Dorothy Revier American actress Date of Birth: 18.04.1904 Country: USA

Biography of Dorothy Revier

Dorothy Revier was an American actress whose career spanned the silent film era and lasted only 15 years. She is known for playing femme fatale roles in B-movies and was referred to as the "Queen of Poverty Row" in Hollywood. In these 15 years, Dorothy appeared in a total of 90 roles on the big screen.

Born as Doris Velagra, the exact details of Dorothy's birth are uncertain. While her gravestone indicates she was born in 1906, most sources insist that she was actually born on April 18, 1904. She is believed to have been born in either San Francisco or Oakland, California. However, the confusion arises because she later graduated from high school in Oakland before moving to New York City to study classical dance.

After New York, Dorothy traveled to Paris to continue her training. It was there that she caught the eye of a talent agent while performing in a cabaret. This opportunity led her straight to Hollywood, where she made her debut in 1921 at the age of 17 in a film called "Life's Greatest Question," directed by Harry Revier. It was during this time that she adopted the stage name Dorothy Revier.

There is some debate among biographers regarding Dorothy's marriages. Some claim that she married director Harry Revier when he saw her at a young age of 14, and she appeared in a film under the name Revier the following year. However, there was also a man named Charles Johnson who may have been her first husband, and she remarried him either in 1926 or 1929 after divorcing Revier. The only confirmed marriage was with commercial artist William Pelayo, which lasted from 1950 to 1964.

In 1925, Dorothy was chosen as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars," a group of thirteen young actresses who received press support in the hopes of becoming major stars. While she didn't achieve A-list stardom, Dorothy had a successful and stable career and successfully transitioned into the sound film era. She often played leading roles, particularly as seductive and dangerous women, in B-movies.

Some notable films in her career include "The Virgin" (1924), "An Enemy of Men" (1925), "Cleopatra" (1928), and her most memorable role as Milady Winter in "The Iron Mask" (1929) alongside Douglas Fairbanks. However, as time went on, she began accepting roles in low-budget films produced by Columbia Pictures, earning her the title of the "Queen of Poverty Row."

In 1936, after her final appearance in a Western film, Dorothy retired from acting and pursued painting and writing. In the later years of her life, she resided in West Hollywood.

Dorothy Revier passed away on November 19, 1993, at the age of 89, at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. She was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery, surrounded by many other celebrities from the entertainment industry.