Adele Blood

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Adele Blood
Blood circa 1915
Born
Adele Mary Blood

(1886-04-23)April 23, 1886
Alameda, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 13, 1936(1936-09-13) (aged 50)
Harrison, New York, U.S.
Other namesAdele Blood Hope
OccupationActress
Adele Blood c. 1910

Adele Mary Blood (April 23, 1886 – September 13, 1936) was an American actress known for her work in silent film, vaudeville, and theater.[1]

Biography[edit]

Blood was born on April 23, 1886, in Alameda, California, to Ira E. Blood[2] and Frances Emma Stewart. Her mother served as a member of the Alameda school department.[citation needed] In her youth, she was a talented equestrienne and held an interest in fashion.

Career[edit]

Blood's first public performance was at the California Theatre in San Francisco, portraying the role of Marguerite alongside Lewis Morrison in his production of Faust.[3] Other theatrical presentations in which she starred include The Unmasking, All Rivers Meet The Sea, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. In the latter she was with the stock company of Edward Davis, with whom she would marry. Davis was a clergyman-actor who was formerly the pastor of the First Christian Church in Oakland, California. Their marriage was turbulent and Blood began divorce proceedings in 1914.[4][5] Actress Jule Power was named as co-respondent in her suit. Davis responded by naming Governor Earl Brewer of Mississippi as co-respondent in counter charges against Blood. She finally won her divorce suit after which she left on a tour of the Orient. Following her divorce from Davis she was briefly married to Englishman Waddell Hope.[citation needed]

Blood featured in vaudeville shows across the country. She starred for five years in Everywoman. During her time on stage, she was affectionately referred to as "the most beautiful blonde on the American stage".[1] She starred in two motion pictures: The Devil's Toy (1916) and The Riddle: Woman (1920).

By December 1917, Blood had officially retired. She was the devoted companion of her former foster mother,[6] Susanna Holmes, known as the "Silver Queen."[7] Blood was named an heiress to the Holmes' fortune.[8] Blood eventually eschewed both wealth and social position, believing both led to a "philosophy of pessimism." However, she would later return to the stage after accepting an offer from the Oriental company of Tim Frawley.

In 1926, she met Colonel R.W. Castle in Kashmir. Castle was an English officer in the Indian service. The two were engaged and arranged a wedding in Calcutta.[9]

Death[edit]

On the night of September 13, 1936, Blood's 17-year-old daughter, Dawn, returned home after driving some friends to the railroad station. She found her mother speaking with two men in the living room. Shortly after her daughter's arrival, Blood excused herself upstairs. Several minutes later, a gunshot was heard from the bedroom. Dawn and the two others rushed upstairs to find Blood unconscious on the floor, having shot herself through the head with a .52 Caliber Revolver. She died in the hospital hours later in Port Chester, New York.[1]

Adele's possessions were auctioned off and sold for $1,000.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Adele Blood Hope, Actress, Ends Life. 'Financially Pressed' After Stock Venture, Daughter Tells Harrison Police. Long Active In Theatre. Known as 'the Most Beautiful Blonde on American Stage' When She Toured Nation". The New York Times. September 14, 1936. Retrieved 2014-12-22. Mrs. Adele Blood Hope, 50 years old, actress and stock-company promoter, shot and fatally wounded herself at her home at 12 Griswald Road on the grounds of the Westchester Country Club here tonight. She died a few hours later at the United Hospital in Port Chester without regaining consciousness. ...
  2. ^ "Daily Alta California 4 May 1886 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  3. ^ "The San Francisco call (San Francisco [Calif.]), June 22, 1913". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  4. ^ "The Ogden standard (Ogden City, Utah), January 17, 1914, (4 o'clock p.m. City Edition)". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  5. ^ "The Washington herald (Washington, D.C.), July 15, 1914". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  6. ^ "Imperial Valley press (El Centro, Calif.), November 1, 1932". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  7. ^ Weller, Kristine (March 8, 2024). "Brothels to books: The women who helped shape Park City's history". kpcw.org. Retrieved May 7, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Adele Blood, Stage Beauty, May Inherit Big Fortune". The Oakland Tribune. December 29, 1917. p. 9.
  9. ^ "Adele Blood to Wed. Actress Engaged to Col. R.W. Castle, Whom She Met in Kashmir". The New York Times. August 11, 1926. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  10. ^ "Hope Effects Auctioned. Daughter of Former Adele Blood Takes Block to Sell Pet Dog". The New York Times. October 27, 1936. Retrieved 2014-12-22.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adele Blood.
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