Viola Dana

Silent film star Viola Dana as featured in the 1924 film REVELATION. Born Virginia Flugrath on June 26, 1897 in Brooklyn, NY, where she was raised, she was the middle sister of three siblings who all became actresses (Edna Flugrath and Shirley Mason). With the stage name of Viola Dana, she entered films in 1910, including “A Christmas Carol” (1910). Her success in features such as “Children of Eve” (1915) and “The Cossack Whip” (1916) encouraged producer B.A. Rolfe to offer a lucrative contract with his company, Rolfe Photoplays, which released through Metro Pictures Corporation. In 1916 she made several films for Rolfe/Metro, notably “The Girl Without a Soul” and “Blue Jeans” (both 1917). She continued to turn in great performances, particularly as Katie O'Doone in “Bred in Old Kentucky” (1926). She retired from the screen in 1929, her final screen credits in “Two Sisters” (1929) and “One Splendid Hour” (1929). By the time she made her final film appearance in 1933, she had appeared in over 100 films. She briefly came out of retirement to appear in her first and only television role in a small part on Lux Video Theatre in 1956. Much later on, Viola appeared in the Kevin Brownlow/David Gill documentary series “Hollywood” (1980), discussing her career as a silent film star during the 1920s. Footage from the interview was used in the later documentary series “Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow” (1987) from the same team. In later years, she volunteered at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, and she moved there permanently in 1979. In 1986 she was the subject of a documentary short by Anthony Slide titled “Vi: Portrait of a Silent Star”, in which she talks of her life and career. Viola passed away aged 90 on July 3, 1987.

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