Clara Kimball Young was once the most popular movie star in America, and the queen of adult society dramas of the 1910s. But by the mid 1920s she was out of films, and when she came back in the 1930s it was largely in bit roles in B pictures. Yet this ebullient woman rode her dramatic ups and downs with grace and good humor, and she is one of the most interesting stars of her era. Though most of her films are lost, several are available on video.
This website is a work in progress, and will be updated as I see more Young films and acquire more articles.
An article about Clara's life and career
with a listing of archival holdings, video availability and links to new and vintage reviews
From her personal collection
Clara Kimball Young Films on the Web
Hearts in Exile (1914)
on Internet Archive and Google Video
Clip of My Official Wife (1914)
on Internet Archive and Google Video
More Pictures on the Web
The Silent Ladies Clara Kimball Young Gallery
A Magazine Cover and genealogy from the Kimball Family Website
Homes and Haunts
Addresses associated with Clara Kimball Young
Contemporary articles
Clara Kimball Young, Artist
by George Blaisdell
Moving Picture World, October 3, 1914, p. 41-42
Clara Kimball Young Discusses Picture Art
by Margaret I. McDonald
Moving Picture World, July 21, 1917, p. 46
Making "Savage Woman" Savage
by Edward Weitzel
Moving Picture World, September 7, 1918, p. 1393
Clothes--Clara Kimball Young--and More Clothes
by Clara Kimball Young
Theatre Magazine, November 1917, p. 319-320
(Thanks to Randy Bigham for this article)
Untitled fashion spread
Vogue, April 1, 1918
(Thanks to Randy Bigham for this article)
Untitled fashion spread
Vogue, July 15, 1918,
(Thanks to Randy Bigham for this article)
Miss Young Creates Fashion Show for Display in "Forbidden Woman"
Moving Picture World, February 14, 1920, p. 1112
The Technique of Lovers
by Clara Kimball Young
Photoplay, March 1920, p. 39-41
Excerpts from an interview with Gareth Hughes, 1963
From Kevin Brownlow's audio interview, edited by Stephen Lyons
(Thanks to you both for providing this unique material)
Assorted old articles
several articles, some unidentified
Other materials on the Web
Interview with Clara Kimball Young
By Ray W. Frohman in the Los Angeles Herald, October 29, 1919, reprinted in Taylorology #36
Contemporary profile in the 1932 Blue Book of the Screen
(to be taken with a grain of salt!)
Short biography on Golden Silents
"How I Broke Into the Business"
By Edward M. Kimball (Clara's Father), from "Hey Rube, 1933
on the Wisconsin Electronic Reader
Short biography with pictures on Things-and-other-stuff.com
Short biography on Silents Are Golden
Links to other general silent film sites
Alt.movies.silent FAQ
Great source of basic information from the alt.movies.silent newsgroup, including links to other silent film sites
Lots of information on silent films, including star profiles, pictures, and video reviews
Silent-movies.org
A wonderful suite of sites edited by David Pearson, including the photogalleries Silent Ladies and Silent Gents, Arbuckemania, and Taylorology, the Blue Book Book of the Screen (1923), and others
The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States : Silent Films
The online version of the AFI catalog contains information about silent features, plus some short films up to 1911. There is also members' only access to catalog entries on sound features.
The Silent Film Bookshelf
Original documents from the silent film era, edited by David Pierce
Glen Pringle's Silent Movies
Silent star of the month, links to silent film interest groups, and lots of links to other silent film sites
Silents are Golden
Nice features, lots of vintage reviews, great list of silent films on video.
The Silent Film Still Archive
An ever-growing collection of fascinating film stills of the silent era
Silent Era
A new, but growing, site with information and reviews on silents on DVD and VHS, information about stars, book reviews, and Presumed Lost, a preliminary listing of lost films
Golden Silents
A nice new site featuring biographical information on many stars, tinted photos, film clips
Gilda's Blue Book of the Screen
Great articles on Silent Film, as well as lots of links
Welcome to Silent Movies
Features, calendars, and assorted facts on the silent film era
Created and maintained by Greta de Groat
Photos from the author's collection unless otherwise noted
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
Special contents © 2001
Last revised, August 4, 2007