Priscilla Bonner

Priscilla Bonner (February 17, 1899 – February 21, 1996) was an American silent film actress.

Priscilla Bonner
Born	(1899-02-17)February 17, 1899 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	February 21, 1996(1996-02-21) (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Other names	Priscilla B. Woolfan
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1920–1929
Spouse(s)	Allen Wynes Alexander ( m. 1921⁠–⁠1926) Dr. E. Bertrand Woolfan ( m. 1928⁠–⁠1962) (his death)

Career

Priscilla Bonner was born in Washington, D.C. on February 17, 1899. In 1916 when living in Adrian, Michigan she answered an open call to audition for the movie "The Romance of Miss Adrian". Using her dance skills she won a part in the picture. Her father, John S. Bonner, worked for Page Fence and served as an officer in Company B the local National Guard Unit. At the start of World War I the company was activated for service and her father started his career as an Army officer. The family moved often and she spent much of her life in different places. She often play acted to amuse herself, playing all the parts and shifting the sets.[1] While her father was stationed in Chicago, assigned to the staff of General Leonard Wood, she received a call from someone connected with Chicago Photoplay, insisting she come to their studio for photographs. Although realizing it was likely a wrong number, Priscilla seized the opportunity to have her picture taken there. Intrigued by her bold initiative and photogenic charisma, the studio took portraits of her and sent them to film studios in California.[2] Her parents allowed her the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles. It was here that she met Charles Ray, and made her film debut in the 1920 film Homer Comes Home, after being signed to MGM that same year. She went on to co-star with Jack Pickford in The Man Who Had Everything (1920), Lon Chaney, Sr. in Shadows (1922), Colleen Moore in April Showers, and comedian Harry Langdon in The Strong Man. In 1925 she successfully sued Warner Bros. and won a substantial cash settlement when she was originally chosen and then dropped as leading lady from John Barrymore's The Sea Beast in favor of Barrymore's new real life love interest Dolores Costello.

Priscilla Bonner, scene from Drusilla with a Million (1925)

That same year she starred in the controversial independent film The Red Kimono produced and directed by Dorothy Davenport, the widow of Wallace Reid. In 1927, Bonner was loaned to Paramount Pictures to co-star in the box office hit It, starring Clara Bow.[3]

Personal life

In 1921, she married writer and author Allen Wynes Alexander.[4] A little over a year later, he left her. She sued for divorce,[5] but later dismissed the case.[6]

In 1928, Bonner married Dr. E. Bertrand Woolfan. She retired from films the following year. The couple were popular hosts to the burgeoning Los Angeles literary and film community, and particularly befriended Preston Sturges, the writer and director. On February 21, 1996, Bonner died at the age of 97.[7]

Her younger sister was Margerie Bonner, who also became an actress.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1920	Homer Comes Home	Rachel Prouty
1920	Honest Hutch	Ellen
1920	The Man Who Had Everything	Prue Winn
1920	Officer 666	Sadie
1921	The Son of Wallingford	Mary Curtis
1921	Bob Hampton of Placer	Schoolteacher
1921	Home Stuff	Susan Deep
1922	Shadows	Mary Brent
1923	Galloping Thru
1923	The Purple Dawn	Ruth Ketchell
1923	Where's My Wandering Boy This Evening?
1923	Pitfalls of a Big City		Alternative title: The Pitfalls of a Great City
1923	April Showers	Shannon O'Rourke
1924	A Desperate Adventure
1924	Hold Your Breath	The Sister
1924	Tarnish	Aggie
1924	Chalk Marks	Betty Towner
1925	Charley's Aunt	Kitty
1925	The Mansion of Aching Hearts	A City Girl
1925	Proud Flesh	San Francisco Girl
1925	The White Desert	Mrs. Foster
1925	Drusilla with a Million	Sally May Ferris
1925	Eyes of Hollywood
1925	The Red Kimono	Gabrielle Darley
1926	The Earth Woman	Sally
1926	3 Bad Men	Millie Stanley
1926	The Strong Man	Mary Brown
1926	The False Alarm	Bessie Flannigan
1927	It	Molly
1927	Long Pants	His Bride (Priscilla)
1927	Paying the Price
1927	The Prince of Headwaiters	Faith Cable
1927	Broadway After Midnight	Queenie Morgan/Gloria Livingston	Alternative title: Gangsters on Broadway
1928	Outcast Souls	Alice Davis
1928	Golden Shackles	Lucy Weston
1929	Girls Who Dare	Sally Casey

References

Notes

1. Bean, Daisy (7 September 1920). "News Notes from Movie Land". The Rock Island Argus and Daily Union. Rock Island, Illinois. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
2. Eliot, Jean (1 August 1920). "Washington Society Girl Proves Star of Films". The Washington Times. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
3. Villecco 2001, pp. 22, 30
4. "Priscella Bonner to Wed; Plans Aerial Honeymoon". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia, PA. 18 May 1921. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
5. "Pretty Priscella Bonner Appeals to Los Angeles Judge". The Washington Times. Washington DC. 27 August 1922. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
6. "Movie Actress Sues Manager". The Fairmont West Virginian. Fairmont, WV. 2 September 1922. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
7. Villecco 2001, pp. 33, 34

Bibliography

• Villecco, Tony (2001). Silent Stars Speak: Interviews With Twelve Cinema Pioneers. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0814-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• Priscilla Bonner on IMDb
• Priscilla Bonner at AllMovie
• Priscilla Bonner at the TCM Movie Database
• Priscilla Bonner at Find a Grave