Julia Faye Maloney (September 24, 1892 – April 6, 1966), known professionally as Julia Faye, was an American actress of silent and

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

s. She was known for her appearances in more than 30 Cecil B. DeMille productions. Her various roles ranged from maids and ingénues to vamps and queens. She was "famed throughout Hollywood for her perfect legs" until her performance in Cecil B. DeMille's '' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) established her as "one of Hollywood's popular leading ladies."

Early life

Faye was born at her grandmother's home near Richmond,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Her father, Robert J. Maloney (born 1865),'sic''mentioned in the record of Robert J Moloney and Louise E Elliott"> worked for the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

. Her mother, Emma Louise Elliott (1872–1955), was from New Castle, Indiana. Her parents had married in 1890 in

Newton, Kansas Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located north of Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. The city of North ...

.'sic''mentioned in the record of Robert J Moloney and Louise E Elliott" /> Faye's paternal grandfather, Thomas Maloney, was born in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and had immigrated to the United States in the 1850s.'sic''mentioned in the record of Thomas Malony and Martha Reed"> Faye's father died sometime before 1901, when her widowed mother married Cyrus Demetrios Covell (1862–1941) in Indiana. Faye took her stepfather's name and listed him as her father. She had lived in St. Louis,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, prior to coming 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 ...

in 1915, to visit friends. She visited one of the film studios and was introduced to actor and director

Christy Cabanne William Christy Cabanne (April 16, 1888 – October 15, 1950) was an American film director, screenwriter, and silent film actor. Biography Born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, Cabanne (pronounced CAB-a-nay) was educated at the Culver Military ...

. The two reminisced about St. Louis and discovered that they had lived next door to one another there. Cabanne persuaded Faye's reluctant mother to allow her to be in motion pictures.

Career

Triangle, Fine Arts, and Keystone (1915–1916)

Faye made her debut in silent films with bit roles in '' Martyrs of the Alamo'' and '' The Lamb'', both directed by

for

Triangle Film Corporation Triangle Film Corporation (also known as Triangle Motion Picture Company) was a major American motion-picture studio, founded in July 1915 in Culver City, California and terminated 7 years later in 1922. History The studio was founded in Jul ...

in 1915. Her first credited and important role was as Dorothea opposite DeWolf Hopper's Don Quixote in the 1915 Fine Arts adaptation of the famous Miguel de Cervantes novel. Neil G. Caward, a reviewer for the film journal ''

Motography ''Motography'' was an American film journal that was first published in 1909 and ran until mid-1918. The magazine was published in 1909 and was originally named ''The Nickelodeon'',"Motography." The Bioscope. 9 Feb. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2015 http: ...

'', wrote, in his review of ''Don Quixote'', that "both Fay Tincher as Dulcinea and Julia Faye as Dorothea add much enjoyment to the picture." Faye's growing popularity increased with her appearances in several Keystone comedies, including ''A Movie Star'', ''His Auto Ruination'', ''His Last Laugh'', ''Bucking Society'', ''The Surf Girl'', and ''A Lover's Might'', all released in 1916. She also worked for D. W. Griffith, who gave her a minor role in ''

Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system * ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith * ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...

'' (1916).

Famous Players–Lasky (1917–1925)

Faye's first role for Cecil B. DeMille was featured in '' The Woman God Forgot'' (1917). She continued working for DeMille in ''

The Whispering Chorus ''The Whispering Chorus'' is a 1918 American silent film, silent Psychological drama (film genre), psychological drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is the first and earliest film considered a Psychological drama (subgenre), psychologi ...

'', ''

Old Wives for New ''Old Wives for New'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the 1908 novel of the same title by David Graham Phillips. The initial release of the film was delayed for fear that local censors would ...

'', '' The Squaw Man'' and '' Till I Come Back to You'' (all 1918). In 1919, Faye played the stenographer in '' Stepping Out''. Cast with Enid Bennett, Niles Welch, and Gertrude Claire, Faye was complimented by a critic for playing her role with "class". In DeMille's '' Male and Female'' (1919), she played

Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...

's maid. Her next film, ''It Pays To Advertise'' (1919), was a

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 ...

release adapted by Elmer Harris from the play of the same name by Rol Cooper Megrue and Walter Hackett. It was directed by

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English people, English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best S ...

. Faye was among the actors with Lois Wilson depicting the leading lady. Faye was listed as a member of the Paramount Stock Company School in July 1922. Its noteworthy personalities included

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

, Betty Compson, Wallace Reid, Bebe Daniels, and Pola Negri. Julia Faye in The Ten Commandments

In 1923, she played The Wife of Pharaoh, one of her most famous roles, in the prologue of DeMille's '' The Ten Commandments''. Faye joined Raymond Griffith and

ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who, in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film drama film, dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic ''Greed (1924 film), Greed'', along wi ...

in the screen feature '' Changing Husbands'' (1924), a

Leatrice Joy Leatrice Joy (born Leatrice Johanna Zeidler; November 7, 1893 – May 13, 1985) was an American actress most prolific during the silent film era. Early life Joy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to dentist Edward Joseph Zeidler. She at ...

comedy adapted from a magazine story entitled ''Roles''.

DeMille Pictures Corporation (1925–1927)

When DeMille resigned as director general of Famous Players–Lasky, in January 1925, he became the production head of Cinema Corporation of America. He planned to direct two or three films per year and supervise the making of between ten and twenty more. Faye came along with him as did Joy, Rod La Rocque, Florence Vidor, Mary Astor, and Vera Reynolds. '' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) was directed by DeMille and named for the noted Russian folk song. William Boyd, Elinor Fair, and Faye have primary roles in a production DeMille called "his greatest achievement in picture making." Faye's depiction of a "tiger woman" was esteemed as the most captivating of her career to this point. Before this role she had been known for "silken siren roles". Theodore Kosloff played opposite her as a stupid blacksmith. Faye played

Martha Martha (Aramaic language, Aramaic: מָרְתָא‎) is a Bible, biblical figure described in the Gospels of Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John. Together with her siblings Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is descr ...

in '' The King of Kings'' (1927). Christ, portrayed by H.B. Warner, first appears through another's perception. A blind child searches for the Lord and DeMille turns the camera gradually down to the child's eyes; his recovery of sight is shown by darkness slowly turning into blurred light, with Christ gradually coming into focus from the child's point-of-view. Thus the viewer sees Christ initially like the blind child whose sight is restored. Faye traveled to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for personal appearances in association with ''The King of Kings'' and to address a sales convention 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 ...

. Faye won critical acclaim for her leading performance in the 60-minute silent comedy '' Turkish Delight'' (1927), directed by Paul Sloane for DeMille Pictures Corporation. She was featured as Velma in the 1927 DeMille-produced film adaptation of the play ''

Chicago 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 ...

''; she has the distinction of being the first actress to portray Velma on-screen.

Sound films (1928–1957)

Faye had a small role as an inmate in DeMille's '' The Godless Girl'' (1929), which featured some talking sequences, but she made her "

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

" debut playing Marcia Towne in DeMille's first sound film, ''

Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...

'' (1929), co-starring Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson, and Charles Bickford. ''Dynamite'' was also her first

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

film. She also appeared in two other MGM productions, the Marion Davies comedy '' Not So Dumb'' (1930) and DeMille's third and final remake of ''The Squaw Man'' (1931), before her brief retirement from films in the early 1930s. After a short-lived marriage, Faye returned to films with a minor role in '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) and would go on to appear in every one of DeMille's films after ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

'' (1939), which marked her return to DeMille films. In '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949), she had a prominent supporting role as Delilah's maidservant, Hisham. In '' The Ten Commandments'' (1956), she played

Elisheba Elisheba (; (original) ) was the wife of Aaron, the older brother of Moses and the first High Priest of Israel. She was mentioned once in Exodus 6:23 in the Torah and the Old Testament. In the Torah In the book of Exodus, she was said to be ...

Aaron According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...

's wife. Her last role was as a dowager in the 1958 remake of DeMille's ''The Buccaneer'', produced by DeMille himself but directed by his son-in-law

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

Personal life

Faye married Harold Leroy Wallick on August 2, 1913, in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. Wallick predeceased her, and she is listed as a widow in the 1930 census. Faye first met Cecil B. DeMille in 1917 and became one of his mistresses. In 1920, Faye resided at 2450 Glendower Avenue in

Los Feliz LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

. She later bought a

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...

-style mansion at 2338 Observatory Avenue, also in Los Feliz. Faye married screenwriter Walter Anthony Merrill on October 24, 1935, 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, ...

. In April 1936, she announced that she had obtained a

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

divorce from Merrill. Faye began writing a memoir, ''Flicker Faces'', in the mid-1940s. Although it remains unpublished, some excerpts from the memoir are included in author

Scott Eyman Scott Eyman (born March 2, 1951) is an American author, and former book editor and art critic of ''The Palm Beach Post''. He is a frequent book reviewer for ''The Wall Street Journal'' and ''Film Comment,'' and was a contributor for ''The New York ...

's 2010 biography of DeMille, ''Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille''.

Death

Faye died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

at her home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on April 6, 1966, at the age of 73. Her cremated remains rest in the Colonnade at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematorium, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries ...

Legacy

For her contributions to the American film industry, Faye was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6500 Hollywood Boulevard. Her memoir, preserved in The Cecil B. DeMille Archives at Brigham Young University, has yet to be published.

Partial filmography

* '' The Lamb'' (1915) in a minor role (uncredited) * ''Don Quixote'' (1915) as Dorothea * ''

'' (1916) in a bit role (uncredited) * ''A Roadside Impresario'' (1917) as Adelaide Vandergrift * '' The Woman God Forgot'' (1917) as Tecza's handmaiden * ''

'' (1918) as Girl in Shanghai Dive (uncredited) * ''

'' (1918) as Jessie * ''Sandy (1918 film), Sandy'' (1918) as Annette Fenton * '' Till I Come Back to You'' (1918) as Susette * ''Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots'' (1918) as Mabel Brown * '' The Squaw Man'' (1918) as Lady Mabel * ''Venus in the East'' (1919) as Doric Blint * ''Don't Change Your Husband'' (1919) as Nanette aka Toodles * ''A Very Good Young Man'' (1919) as Kitty Douglas * '' Stepping Out'' (1919) as The Secretary * '' Male and Female'' (1919) as Susan – Maid #2 * ''It Pays to Advertise (1919 film), It Pays to Advertise'' (1919) as Countess de Beaurien * ''The Six Best Cellars'' (1920) as Mrs. Jordan * ''Why Change Your Wife?'' (1920) as Girl in Bathing Suit (uncredited) * ''Something to Think About'' (1920) as Alice Blair – Banker's Daughter * ''Life of the Party (1920 film), Life of the Party'' (1920) as 'French' Kate * ''Forbidden Fruit (1921 film), Forbidden Fruit'' (1921) as Mrs. Mallory's First Maid * ''The Snob (1921 film), The Snob'' (1921) as Betty Welland * ''The Great Moment (1921 film), The Great Moment'' (1921) as Sadi Bronson * ''The Affairs of Anatol'' (1921) as Tibra (uncredited) * ''Fool's Paradise (1921 film), Fool's Paradise'' (1921) as Samaran, His Chief Wife * ''A Trip to Paramountown'' (1922, Short) as herself * ''Saturday Night (1922 film), Saturday Night'' (1922) as Elsie Prentiss * ''Nice People (1922 film), Nice People'' (1922) as Hallie Livingston * ''Manslaughter (1922 film), Manslaughter'' (1922) as Mrs. Drummond * ''Nobody's Money'' (1923) as Annette * ''Adam's Rib (1923 film), Adam's Rib'' (1923) as The Mischievous One * '' The Ten Commandments'' (1923) as The Wife of Pharaoh – Prologue * ''Don't Call It Love (film), Don't Call It Love'' (1923) as Clara Proctor * ''Hollywood (1923 film), Hollywood'' (1923) as herself * ''Triumph (1924 film), Triumph'' (1924) as Countess Rika * ''The Breaking Point (1924 film), The Breaking Point'' (1924) as Gossipy Patient (uncredited) * '' Changing Husbands'' (1924) as Mitzi * ''Feet of Clay (1924 film), Feet of Clay'' (1924) as Bertha Lansell * ''The Golden Bed'' (1925) as Nell Thompson * ''Hell's Highroad'' (1925) as Anne Broderick * ''The Road to Yesterday'' (1925) as Dolly Foules * '' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) as Mariusha, a Gypsy * ''Bachelor Brides'' (1926) as Pansy Short * ''Meet the Prince'' (1926) as Princess Sophia Alexnov * ''Corporal Kate'' (1926) as Becky Finkelstein * ''The Yankee Clipper (film), The Yankee Clipper'' (1927) as Queen Victoria * '' The King of Kings'' (1927) as

* ''His Dog'' (1927) as Dorcas * ''The Fighting Eagle'' (1927) as Josephine * ''The Main Event (1927 film), The Main Event'' (1927) as Margie * '' Turkish Delight'' (1927) as Zelma * ''Chicago (1927 film), Chicago'' (1927) as Velma * '' The Godless Girl'' (1929) as Inmate #1 * ''

'' (1929) as Marcia Towne * '' Not So Dumb'' (1930) as Mrs. Forbes * ''The Squaw Man (1931 film), The Squaw Man'' (1931) as Mrs. Chichester Jones * ''Only Yesterday (1933 film), Only Yesterday'' (1933) (uncredited) * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) as Nurse * ''You and Me (1938 film), You and Me'' (1938) as Secretary * ''

'' (1939) as Mame * ''The Spellbinder'' (1939) as Courtroom Extra (uncredited) * ''Remember the Night'' (1940) as Jury Member (uncredited) * ''Northwest Mounted Police (film), Northwest Mounted Police'' (1940) as Wapiskau * ''Pacific Blackout'' (1941) as Dance Club Woman (uncredited) * ''Reap the Wild Wind'' (1942) as Charleston Lady * ''Holiday Inn (film), Holiday Inn'' (1942) as Guest at Inn (uncredited) * ''So Proudly We Hail!'' (1943) as Nurse (uncredited) * ''The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) as Anne, the Nurse (uncredited) * ''Casanova Brown'' (1944) as X-Ray Nurse (uncredited) * ''Masquerade in Mexico'' (1945) as Party Guest (uncredited) * ''To Each His Own (1946 film), To Each His Own'' (1946) (uncredited) * ''California (1947 film), California'' (1947) as Wagon Woman * ''Easy Come, Easy Go (1947 film), Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) as Neighbor (uncredited) * ''Fear in the Night (1947 film), Fear in the Night'' (1947) as Rental Home Owner (uncredited) * ''Blaze of Noon'' (1947) as Hatchet-Faced Wife (uncredited) * ''Welcome Stranger (1947 film), Welcome Stranger'' (1947) as Townswoman (uncredited) * ''The Perils of Pauline (1947 film), The Perils of Pauline'' (1947) as Nurse (uncredited) * ''Unconquered (1947 film), Unconquered'' (1947) as Widow Swivens * ''The Big Clock (film), The Big Clock'' (1948) as Secretary (uncredited) * ''Mr. Reckless'' (1948) as Wedding Guest (uncredited) * ''Beyond Glory'' (1948) as Motherly Churchgoer (uncredited) * ''Night Has a Thousand Eyes'' (1948) as Companion (uncredited) * ''Joan of Arc (1948 film), Joan of Arc'' (1948) as Townswoman (uncredited) * ''Alias Nick Beal'' (1949) as Reformer (uncredited) * ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949 film), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1949) as Lady Penelope * ''Red, Hot and Blue (film), Red, Hot and Blue'' (1949) as Julia – Housekeeper * ''Song of Surrender'' (1949) as Bidder (uncredited) * ''Chicago Deadline'' (1949) as Nurse (uncredited) * '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949) as Hisham * ''The Lawless'' (1950) as Mrs. Jensen * ''Where Danger Lives'' (1950) as Nurse Seymour (uncredited) * ''Sunset Boulevard (film), Sunset Boulevard'' (1950) as Hisham (uncredited) * ''Copper Canyon (film), Copper Canyon'' (1950) as Proprietor's Wife (uncredited) * ''Here Comes the Groom (1951 film), Here Comes the Groom'' (1951) as Passenger on Airplane (uncredited) * ''The Greatest Show on Earth (film), The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) as Birdie * '' The Ten Commandments'' (1956) as Elisheba * ''The Buccaneer (1958 film), The Buccaneer'' (1958) as Dowager at Sale

References

External links

*
Julia Faye
at Virtual History
Autographed portrait of Faye
archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Faye, Julia 1892 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American silent film actresses American people of English descent American people of Irish descent Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Actresses from Richmond, Virginia People from Los Feliz, Los Angeles