Helen Gilmore

American actress (c. 1872–1936)

Joseph B. Zahner

(m. 1894; died 1900)

Helen Gilmore (born Antoinette A. Field, c. 1872 – April 1936) was an American actress of the stage and silent motion pictures from Louisville, Kentucky. She appeared in over 140 films between 1913 and 1932.

Early life and career

In approximately 1872, Gilmore was born to Richard Field and Mary Cilia Daniels.^[2] In 1894, she toured with comic actor Stuart Robson's company, even substituting, on at least one occasion, for Mrs. Robson—the temporarily unavailable May Waldron—in the role of Adriana in Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors.^[7] It was during that tour that Gilmore met and married fellow cast member (and fellow Kentuckian), Joseph B. Zahner, hurriedly tying the knot at New York's City Hall on Friday, July 13.^[1] Scarcely five years later, Zahner, then 33, suffered a fatal heart attack.^[8]

Between 1910 and 1913, Gilmore appeared on Broadway in 4 musical revues: Deems Taylor's The Echo, Manuel Klein's Around the World and Under Many Flags (both at the New York Hippodrome), and Oscar Straus's My Little Friend.^[9]^[10] Shortly thereafter, she made her screen debut in A Female Fagin.

As Mrs. Hobbs in A Petticoat Pilot (1918), Gilmore was commended for her careful character study. The Paramount Pictures film was directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon and was based on the novel by Evelyn Lincoln.^[11] She played the head nurse in Too Much Business (1922). This was a comedy which originated with a Saturday Evening Post story by Earl Derr Biggers. In it Gilmore was cast with Elsa Lorimer and Mack Fenton.^[12] Her final motion picture credit is for the role of a motorist in the Laurel and Hardy short Two Tars (1928).

Theatre performances

Year	Play	Author	Character	Venue or Company	Notes
1893 – 1894	The Comedy of Errors	Shakespeare	Phryne, the reigning beauty of Ephesus; Adriana, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus (standby for May Waldron)^[7]	Touring with Stuart Robson	September 18, 1893^[13]^[14]^[15] - July 7, 1894^[16]
1910	The Echo	Deems Taylor	Chorus	Globe Theatre	August 17, 1920 – October 1, 1920; 53 performances.^[17]
1911 – 1912	Around the World	Manuel Klein		New York Hippodrome	September 2, 1911 – May 18, 1912; 445 performances.^[18]
1912 – 1913	Under Many Flags	Manuel Klein		New York Hippodrome	August 31, 1912 – May 17, 1913; 445 performances.^[19]
1913	My Little Friend	Oscar Straus	Baroness DuBois	New Amsterdam Theatre	May 19 – June 24, 1913; 24 performances.^[20]

Filmography

A Female Fagin (1913) – The Female Fagin
Notoriety (1914) (as Helen Field Gilmore)
A Mexican Warrior (1914) – The Warrior's Mother-in-Law
The Eagle's Mate (1914) – Hagar Morne (as Helen Gillmore)
The Earl of Pawtucket (1915) – Aunt Jane Putnam
This Way Out (1916)
Their Wedding Day (1916) – Mrs. Findem
The Rivals (1916 film) (1916) – The Lumber King's Wife
The Pretenders (1916)
Never Again (1916) – Mrs. Dale
For Better or Worse (1916) – Mrs. Gothrox
Will a Woman Tell? (1916) –
Wait a Minute (1916) – Jane Higgs
Life Savers (1916) – Old Maid
Comrades (1916) – The Landlady
The Reward (1916) – Mabel's Mother
A Bag of Trouble (1916) – Mrs. Pokes
Jerry's Double Header (1916) – Mother
Jerry's Winning Way (1917) – The Landlady
Jerry's Big Doings (1917) – The Mother
Jerry's Brilliant Scheme (1917) – Her Mother
Jerry's Romance (1917) – Lady Isabelle
The Flying Target (1917) – Jane
Jerry's Triple Alliance (1917) – The Housekeeper
Tom Sawyer (1917) – Widow Douglas
A Petticoat Pilot (1918) – Mrs. Hobbs
Huck and Tom (1918) – Widow Douglas
On the Jump (1918) – Girl's Mother
Follow the Crowd (1918) –
Pipe the Whiskers (1918)
It's a Wild Life (1918)
Hey There! (1918)
Kicked Out (1918)
Two-Gun Gussie (1918) – (uncredited)
The City Slicker (1918)
Sic 'Em, Towser (1918)
Are Crooks Dishonest? (1918) – Old lady in park
An Ozark Romance (1918)
Kicking the Germ Out of Germany (1918) –
That's Him (1918)
Bride and Gloom (1918) –
Two Scrambled (1918)
Bees in His Bonnet (1918)
Why Pick on Me? (1918) –
Nothing But Trouble (1918) –
Take a Chance (1918) – Landlady (uncredited)
Ring Up the Curtain (1919) – Manager's Wife (uncredited)
Just Neighbors (1919) – Old Woman with Packages (uncredited)
Bumping Into Broadway (1919) – 'Bearcat' the Landlady
Captain Kidd's Kids (1919) – The Girl's Mother
From Hand to Mouth (1919) – Hag (uncredited)
His Royal Slyness (1920) – Queen of Thermosa (uncredited)
A Bashful Bigamist (1920) – Uncle Oswald's Wife
Fickle Women (1920) – Mrs. Cullison
Down Home (1920) – Townswoman
The Blazing Trail (1921) – Village Talking Machine
Judge Her Not (1921) – Jerusha Spriggins
Dangerous Paths (1921) – Deborah Hammond
Never Weaken (1921)
Too Much Business (1922) – The Head Nurse
Impulse (1922) – Mrs. Cameron
One Terrible Day (1922) – Carlene Culpepper (uncredited)
Our Gang (1922) – Emil's Wife (uncredited)
Good Men and True (1922) – Mrs. Fite
Newly Rich (1922)
Tight Shoes (1923)
Safety Last! (1923) – Department Store Customer (uncredited)
Boys to Board (1923) – Mother Malone
Kill or Cure (1923) – Aggressive non-customer
Post No Bills (1923)
No Noise (1923) – Nurse
Jus' Passin' Through (1923)
Stage Fright (1923) – Mickey's Mother
The Whole Truth (1923) – The Wife
Sunday Calm (1923) – Mrs. McTeeter
Mother's Joy (1923) – Dippy
It's a Joy! (1923) – His Mother-in-Law
The Cowboy Sheik (1924) – Gussie the Cook
Just a Minute (1924) – Caroline - the Mayor's Wife
Postage Due (1924)
The Fraidy Cat (1924) – Lem Tucker's Mother
Zeb vs. Paprika (1924)
Seein' Things (1924) – Baby's Mother
Commencement Day (1924) – Joe's Mother
Near Dublin (1924) – Villager
April Fool (1924) – Jackie's Mother
Stolen Goods (1924) – Shopper (uncredited)
Our Congressman (1924) – The Dowager Lady Hemingway Abbott
It's a Bear (1924) – Farmer's Wife
Short Kilts (1924) – Mrs. McHungry
Sittin' Pretty (1924) – Undetermined secondary role (uncredited)
Should Landlords Live? (1924)
Every Man for Himself (1924) – Pedestrian
Bungaloo Boobs (1924) – The Neighbor's Wife
Fast Company (1924) – Woman from Traveler's Aid Society
All Wet (1924) – Boarding House Landlady (uncredited)
Meet the Missus (1924)
The Wages of Tin (1925) – Meg's Mother
The Rat's Knuckles (1925) – Diner (uncredited)
The Big Town (1925) – Train Passenger (uncredited)
The Haunted Honeymoon (1925)
The Love Bug (1925) – Beauty Parlor Customer
Whose Baby Are You? (1925) – Train Passenger (uncredited)
Big Red Riding Hood (1925) – Book Buyer / Red Riding Hood in Fantasy
Wild Papa (1925)
Chasing the Chaser (1925) – The Neighbor
Sherlock Sleuth (1925) – Haughty Guest's Wife
Tame Men and Wild Women (1925) – Arthur's Mother
Mary, Queen of Tots (1925) – Dollmaker's wife
Unfriendly Enemies (1925) – Laughing Woman
Moonlight and Noses (1925)
Should Sailors Marry? (1925) – Train Passenger
Laughing Ladies (1925)
Starvation Blues (1925)
His Wooden Wedding (1925) – Dressmaker (uncredited)
Tol'able Romeo (1925)
What's the World Coming To? (1926) – A Neighbor
Your Husband's Past (1926)
Madame Mystery (1926)
Baby Clothes (1926) – Joe's Mother
Say It with Babies (1926)
Don Key (Son of Burro) (1926)
Long Fliv the King (1926) – Helga's Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)
Never Too Old (1926)
Merry Widower (1926)
Should Husbands Pay? (1926)
Sensation Seekers (1927)
Mad Scrambles (1927)
The Eyes Have It (1928)
Idle Eyes (1928)
Their Purple Moment (1928)
Seein' Things (1928)
Two Tars (1928) – Motorist
Shivering Shakespeare (1930) – Woman in Audience (uncredited)
The Real McCoy (1930) – Townswoman (uncredited)
Any Old Port! (1932) – Spectator (uncredited)

References

^ ^a ^b "Actors Rush to the Altar". The Inter Ocean. July 14, 1894. p. 14.
^ ^a ^b "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24CZ-6JM : 10 February 2018), Joseph Zahner and Antoinette Field, 13 Jul 1894; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,493,121.
^ "Actress, Formerly of Louisville, Found Dead". The Courier-Journal. April 12, 1936. p. 12.
^ Associated Press (April 13, 1936). "Body of Actress Found". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
^ "Woman Is Found Dead; Body of Former Actress Discovered in Apartment by Friend". The New York Times. April 12, 1936. p. 31.
^ "Obituaries: Helen Gilmore". Variety. April 15, 1936. p. 61.
^ ^a ^b "The Two Dromeos". The Topeka Daily Press. January 9, 1894. p. 5.
^ "Promising Career Cut Short by Death". Minneapolis Star Tribune. January 21, 1900. p. 17.
^ "Helen Gilmore". IBDB.
^ Hines, Dixie; Hanaford, Harry Prescott (1914). Who's Who in Music and Drama. New York : H.P. Hanaford. p. 443.
^ "A Petticoat Pilot". Daily Kennebec Journal. March 14, 1918, p. 3.
^ "Movies". Constitution Tribune. June 12, 1923. p. 5
^ "At the Brooklyn Theatres". The New York World. September 9, 1893. p. 3. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
^ "For Playgoers: Notable Productions on the Local Stage Last Night". The Brooklyn Citizen. September 19, 1893. p. 3. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
^ "News of the Theatres; Notes of the Stage". The New York Times. December 31, 1993. p. 13. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
^ "The Theaters". Minneapolis Tribune. June 24, 1894. p. 21. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
^ "'The Echo': About This Production". IBDB.
^ "'Around the World': About This Production". IBDB.
^ "'Under Many Flags': About This Production". IBDB.
^ "'My Little Friend': About This Production". IBDB.