Vera Reynolds


Vera Reynolds was an American film actress.

Early life and career

Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1899, Reynolds first worked in films at age 12. She began as a dancer, worked as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties, and became a leading lady in silent motion pictures. Among her film credits are starring roles in Sam Wood's Prodigal Daughters, and Cecil B. DeMille's Feet of Clay, The Golden Bed, The Road to Yesterday and Dragnet Patrol with George "Gabby" Hayes.

Controversy

On August 28, 1927, police in Hollywood reported that Reynolds had taken poison. Later the same evening she clarified what had occurred. She explained that an excited telephone operator had phoned the police when her mother requested a doctor. The police arrived along with an ambulance. The actress was found unconscious on the floor of a bathroom in her Hollywood home. Police responded initially to moans from the actress's mother who was outside the bathroom. When the door was opened they found the younger woman writhing in pain. Reynolds' mother believed her daughter had taken the poison by mistake, believing it to be medicine. Despite the actress's protestations she was transported to the emergency room and given emergency treatment. The attending physician said that he failed to find any trace of poison. Instead he thought Reynolds may have suffered an attack brought on by acute indigestion or ptomaine poisoning. Police had discovered a half-filled bottle of poison in the bathroom which led to their initial conclusion. Vera, upon returning to her home, described the initial report as "ridiculous"; saying "I have too much to live for." She said, "Life is indeed very sweet and I am certainly not ready to end it yet."

Marriages

She married twice:
  • To comedian Earl Montgomery; they divorced in 1926.
  • To Robert Ellis du Reel. In March 1938, Reynolds brought a breach of promise suit against Reel was reported. She sued Reel for $150,000, and contended she lived with Reel for nine years before she learned that they were not married. The suit claimed he promised to marry her, but failed to do so. During a recess in the trial Hollywood film director Robert G. Vignola, who believed the case could be reconciled out of court, assumed the role of peacemaker. Reynolds claimed to have had a marriage ceremony with Reel in Greenwich, Connecticut in 1926. Reel denied there had been a wedding, and stated the two had lived together unmarried. He remarked they "had the edge" on their unhappy married friends.

Death

Reynolds died in Hollywood on April 22, 1962, aged 62, at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood.

Filmography

Luke's Trolley Troubles That Dawgone Dog as The GirlA Self-Made Hero A Winning Loser His Criminal Career A Laundry Clean-Up A Janitor's Vengeance His Sudden Rival His Hidden Talent as The Fellow's SweetheartCaught in the End as The Jealous Husband's WifeA Prairie Heiress It Pays to Exercise as Gym Girl A Saphead's Sacrifice Twin Bedlam Dry and Thirsty as Mrs. TryanParked in the Park Rough on Rubes Kissed in a Harem Beaned on the Border Stay Down East Should Brides Marry? Home Blues His Hansom Butler Designing Husbands Cleo's Easy Mark All at Sea Tomale-O Sweet Cookie Koo Koo Kids What Next? Whose Husband Are You? Rented Trouble But a Butler! Easy Pickin' The Pest as The poor tenantProdigal Daughters as Marjory ForbesWoman-Proof as Celeste RockwoodChop Suey Louie Shadows of Paris as LianeFlapper Wives as Sadie CallahanIcebound as Nettie MooreFor Sale as Betty Twombly-SmithBroken Barriers as Sadie DentonFeet of Clay as Amy LoringCheap Kisses as Kitty DillinghamThe Night Club as Grace HendersonThe Golden Bed as Margaret PeakeThe Million Dollar Handicap The Limited Mail as Caroline DaleWithout Mercy as Margaret GarthThe Road to Yesterday as Beth TyrellSteel Preferred as Amy CreethSilence as Norma Drake / Norma PowersSunny Side Up as Sunny DucrowRisky Business as Cecily StoughtonCorporal Kate as Kate O'ReillyThe Little Adventuress as Helen DavisWedding Bill$ The Main Event as Glory FrayneAlmost Human as Mary KellyGolf Widows as Alice AndersonThe Divine Sinner as Lillia LudwigJazzland as Stella BaggottBack from Shanghai Tonight at Twelve as Barbara WarrenThe Last Dance as Sally KellyThe Lone Rider as Mary StevensBorrowed Wives as Alice BlakeThe Lawless Woman as June PageHell-Bent for Frisco as Ellen GarwoodNeck and Neck as Norma RicksonDragnet Patrol as Millie WhiteThe Monster Walks as Ruth EarltonGorilla Ship as Helen WellsTangled Destinies as Ruth, the Airline Stewardess