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Violet Wilkey | |
|---|---|
 Wilkey in 1917 | |
| Born | Violet Louise Wilkey (1903-01-10)January 10, 1903 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1976(1976-06-05) (aged 73) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1913–1917 |
| Spouse | Russell Gilbert Kauffmann (1927–?) |
Violet Louise Wilkey (January 10, 1903 – June 5, 1976) was an Americanchild actress who appeared in 18 films over a four-year period during thesilent film era.
Violet Wilkey was born inSt. Louis, Missouri to anEnglish father named Arthur Wilkey and anAmerican mother named Anna Dora Wilkey (née Winter). Violet made her motion picture debut at the age of 10 in a 1913 dramatic short entitledThe Little Mother opposite actressRuth Stonehouse. Her follow-up film would be the 1914 releaseThe Old Maid oppositeBlanche Sweet,Spottiswoode Aitken,Mary Alden andJack Conway.
She is possibly best remembered for her appearance as a young Flora inD. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 classicThe Birth of a Nation.[1] Wilkey portrayed the character Flora Cameron as a child in flashback scenes; the character of Flora as an adult in the film was portrayed by actressMae Marsh.
Wilkey spent the next few years in relatively minor roles; including one of actor/directorTod Browning's early effortsThe Burned Hand from 1915. Other notable films of the period were theLloyd Ingraham directed andAnita Loos penned dramaThe Children Pay (1916), oppositeLillian Gish andAlma Rubens and the 1917 dramaCheerful Givers oppositeBessie Love, Aitken,Kenneth Harlan andPauline Starke.
Wilkey's final film performance was in the role of Minnie Smellie in the 1917 comedy-dramaRebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which was directed byMarshall Neilan and starredMary Pickford in the title role. She retired from acting shortly thereafter at the age of 14.
Wilkey married Russell Gilbert Kauffmann on January 27, 1927 and the couple had two children, Robert Russell and Patricia. The marriage ended in divorce.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | The Little Mother | Short | |
| 1914 | The Old Maid | Dorothy as a Child | Short |
| 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | Flora Cameron as a Child | Uncredited |
| 1915 | The Little Mother | Mamie Delmar | Short |
| 1915 | Mike's Elopement | Bridget | Short |
| 1915 | Hearts United | Elsie Windom | Short |
| 1915 | The Burned Hand | Short | |
| 1915 | A Bad Man and Others | Dorothy Hewitt - the Child | Short |
| 1915 | The Healers | Violet | Short |
| 1915 | Her Fairy Prince | Violet Nash | Short |
| 1915 | The Little Orphans | Doris | Short |
| 1915 | The Wayward Son | Katie Didyer | Short |
| 1916 | Little Miss Nobody | ||
| 1916 | The Children Pay | Jean - Millicent's sister | |
| 1917 | Cheerful Givers | Oldest Orphan Girl | |
| 1917 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Minnie Smellie | (final film role) |
