Carol Dempster (December 9, 1901 – February 1, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in films from 1916 to 1926, working with D. W. Griffith extensively.
Early years Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dempster was the daughter of a captain on the Great Lakes and the youngest of four children. The family moved to California when her father decided to change careers. While dancing in a school program, Dempster was noticed by Ruth St. Denis and went on to become the youngest graduate in the first class of St. Denis's school of dance.
Career Dempster's first feature role came in 1919 in the Griffith-directed The Girl Who Stayed at Home opposite Robert "Bobby" Harron. Dempster followed this with Griffith's The Love Flower (1920), Dream Street (1921), One Exciting Night (1922) and Isn't Life Wonderful (1924), America (1924), Sally of the Sawdust (1925), and That Royle Girl (1925). Dempster appeared opposite such notable actors as John Barrymore, Richard Barthelmess, William Powell, Ivor Novello, and W. C. Fields.
In 1926 Dempster acted in her final film, a Griffith vehicle entitled The Sorrows of Satan (1926), co-starring Adolphe Menjou, Ricardo Cortez, and the Hungarian vamp Lya De Putti. Dempster then retired from the screen to marry wealthy banker Edwin S. Larson in 1926.
Dempster's critical stock was never very high, in part because she was unable to live up to the performances of Lillian Gish, whom she replaced as Griffith's leading lady. Her somewhat "ordinary" appearance and animated acting style were frequently criticized.Koszarski, 2008 p. 52: “...gradually Dempster came to replace Gish and Mae Marsh in Griffith’s starring lineup.” Also, with a few exceptions, the films she appeared in were not among Griffith's more popular works. In recent years, however, viewers and critics alike have slowly begun to appreciate her performances, particularly in two later films, Isn't Life Wonderful and The Sorrows of Satan.Koszarski, 2008 p. 52: “...Her performance in Isn’t Life Wonderful is, in fact, quite good...”
Death Dempster died in La Jolla, California, in 1991 at the age of 89 from heart failure and was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California. Upon her death, Dempster left $1.6 million to the San Diego Museum of Art, which was used to expand the museum's collections of prints and drawings.
Filmography
All features were directed by D. W. Griffith except Sherlock Holmes, which was directed by Albert Parker. The Hope Chest, a product of the New Art Film Company from 1918, was produced by Griffith but directed by Elmer Clifton. Year Title Role Notes 1916 Intolerance Dancer Uncredited1918 Lillian Gish in a Liberty Loan Appeal Lillian's Sister ShortLost film The Greatest Thing in Life Dancer UncreditedLost film The Hope Chest Ethel Hoyt Undetermined / presumably lost1919 A Romance of Happy Valley Girl John Logan meets in New York Uncredited The Girl Who Stayed at Home Acoline France True Heart Susie Bettina's friend Scarlet Days Lady Fair1920 The Love Flower Stella Bevan Way Down East Barn dancer Uncredited 1921 Dream Street Gypsy Fair1922 Sherlock Holmes Alice Faulkner One Exciting Night Agnes Harrington 1923 The White Rose Marie Carrington1924 America Miss Nancy Montague Isn't Life Wonderful Inga1925 Sally of the Sawdust Sally That Royle Girl Joan Daisy RoyleLost film 1926 The Sorrows of Satan Mavis Claire
Footnotes
Sources
Koszarski, Richard. 2008. Hollywood on the Hudson: Film and Television in New York from Griffith to Sarnoff. Rutgers University Press.
External links
Carol Dempster at Golden Silents Carol Dempster at Virtual History