
Kathlyn Williams
Kathlyn Williams was born Kathleen Mabel Williams on May 31, 1879 in Butte, Montana, and the only child born to Joseph Edwin "Frank" Williams, a boarding house proprietor, and Mary C. Boe (1846–1908) of Welsh and Norwegian descent. Many biographies state her birth year as 1888; however, she is listed on the 1880 United States Census as being a year old. Williams displayed an early interest in becoming an actress in her youth which lead her to become a member of a community thespian group. She also joined the Woman's Relief Corps that allowed her to showcase her vocal prowess at local recitals.
Williams began her career with Selig Polyscope Company in Chicago, Illinois and made her first film in 1908 under the direction of Francis Boggs. By 1910, she was transferred to the company's Los Angeles film studio. Williams played "Cherry Malotte" in the first movie based upon Rex Beach's 1906 novel The Spoilers in 1914, a role portrayed in subsequent versions by Betty Compson (1930), Marlene Dietrich (1942), and Anne Baxter (1955). In 1916, she starred in the thirteen episode adventure film serial, The Adventures of Kathlyn. She was busy throughout the silent film era but age and the advent of talkies saw her make only five sound films, the last in 1935. Kathlyn evolved from a comedian and serial player in silents to portraying character roles in the early 1930s.
Williams was married three times. Although many biographies erroneously cite her first husband as being Victor Kainer, he was in fact named Otto H. "Harry" Kainer (1876–1952), who ran an import and export business on Wall Street in New York City. They were wed on October 2, 1903, and their son, Victor Hugo, was born in 1905. They supposedly divorced over Kainer's disapproval of his wife having an acting career, and Williams subsequently obtained a divorce from Kainer in 1909 in Nevada. On March 4, 1913, she married Frank R. Allen, also an actor, but the marriage was a failure from the start and lasted a little over a year. On June 30, 1914, she filed for divorce in Los Angeles and listed desertion as the reason as the failure of their marriage. She later married Paramount Pictures executive Charles Eyton on June 2, 1916, in Riverside, California. The Eytons eventually divorced in 1931.
On December 29, 1949, Williams was involved in a deadly automobile accident, which claimed the life of her friend, Mrs. Mary E. Rose, while they were returning home from a social engagement in Las Vegas. As a result of the accident, Williams lost her right leg. On April 8, 1950, Williams sued the estate of Rose for $136,615, citing negligence and claiming that the automobile had inefficient brakes. In June 1951, Williams accepted the offer of $6,500 dollars from the Rose estate. Kathlyn Williams died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California in 1960.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Kathlyn Williams has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7038 Hollywood Blvd.
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Known For










Credits
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Mrs. Arthur Dewey★ NR
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Blood Money 1933Nightclub Woman Wearing Monocle (uncredited)★ 7
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Unholy Love 1932Mrs. Bradford★ 3
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Daddy Long Legs 1931Mrs. Paula Pendleton★ 4
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Road to Paradise 1930Mrs. Wells★ 6.2
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Wedding Rings 1929Agatha★ NR
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The Single Standard 1929Mrs. Glendenning★ 6.2
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Her Husband's Women 1929★ NR
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A Single Man 1929Mrs. Cottrell★ NR
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Ann's Mother★ 6.5
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We Americans 1928Mrs. Bradleigh★ NR
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Honeymoon Flats 1928Mrs. Garland★ NR
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Sally in Our Alley 1927Mrs. Gordon Mansfield★ NR
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The Best People 1925Mrs. Lenox★ NR
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The Wanderer 1925Huldah★ 1
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Locked Doors 1925Laura Carter★ 1
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The Enemy Sex 1924Mrs. Massingale★ 9
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Magdalene Virey★ NR
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When a Girl Loves 1924Helen - Michael's Wife★ NR
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The Spanish Dancer 1923Queen Isabel of Bourbon★ 4
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Souls for Sale 1923Self - Celebrity Actress in Commisary★ 6.2
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Trimmed in Scarlet 1923Cordelia Ebbing / Madame de laFleur★ NR
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The World's Applause 1923Elsa Townsend★ NR
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Broadway Gold 1923Jean Valjean★ NR
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Clarence 1922Mrs. Wheeler★ NR
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A Man's Home 1921Frances Osborn★ NR
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Morals 1921Judith Mainwaring★ NR
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A Private Scandal 1921Carol Lawton★ NR
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Hush 1921Isabel Dane★ NR
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Forbidden Fruit 1921Mrs. Mallory★ 6.3
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Mrs. Adaile★ 5.7
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The U.P. Trail 1920"Beauty" Stanton★ NR
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The Prince Chap 1920Alice Travers★ NR
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Just a Wife 1920Eleanor Lathrop★ NR
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Belle★ 1
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Penelope Warren★ NR
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The Better Wife 1919Lady Beverly★ 1
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Charity Coe Cheever★ NR
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Jane Tremble★ 6.3
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The Thing We Love 1918Margaret Kenwood★ NR
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Big Timber 1917Stella Benton★ NR
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The Cost of Hatred 1917Elsie Graves / Sarita Graves★ 1
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Redeeming Love 1916Naomi Sterling★ NR
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Shirley Dandridge★ NR
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Into the Primitive 1916Jennie Leslie★ NR
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Thou Shalt Not Covet 1916My Neighbor's Wife★ NR
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Kathlyn Hare★ 3
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Sweet Alyssum 1915Daisy Brooks★ NR
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Fortune Chedsoye★ NR
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Chip of the Flying U 1914Della Whitmore - the 'Little Doctor'★ NR
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Balu★ NR
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The King's Will 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Forged Parchment 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Warrior Maid 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Spoilers 1914Cherry Malotte★ 6.2
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The Cruel Crown 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Garden of Brides 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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Three Bags of Silver 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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A Colonel in Chains 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Royal Slave 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Two Ordeals 1914Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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The Unwelcome Throne 1913Kathlyn Hare★ NR
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Gene Brant★ 5
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Edwina Washburn★ NR
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Mrs. Robert Steem★ NR
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Jessie Wilson★ 4
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Lost in the Jungle 1911Meta Kruga★ 5
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The Two Orphans 1911Henriette★ NR
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Alice Hazen★ NR
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Dad's Girls 1911Rose★ NR
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Life on the Border 1911The Pioneer Wife★ 4
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Captain Kate 1911Captain Kate★ 4
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Dolores, the Rose of St. Augustine★ 4
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Helen Wilton★ 4
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★ NR
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Dora - the Witch★ 4
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1861 1911★ 4
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Elsie Dean★ NR
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Thou Shalt Not 1910★ NR
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Extra★ 3.2