Minta Durfee


Araminta Estelle "Minta" Durfee was an American silent film actress from Los Angeles, California, possibly best known for her role in Mickey.

Biography

She met Roscoe Arbuckle when he was attempting to get started in theater, and the two married in August 1908. Durfee entered show business in local companies as a chorus girl at the age of 17. She was the first leading lady of Charlie Chaplin.
Durfee and Arbuckle separated in 1921, just prior to a scandal involving the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. There were three trials and, finally, Arbuckle was acquitted, but his career was destroyed and he received few job offers. Durfee and Arbuckle divorced in 1925. Durfee in her later years said Arbuckle was "the most generous human being I've ever met", and "if I had to do it all over again, I'd still marry the same man." Durfee was an avid defender of her close friend Mabel Normand throughout Normand's many public scandals.
A regular performer on television, Durfee appeared on such shows as Noah's Ark. She had minor roles in motion pictures including How Green Was My Valley, Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Savage Intruder.
In later life, Durfee gave lectures on silent film and held retrospectives on her and her former husband's pictures. She was surprised and excited by the renewed interest in silent film.
Durfee died in Woodland Hills, California, at the Motion Picture Country Home in 1975. She suffered from a heart ailment.

Filmography

  • His Sister's Kids
  • Fatty's Day Off
  • A Quiet Little Wedding as Fatty's fiancée
  • Fatty at San Diego as Girl at the carnival
  • Wine as Diner's sweetheart
  • Fatty Joins the Force
  • Fatty's Flirtation as Minta
  • Ambrose's First Falsehood
  • A Misplaced Foot
  • The Under-Sheriff as The Sheriff's Wife
  • A Flirt's Mistake
  • Rebecca's Wedding Day as Wedding guest
  • Making a Living as Girl
  • Tango Tangles as Guest
  • Cruel, Cruel Love as The Lady
  • The Star Boarder as Landlady
  • Twenty Minutes of Love as Edgar's girl
  • Where Hazel Met the Villain
  • Caught in a Cabaret as Cabaret patron / Girl in park
  • A Suspended Ordeal
  • The Water Dog as Nursemaid
  • The Alarm
  • The Knockout as Pug's sweetheart
  • Fatty and the Heiress
  • Fatty's Finish
  • The Sky Pirate
  • Those Happy Days
  • Fatty's Gift as Fatty's Wife
  • The Masquerader as leading lady
  • His New Profession
  • The Rounders as Fatty's wife
  • Lover's Luck as The Girl
  • Fatty's Debut
  • Fatty Again as Proprietor's daughter
  • Lovers' Post Office as Fatty's sweetheart
  • An Incompetent Hero as Neighbor's maid
  • Tillie's Punctured Romance as Maid
  • Fatty's Wine Party as in a minor role
  • Leading Lizzie Astray as Lizzie, the farm boy's fiancée
  • Fatty's Magic Pants as Fatty's sweetheart
  • Fatty and Minnie He-Haw as Minta
  • Dirty Work in a Laundry
  • A Bird's a Bird
  • Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition as Jealous husband's wife
  • Mabel, Fatty and the Law as Flirty wife
  • Fatty's Reckless Fling as Neighbor's wife
  • Fatty's Faithful Fido
  • Fatty's Chance Acquaintance as Pickpocket's girlfriend
  • That Little Band of Gold
  • Fatty's Faithful Fido as Fatty's sweetheart
  • When Love Took Wings
  • Court House Crooks as Judge's wife
  • Dirty Work in a Laundry
  • Fickle Fatty's Fall as Fatty's wife
  • Fatty and the Broadway Stars as Sam Bernard's leading lady
  • Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
  • Bright Lights in a minor role
  • His Wife's Mistakes
  • The Other Man
  • The Cabaret
  • Mickey as Elsie Drake
  • Skinner's Dress Suit as Party guest
  • Naughty Marietta in minor role
  • The Man with Nine Lives
  • Glamour for Sale as Matron
  • Rollin' Home to Texas
  • The Devil and Miss Jones as Customer
  • How Green Was My Valley in a minor role
  • The Miracle Kid as Pheney
  • The Man Who Returned to Life as Mrs. Tuller
  • Blondie for Victory as Housewife
  • The Chance of a Lifetime
  • Eve Knew Her Apples as Landlady
  • The Son of Rusty as Townswoman
  • My Dog Rusty as Mrs. Laura Foley
  • How to Be Very, Very Popular as Older woman
  • Artists and Models as Dancer
  • Around the World in 80 Days as an extra
  • Hollywood or Bust as Miss Pettywood
  • The Buster Keaton Story as Boarder
  • An Affair to Remember as Ship passenger
  • Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? as Scrubwoman
  • The Big Fisherman in a minor role
  • Beloved Infidel
  • My Six Loves as Woman at auction
  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as Woman in crowd
  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown as Denver party guest
  • Caprice as Agent
  • Savage Intruder as Guest
  • Willard
  • What's the Matter with Helen? as Old lady
  • The Steagle as Old lady
  • Portnoy's Complaint as Elevator lady