is uncertain, but Shannon's final movie appearance turned out to be an uncredited role as "a woman" in ''Stars Over Broadway'' (1935), starring Pat O'Brien and

Jane Froman Ellen Jane Froman (November 10, 1907 – April 22, 1980) was an American actress and singer. During her thirty-year career, she performed on stage, radio, and television despite chronic health problems due to injuries sustained in a 1943 plane cr ...

Death

Ethel Shannon died at age 53 in

. She is interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery,

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

Partial filmography

* ''

John Petticoats ''John Petticoats'' is a 1919 American silent action film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by C. Gardner Sullivan. The film stars William S. Hart, Walt Whitman, George Webb, Winifred Westover, Ethel Shannon, and Andrew Arbuckle. The ...

'' (1919) * '' Easy to Make Money'' (1919) * ''

Roarin' Dan ''Roarin' Dan'' is a 1920 American short silent Western film directed by Phil Rosen and featuring Hoot Gibson. Plot Cast * Hoot Gibson * Leo Pattee * Ethel Shannon * Mrs. Kruge See also * Hoot Gibson filmography This is a complete film ...

'' (1920) * '' A Master Stroke'' (1920) * '' The Breath of the Gods'' (1920) * ''

An Old Fashioned Boy ''An Old Fashioned Boy'' is a surviving 1920 American silent comedy romance film directed by Jerome Storm and starring Charles Ray. Famous Players–Lasky produced along with producer Thomas Ince. It was released by Paramount Pictures. Plot A ...

'' (1920) * '' Beware of the Bride'' (1920) * '' The Hope Diamond Mystery'' (1921) * '' Top o' the Morning'' (1922) * '' Man's Law and God's'' (1922) * '' Watch Him Step'' (1922) * '' Maytime'' (1923) * '' The Girl Who Came Back'' (1923) * '' Daughters of the Rich'' (1923) * '' The Hero'' (1923) * '' Lightning Romance'' (1924) * '' Riders Up'' (1924) * ''

'' (1925) * '' Speed Wild'' (1925) * ''

Stop Flirting ''Stop Flirting'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Scott Sidney and starring Wanda Hawley, John T. Murray, and Ethel Shannon. It is based on the 1923 West End play of the same title, which itself is based on the original 192 ...

'' (1925) * ''

High and Handsome ''High and Handsome'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson Harry Garson (1882 – September 21, 1938) was an American film director. He directed 30 films between 1920 and 1934, and produced 11 films before that. ...

'' (1925) * '' The Phantom Express'' (1925) * ''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...

'' (1925) * '' The Buckaroo Kid'' (1926) * '' Danger Quest'' (1926) * '' The Speed Limit'' (1926) * ''

The Sign of the Claw ''The Sign of the Claw'' is a 1926 American silent action film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Ethel Shannon, Edward Hearn and Lee Shumway.Munden p.715 Produced by the independent Gotham Pictures, it was designed as a vehicle for P ...

'' (1926) * '' The High Flyer'' (1926) * '' Oh, Baby!'' (1926) * ''

The Silent Power ''The Silent Power'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor and starring Ralph Lewis, Ethel Shannon and Charles Delaney.Connelly p.255 It was produced by the independent company Gotham Pictures. Synopsis The manager ...

'' (1926) * '' Babe Comes Home'' (1927) * '' Through Thick and Thin'' (1927) * '' Backfire'' (1935)Yeaman, Elizabeth (November 27, 1935)
"Paula Stone Gets Lead Role in Warner Bros. Film With Dick Foran"
''Hollywood Citizen News''. p. 6. Retrieved February 16, 2022.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, Ethel 1898 births 1951 deaths Actresses from Denver American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Actresses from Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses American Congregationalists