Jane Fearnley

Jane Fearnley (née Sadie J. Fearnley; c. 1885–1952), was an American stage and film actress who appeared in silent films.^[1] Her name was sometimes spelled Jane Fernley.^[2]

Early life and education

Fearnley was born Sadie J. around 1885 in Fall River, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah who immigrated to the United States from England.^[3][4] She graduated from Dean Academy in 1904.^[5]

Career

After college, Fearnley moved to New York City and began her acting career^[6][7] performing both on stage and film until the early 1920's.^[8] In 1907 she made her national debut in the leading role in the play Raffles as Gwendolin Conron with S. Miller Kent,^[9] then in 1909 as Hope Georgia in the play The Gentleman from Mississippi.^[10]

After tiring of traveling, she joined Reliance Film Company,^[11] later joining Independent Moving Pictures (IMP)^[12] and the Famous Players Film Company among others.^[13] By 1913, she had solidified herself as a leading film actress, often starring opposite King Baggot in films such as the Human Hearts, Lady Audrey's Secret and A Cave Man Wooing.^[14][15] She was also noted for her roles in The Little Gray Lady and The Scales of Justice.^[16] She returned to the stage 1916, touring with a company playing the role of Ruth Goldman in Potash and Perlmutter^[16][17] then in the early 1920s as Mrs. Marshall in Irene.^[18]

Personal life

Fearnley married twice, first to Richard Clark in 1907^[7] then to Charles Carey in 1923.^[19] Pearl White lived with Fearnely for a short time around 1913 and traveled to Bermuda together.^[20] In 1952 Fearnley died while residing New York City, outside of Harlem.^[21]

Filmography

• Making Good (1912)^[22]
• In Old Tennessee (1912)^[14]
• Human Hearts (1912)^[15]
• Lady Audrey's Secret (1912)^[23][15][24]
• King, the Detective and the Opium Smugglers (1912)^[14]
• Officer 174 (1912)^[14]
• Jealousy (1912), part of the Library of Congress' film collection
• A Cave Man Wooing (1912)
• The New Magdalen(1912)^[15]
• In a Woman's Power (1913)
• The Stranglers of Paris^[15] (1913) as Mathilde^[25]
• The Golden Pathway (1913)
• Kathleen Mavourneen (1913 film)^[15]
• The Christian (1914)
• The Little Gray Lady (1914)
• The Scales of Justice (1914)
• The Marble Heart (1915)^[15]
• Bubbles (1916)^[26]
• The Black Stork (1917)
• The Eternal Sin (1917)

References