Claire Windsor

Claire Windsor (April 14, 1897 - October 24, 1972) was a notable film actress of the early silent screen era.

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Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk (nicknamed "Ola") in Cawker City, Kansas of Scandanavian heritage. An early marriage to man named William Bowes resulted in the birth of a son but ended in soon after in divorce. Claire moved to Seattle, Washington with her parents where she entered and won a beauty contest. On the advice of a friend, Claire moved to California in hopes of making a career as an actress in the new medium of motion pictures. Initially receiving only bit parts, she was soon spotted by Louis Weber, a highly regarded and influential directer and producer of silent films for Paramount Pictures. Weber immediately signed Windsor to a contract.

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Claire Windsor's film debut was in the 1920 release To Please One Woman which was only a modest success. To promote the nascent starlet, Paramount Pictures often paired Windsor with the newly divorced legendary actor Charlie Chaplin in publicity photographs, leading the tabloid press to give mention to the young actress in print. The publicity paid off; In 1922 the newly formed Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) began their annual WAMPAS Baby Stars awards and named Claire Windsor, along with Bessie Love, Lila Lee, and Colleen Moore, as the year's most promising starlets. That same year Claire signed a contract with Goldwyn Pictures Corporation.

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In 1923, the former Ola Cronk officially began using the more matinee-friendly Claire Windsor as a moniker. Throughout the 1920's, Windsor established herself as highly regarded leading lady in film. As her career progressed, she was often typecast as the "upscale society girl", often playing the part of a princess, or monied socialite. Critics lauded her elegant fashion sense, and Windsor became a noted trend-setter of 1920's fashion.

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Windsor was later one of the top stars at the newly amalgamated Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Later, at the Tiffany studios, 1925's Souls for Sables was a box-office hit for Windsor.

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Windsor was frequently romantically linked to her leading male co-stars. She had a well-publicized affair with actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and in 1924 married matinee idol Bert Lytell. The couple divorced in 1927, however. Windsor never remarried but a few notable love affairs caused minor scandals in the press, including once being sued by the young wife of a Boston broker in an "Alienation of Affections" lawsuit, which the broker's wife contended that Windsor had "stolen her husband".

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By the late 1920's, Claire Windsor (like so many of her acting peers) found it difficult to transition into talkies. She made several talkies throughout the 1930's but could never recapture the success of her earlier years as a silent screen actress. She had a brief stint on a road tour with Al Jolson in the production of The Wonder Bar and would occasionally take stage parts. In her later years, Windsor devoted herself to painting.

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Claire Windsor died of a massive heart attack in 1972 at the age of 75 in Los Angeles, California. She was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California.

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1897: 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar)....

October 24: October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining....

1972: 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday....

Claire Windsor related Images and Photos (experimental)

Claire Bloom	Claire Bloom	Claire Goose	Claire Yarlett
Claire Forlani	Marie Windsor	Marie Claire	Marie Claire
Barbara Windsor	Heroes Claire Poster	Heroes Claire Mousepad	Cutting Logs Windsor Park