Person Biography:
Lucille Ward was a stage player who began her career in New York in 1907. She was a pioneer in the entertainment industry, making her mark before the advent of movies. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Ward's early stage career was marked by her ability to play older roles, often taking on mother parts alongside men and women twice her age.
Ward's stage career spanned many years, with engagements in various productions, including "The New Clerk," a musical comedy, and "Tillie's Nightmare," a play that ran for two years in New York. She was praised for her work by producer Rupert Hughes, who wrote a special part for her in another act.
In 1912, Ward made her entry into the movies, starting with a character lead in a short comedy at the Universal Studios in New York. She later signed a contract with the Mack Sennett company, playing comedy leads and making the first comedy to run for more than a week, "Cohen's Outings." Her success led to a series of Jewish stories.
Ward worked with many notable players in the early days of cinema, including Ford Sterling, Chester Conklin, Wallace Reid, Francis X. Bushman, Charlie Chaplin, and "Fatty" Arbuckle. She appeared in Arbuckle's last picture, "The Traveling Salesman," and worked with him many times on sets and locations.
After leaving the Mack Sennett company, Ward worked with the American Film company for three years, playing society parts, which she preferred not to do. She was granted a release and became a free-lance player, choosing roles that suited her. Throughout her career, she worked with many big-screen stars, including Lionel Barrymore, Gene Raymond, William Powell, Herbert Marshall, Reginald Denny, and Clark Gable.
