Doris Pawn
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Doris Pawn (December 29, 1894 - March 30, 1988) was an actress in silent motion pictures. She was born in Norfolk, Nebraska. As a youth she attended public schools in the town. She was the third Nebraska woman to make a name for herself as an actress. Previously, Mrs. Sidney Drew and Alice Dovey gained prominence as performers from the state.
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[edit] Extra Becomes Leading Lady
Growing up she spent her vacations on the ranch of an uncle. Doris leaned to ride horseback and rode Indian saddle as a teen. She entered a business college to prepare for life as a typist. She came to California with her mother and brother and was left in San Diego, California while her family returned east.
With diminishing funds on hand Doris was lucky enough to meet motion picture director Wilfred Lucas. She was offered work as a fill in in the film Trey o' Hearts (1914), while the company was on location in San Diego. The film featured Cleo Madison and George Larkin. So impressed were the filmmakers that she was offered additional work if she came along to Los Angeles, California. Miss Pawn worked for a period of three months as an extra.
Film director Sydney Ayres coveted Doris as a leading lady early in her screen career. In 1916 Miss Pawn played in her first Fox Film feature, Blue Blood and Red, directed by Raoul Walsh. Studios were impressed with her personal charm and ability to act naturally. She was especially gifted in the art of pantomime.
[edit] Dangerous Incident
In 1917 Doris was involved in a scary incident while filming near the Mexican border. One day after filming ended some Mexican extras seized control of her car at gunpoint and told her they were taking her back to Mexico with them. As they were nearing the border the actress' co-star, actor George Walsh, passed the party in his auto. He sensed the situation, taking out his gun and threatening to kill the Mexicans if they did not stop. They fled from Miss Pawn's car and quickly dispersed.
[edit] Marriage and Divorce
The film actress was married to director Rex Ingram. They were divorced in the early 1920s when Doris began to feel her husband was wedded to his art. Although Ingram had directed some minor movies, this was prior to his breaktrhough as the director of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921). The film starred actor Vincente Blasco Ibanez. In terms of a passion for art Pawn was making reference to Rex's love of sculpting. After their divorce Ingram wed actress Alice Terry around 1923. He purchased a splendid Moorish mansion in Tunis, Tunisia on the site of ancient Carthage. Alice returned to Beverly Hills, California to sell their home.
[edit] Worked For Various Studios
In addition to Fox Pawn made movies with Universal Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Paramount Pictures. She returned to Fox in 1921 for the making of Shame. She played the part of Winifred Wellington in a film which starred John Gilbert and included Anna May Wong in the cast. Her final films were two dramas, Fools and Riches and The Hero, along with a western, The Buster. Each of these productions was released in 1923.
Doris Pawn died in La Jolla, California in 1988.
[edit] References
- Janesville, Wisconsin Daily Gazette, News Notes From Movieland, Thursday, July 19, 1917, Page 6.
- The Lincoln, Nebraska Sunday Star, Nebraska Girl Leaves Typewriter To Star In Fox Movie Drama of Western Life, April 2, 1916, Page 7.
- Lincoln, Nebraska Sunday State Journal, On The Silver Screen, March 23, 1924, Page 15.
- The Madison, Wisconsin Capitol Times, News Notes From Movieland, December 30, 1921, Page 14.
