Claire McDowell
Acting
255
Acting Credits
Biography
Claire McDowell (2 November 1877 – 23 October 1966) was an American actress. She appeared in 360 films between 1908 and 1945. Still somewhat of a youthful beauty when she started in early silent films, McDowell appeared in numerous films, eventually graduating to playing character and mother types. She can be seen to good advantage in Douglas Fairbanks's 1920 The Mark of Zorro. McDowell appeared in two of the biggest films of the silent era, The Big Parade (1925) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Chri...
Known For
Filmography
MGM Parade
1955
as Self
Adventure
1945
as Woman in Library (uncredited)
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
1944
as Dr. Standish's Servant (uncredited)
Men on Her Mind
1944
as Mother Goodwin
Keeper of the Flame
1943
Hangmen Also Die!
1943
as Counterwoman (uncredited)
This Land Is Mine
1943
as Woman in Bathroom
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943
as Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Presenting Lily Mars
1943
as Dowager
Whispers
1941
as Gossip (uncredited)
Lady Scarface
1941
as Mrs. Tuckerman
A Failure at Fifty
1940
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Young Tom Edison
1940
as Woman at Station
The Golden Fleecing
1940
as Pedestrian (uncredited)
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
1940
as Nurse for Mr. Winslow (uncredited)
Stand Up and Fight
1939
as Woman
Idiot's Delight
1939
as Crying Mother
Thunder Afloat
1939
as Nurse (uncredited)
Miracles for Sale
1939
as Jack of Diamonds Woman
Angel of Mercy
1939
as Mother (uncredited)
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939
as Gossiper
One Against the World
1939
as Jane Todd Crawford (uncredited)
Three Comrades
1938
as Landlady Frau Zalewski (uncredited)
Test Pilot
1938
as Funeral Home Associate (uncredited)
Boys Town
1938
as Nun (uncredited)
The Man on the Rock
1938
as Napoleon's Mother (uncredited)
They're Always Caught
1938
as Mrs. Fletcher (uncredited)
A Night at the Movies
1937
as Movie Patron (uncredited)
Two-Fisted Sheriff
1937
as Miss Herrick - Molly's Aunt
Song of Revolt
1937
as Artistocratic Dowager (uncredited)
August Week End
1936
as Alma Washburne
Small Town Girl
1936
as Woman in Bed (uncredited)
Murder by Television
1935
as Mrs. Houghland
Bedside
1934
as Nurse
Two Heads on a Pillow
1934
as Mrs. Helen Gorman
British Agent
1934
as Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)
Journal of a Crime
1934
as Sister at Hospital (uncredited)
It Happened One Night
1934
as Mother on Bus (uncredited)
Dr. Monica
1934
as Miss Bryerly (uncredited)
Imitation of Life
1934
as Teacher Outside Classroom (uncredited)
Wild Boys of the Road
1933
as Mrs. Smith
The Working Man
1933
as Benjamin's Secretary
By Appointment Only
1933
as Mrs. Mary Carroll
Central Airport
1933
as Mrs. Blaine
The Phantom Express
1932
as Ma Nolan
Under Eighteen
1932
as Seamstress (uncredited)
The Famous Ferguson Case
1932
as Brooks' Landlady (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity
1932
as Struthers' Secretary (uncredited)
Lawyer Man
1932
as Gilmurry's Secretary (uncredited)
Cornered
1932
as Jane's Aunt
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
1932
as Ann Marie's Caregiver Mrs. Schiller (uncredited)
Union Depot
1932
as Little Boy's Mother (uncredited)
Manhattan Parade
1931
as Nancy - the Maid
An American Tragedy
1931
as Mrs. Samuel Griffiths
The Big House
1930
as Mrs. Marlowe
The Second Floor Mystery
1930
as Aunt Hattie
Redemption
1930
as Anna Pavlovna
Mothers Cry
1930
as Mary's Mother
Young Desire
1930
as Mrs. Spencer
Wild Company
1930
as Mrs. Laura Grayson
Brothers
1930
as Bess Naughton
The Quitter
1929
as Mrs. Abbott
Silks and Saddles
1929
as Mrs. Calhoun
The Flying Fleet
1929
as Mrs. Hastings (uncredited)
When Dreams Come True
1929
as Martha Shelby
Don't Marry
1928
as Aunt Abigail Bowen
The Viking
1928
as Lady Editha (as Claire MacDowell)
The Tragedy of Youth
1928
as Mother
4 Devils
1928
as Woman
Marriage by Contract
1928
as Mother
Tillie the Toiler
1927
as Ma Jones
The Black Diamond Express
1927
as Martha Foster
Almost Human
1927
as Mrs. Livingston
The Shield of Honor
1927
as Mrs. MacDowell
A Little Journey
1927
as Aunt Louise
The Auctioneer
1927
as Mrs. Tim Eagan
The Taxi Dancer
1927
as Aunt Mary
Winds of the Pampas
1927
as Doña Maria Casandos
The Flaming Forest
1926
as Mrs. McTavish
The Shamrock Handicap
1926
as Molly O'Shea
The Devil's Circus
1926
as Mrs. Peterson
The Unknown Soldier
1926
as John Phillips' sister
The Dixie Merchant
1926
as Josephine Fippany
The Show Off
1926
as Mom Fisher
The Big Parade
1925
as Mrs. Apperson
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1925
as Princess of Hur
The Midnight Flyer
1925
as Liza Slater
The Tower of Lies
1925
as Katrina
The Reckless Sex
1925
as Concha
Waking Up the Town
1925
as Mrs. Joyce
The End of the World
1925
as Mrs. Joyce
The End of the World
1925
as Mrs. Joyce
Dollar Down
1925
as Mrs. Meadows
Judgment of the Storm
1924
as Mrs. Heath
Secrets
1924
as Elizabeth Channing
Those Who Dare
1924
as Mrs. Rollins
Thy Name Is Woman
1924
as Juan's Mother
Ponjola
1923
as Mrs. Hope
Ashes of Vengeance
1923
as Margot's Aunt
Michael O'Halloran
1923
as Nancy Harding
Enemies of Children
1923
as Godfrey sister
Human Wreckage
1923
as Mrs. Brown
Circus Days
1923
as Martha
The West~Bound Limited
1923
as Mrs. Bill Buckley
Black Oxen
1923
as Agnes Trevor
Rent Free
1922
as Countess de Mourney
Quincy Adams Sawyer
1922
as Mrs. Putnam
Nice People
1922
as Margaret Rainsford
Penrod
1922
as Mrs. Schofield
Heart's Haven
1922
as May Caroline
The Ragged Heiress
1922
as Sylvia Moreton
Prisoners of Love
1921
as Her Mother
Midsummer Madness
1921
as Mrs. Osborne
Love Never Dies
1921
as Liz Trott
What Every Woman Knows
1921
as Comtesse de la Brière
Wealth
1921
as Mrs. Dominick
Mother o' Mine
1921
as Mrs. Sheldon
The Mark of Zorro
1920
as Dona Catalina Pulido
The Gift Supreme
1920
as Lalia Graun
Something to Think About
1920
as Housekeeper
The Jack-Knife Man
1920
as Lize Merdin
The Woman in the Suitcase
1920
as Mrs. James B. Moreland
Through Eyes of Men
1920
as Mrs. Virginia All
Blind Youth
1920
as Elizabeth Monnier
The Devil's Riddle
1920
as Mrs. Potts
The Feud
1919
as Mary Lynch
Heart o' the Hills
1919
as Martha Hawn
Rosalind at Redgate
1919
The Follies Girl
1919
as Nina
Prudence on Broadway
1919
as Miss Grayson
Chasing Rainbows
1919
as Mrs. Walters
Captain of His Soul
1918
as Annette
You Can't Believe Everything
1918
as Grace Dardley
The Return of Mary
1918
as Mrs. John Denby Sr.
The White Raven
1917
as Daisy
The Empty Gun
1917
as Mary
Avarice
1917
as The Miserly Old Woman
The Clean-Up
1917
as Vera Vincent
The Storm Woman
1917
The Gates of Doom
1917
as Indore / Agatha
The Bronze Bride
1917
as A-Che-Chee
The Right to Be Happy
1916
as Mrs. Cratchit
A Stranger from Somewhere
1916
as Olga
Mixed Blood
1916
as Nita Valyez
A Day's Adventure
1915
as Hogan's Moll
The Sheriff's Dilemma
1915
as Molly
The Miser's Legacy
1915
as The Crook's Wife
The Gambler's I.O.U.
1915
as Nell - Daddy Wilson's Daughter
The Canceled Mortgage
1915
as The Widowed Mother
Truth Stranger Than Fiction
1915
as Crook
Her Dormant Love
1915
as The Discontented Wife
The Way Out
1915
as The Young School Teacher
Her Convert
1915
as The Old Inventor's Daughter
Old Offenders
1915
as Joe's Wife
As It Happened
1915
as The Ranchman's Daughter
The Heart of a Bandit
1915
as Claire
Cupid Entangled
1915
as The Actress
The Fatal Wedding
1914
Concentration
1914
as The Mother
His Fireman's Conscience
1914
as Mrs. Daily
A Nest Unfeathered
1914
as Kate
Waifs
1914
Her Father's Silent Partner
1914
Her Hand
1914
as Olga
The Cracksman's Gratitude
1914
Men and Women
1914
as Mrs. Stephen Rodman
The Switchtower
1913
as The Switchman's Wife
A Misappropriated Turkey
1913
as Mrs. Fallon / Widow Logan
The Wrong Bottle
1913
as The Blind Sister
The Tenderfoot's Money
1913
as The Prospector's Wife
The Stolen Loaf
1913
as The Rich Woman
The Ranchero's Revenge
1913
as The Schemer's Associate
The Well
1913
as The Farmer's Wife
A Gamble with Death
1913
as Kate
The Mirror
1913
as Daisy
The Vengeance of Galora
1913
as Galora
The Enemy's Baby
1913
as Miller's Wife
A Gambler's Honor
1913
as Beth
Under the Shadow of the Law
1913
as John Haywood's Sister
I Was Meant for You
1913
as Lavina
The Crook and the Girl
1913
as The Uncle's Adopted Daughter
The Work Habit
1913
as The Daughter in the City
The Stolen Treaty
1913
as Olga
The Law and His Son
1913
as Marguerite, Manning's Sister
The Van Nostrand Tiara
1913
as Kate
The Detective's Stratagem
1913
as Kate, the Bank Clerk's Sweetheart
All for Science
1913
as Detective
The Stopped Clock
1913
as The Antique Dealer's Daughter
The Abandoned Well
1913
as The Widow
For Her Government
1913
The House of Discord
1913
as The Sister-in-Law
The Strong Man's Burden
1913
as Ida Glynn, The Nurse
The Unwelcome Guest
1913
as The Wife
The Telephone Girl and the Lady
1913
as The Lady
The Wanderer
1913
as The Female Lover
Olaf—An Atom
1913
as A Parent
The Stolen Bride
1913
as The Wife
The House of Darkness
1913
as The Doctor's Wife
A Tender-Hearted Crook
1913
as Edith
The New York Hat
1912
as The Main Gossip
The Baby and the Stork
1912
as The Mother
The Baby and the Stork
1912
as The Workman
When the Fire-Bells Rang
1912
as An Actress
The Sands of Dee
1912
as Artist's fiancee
Two Daughters of Eve
1912
as The Mother
In the Aisles of the Wild
1912
as The Elder Daughter
A Cry for Help
1912
as The Thief's Wife - the Charity Patient
The Massacre
1912
as Stephen's Belle - In Prologue
The Old Actor
1912
as At Audition
The Sunbeam
1912
as The Spinster
The School Teacher and the Waif
1912
as The Street Fakir's Sweetheart
Man's Genesis
1912
as Cave Woman
Under Burning Skies
1912
as The Friend
A Sailor’s Heart
1912
as The Sailor's Third Sweetheart
Billy's Stratagem
1912
as Billy's Mother
The Female of the Species
1912
as The Miner's Wife
Lena and the Geese
1912
as Lena's Mother
A Temporary Truce
1912
as Mexican Jim's Wife
So Near, Yet So Far
1912
as Rich Woman in Other Town
The God Within
1912
as The Woodsman's Wife
A String of Pearls
1912
as The Italian Shoemaker's Wife
His Trust
1911
as Col. Frazier's wife
What Shall We Do with Our Old?
1911
as The Old Carpenter's Wife
A Country Cupid
1911
as The Half-Wit's Mother
His Trust Fulfilled
1911
as Mrs. Frazier
Swords and Hearts
1911
as Irene Lambert
The Primal Call
1911
as The Woman
The Manicure Lady
1911
as Lunchroom Hostess
The Unveiling
1911
A Decree of Destiny
1911
as A Nun
The Long Road
1911
as Ned's Wife
The Adventures of Billy
1911
as Rich Woman
Fisher Folks
1911
as At Fair
A Woman Scorned
1911
as The Doctor's Wife
The Squaw's Love
1911
as Silver Fawn
Fate's Turning
1911
as At Hotel/At Wedding
The Spanish Gypsy
1911
as Paula
The Broken Cross
1911
as Kate's Mother
The Sorrowful Example
1911
as The Wife
Muggsy Becomes a Hero
1910
as One of the Sisters Frost
His New Lid
1910
A Flash of Light
1910
as At First Party
Rose o' Salem Town
1910
Love Among the Roses
1910
The Golden Supper
1910
as Lady-in-Waiting
The Usurer
1910
as Despairing Mother / One of the Third Debtors
Waiter No. 5
1910
as The Chief of Police's Wife
The Iconoclast
1910
A Mohawk's Way
1910
Wilful Peggy
1910
as Housemaid
The Oath and the Man
1910
as Rebel
The Message of the Violin
1910
as The Other Woman's Servant
The Devil
1908
The Planter's Wife
1908
as Mrs. John Holland
The Call of the Wild
1908
as Party Guest