 Edward M. Donnelly, circa 1920 Did You Know?Pamela is a third generation professional actor. Her beloved grandfather was a member of Actor's Equity Association throughout the Roaring 20s and performed in both Vaudeville and traditional theatrical productions.
He was also a member of the predecessor of Screen Actor's Guild, known as the Photoplayers Equity Association. He played many small roles in early silent films and was on the scene when "talkies" arrived. He lived in Los Angeles until the Great Depression hit. 
Pamela remembers him fondly as a dapper gentleman who stayed active in theatrical ventures even as a married man living in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where she was eventually born.
His handwritten resume on the back of this headshot harkens back to a gentler era:
 Ed Donnelly; 1812 Grover Street; Beacon 2378; Height 6 ft.; Weight 145 lbs.; Brown hair; Brown eyes; Age 22 years; Complete Wardrobe; Dance, Swim, Ride and Drive Auto; Four Years in Pictures
Family lore tells of the time a film producer asked him to confirm that he could actually swim. "Of course", he said, despite the fact he had never learned. On the day of filming he was thrown into a deep vat of water for the "at sea" footage. Production assistants had to save him from drowning!
As seen in the above contract, Youngdeer Productions hired him in Feb. 1920 for six weeks of work on a western. Some days he played an Indian and others he played a cowboy in the same movie. He used to laugh that if you looked closely enough, you could see him "fighting himself!" Pay per day, as seen in the contract? $5.00.
Edward M. Donnelly passed away December 30, 1989. |
