Neva Gerber
| Neva Gerber | |
|---|---|
 Neva Gerber on the cover of Reel Life | |
| Born |
Genevieve Dolores Gerber April 3, 1894 Argenta, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died |
January 2, 1974 (aged 79) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cerebral thrombosis |
| Resting place | Desert Memorial Park |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names |
Jean Dolores Genevieve Millett |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1912-1930 |
| Spouse(s) |
Arthur Nelson Millett (m. 1913–20) Edward Dana Nolan (m.1923–19??) W.A. Booth (m.19??–19??) William Munchoff (m.19??–1960) |
Neva Gerber (April 3, 1894 – January 2, 1974) was an American silent film actress who appeared in 128 films between 1912 and 1930.
Early life and career
She was born Genevieve Dolores Gerber in Argenta, Illinois to S. Nelson Gerber and Jean Pullman.[1] Her parents separated when she was young and her mother moved her to Los Angeles, California. She was raised by nuns from the College of the Immaculate Heart. After the death of her father, Gerber's impoverished mother gave guardianship of her daughter to an attorney.[2]
After her graduation from high school, Gerber became an actress and appeared in several one-reelers. Beginning in 1917, she starred in multiple serial films, and she is considered one of the top ten "serial queens" of the silent film period. She teamed with director and actor Ben F. Wilson in many of these productions,[3] and starred in the first crude sound era serial, The Voice from the Sky, also directed by Wilson. However, her career stalled in 1930 after Wilson died from heart disease. Gerber retired from acting shortly thereafter.[1]
Personal life
Gerber's first marriage was to actor Arthur Nelson Millett on July 22, 1913. They separated the following year. In 1915, she became engaged to director William Desmond Taylor. The two never married because Gerber was still married to Millett (their divorce became final in 1920). Taylor was murdered in February 1922. In 1923, Gerber married contractor Edward Dana Nolan. They later divorced and two more times. She remained married to her fourth husband, contractor William Munchoff, until his death in 1960.[1]
Death
On January 2, 1974, Gerber died of a cerebral thrombosis in Palm Springs, California. She was buried in a pauper's grave in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.[1]
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | The Flower Girl's Romance | Bessie Berkow | Short film |
| 1912 | The Water Rights War | Mabel | Short film |
| 1913 | The Redemption | Ogle - the Nursemaid | Short film |
| 1914 | Mrs. Peyton's Pearls | Eleanor Barton - the Daughter | Short film |
| 1914 | The Judge's Wife | Mrs. Livingston | |
| 1915 | The Madonna | Gertie | Short film |
| 1915 | Little Chrysanthemum | Little Chrysanthemum | Short film |
| 1916 | The Impersonation | Rhoda Lyons | |
| 1916 | The Mansard Mystery | Brina | Short film |
| 1917 | The Voice on the Wire | Polly Marion | Film serial |
| 1917 | The Mystery Ship | Betty Lee | Film series Lost film |
| 1918 | Hell Bent | Bess Thurston | Alternative title: The Three Bad Men |
| 1918 | Three Mounted Men | Lola Masters | Lost film Alternative title: Three Wounded Men |
| 1919 | Roped | Aileen | Lost film |
| 1919 | A Fight for Love | Kate McDougal | Lost film |
| 1919 | The Trail of the Octopus | Ruth Stanhope | Film serial |
| 1920 | The Screaming Shadow | Mary Landers | Film serial Lost film |
| 1920 | Bill's Wife | Short film Writer | |
| 1921 | A Yankee Go Getter | Lucia Robilant/Vera Robilant | |
| 1921 | The Mysterious Pearl | Ariel/The Pearl | Film serial |
| 1922 | The Price of Youth | Adela Monmouth | |
| 1922 | Impulse | Julia Merrifield | |
| 1923 | In the West | Florence Jackson | |
| 1923 | The Santa Fe Trail | Film serial Lost film | |
| 1924 | Sagebrush Gospel | Lucy Sanderson | |
| 1924 | Days of '49 | Sierra Sutter | Film serial |
| 1925 | The Power God | Aileen Sturgess | Film serial |
| 1925 | A Daughter of the Sioux | Nanette | |
| 1926 | Officer 444 | Gloria Grey | Film serial |
| 1926 | West of the Law | Alice Armstrong | |
| 1927 | The Range Riders | Betty Grannan | |
| 1927 | Hell Hounds of the Plains | Esther Lawson | |
| 1928 | The Old Code | Lola | |
| 1928 | The Lone Patrol | Credited as Jean Dolores | |
| 1929 | The Saddle King | Felice Landreau | |
| 1929 | Thundering Thompson | Maria Valerian | |
| 1930 | The Voice From the Sky | Jean Lowell | Credited as Jean Dolores |
| 1930 | A Woman's Justice | Credited as Jean Dolores |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Doyle, Billy (February 1999). "Whatever Became of Neva Gerber ?". classicimages.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
- ↑ Lowe, Denise (2004). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films, 1895-1930. Haworth Press. pp. 234–236. ISBN 0-7890-1843-8.
- ↑ Strickland, A.W.; Ackerman, Forrest J. (1981). A reference guide to American science fiction films. T.I.S. Publications Division. p. 188. ISBN 0-89917-268-7.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neva Gerber. |
- Neva Gerber at the Internet Movie Database
- "Neva Gerber, the screen-actress, and her dog". The Green Book Magazine. The Story-press Association. 16: 295. 1916. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- Neva Dolores Gerber at Find a Grave