Dorothy Devore

Biography

Diminutive, brown-haired Dorothy Devore was born Inez Williams in Ft. Worth, TX. She completed her schooling in Los Angeles when her family moved to California. She first acted in amateur revues, which she also produced and for which she contributed the music. While still in her mid-teens she performed in nightclubs and worked as a singer in vaudeville. In 1918 she signed a contract with film producer Al Christie. During the next five years she became a pre-eminent ingénue of light romances and star comedienne in numerous Christie two-reelers, on occasion billing herself as "De Vore". In 1924 Dorothy took an offer of a seven-year contract with Warner Bros./First National to appear in feature films. Unhappy at being cast opposite canine hero Rin Tin Tin, she eventually bought out her contract. Joining Educational Pictures, she returned to her preferred two-reel format and made a brace of "Dorothy Devore Comedies", with full control over all aspects of production. Unfortunately, she failed to make the transition to sound pictures and left the industry in the early 1930s.