Neva Gerber

Biography

A mainstay of the silent era's episodic adventures, Neva Gerber’s cinematic journey began in 1912 through Kalem's one-reel productions. She truly found her niche in 1917 with her debut serial, The Great Secret. Gerber skillfully balanced comedic shorts at Universal with high-stakes chapter plays, most notably beginning her extensive partnership with producer-director Ben F. Wilson in The Voice on the Wire (1917). Despite persistent rumors, their professional bond was strictly platonic, never resulting in marriage. Her filmography showcased a wide range, from prestigious westerns alongside Harry Carey to bargain-bin productions starring Dick Hatton—an actor Yakima Canutt famously recalled as being petrified of horses, firearms, and the open air. In her final professional act, she reunited with Wilson for a string of adventures and westerns, concluding her run with The Voice from the Sky (1929). Following Wilson’s passing that same year, Gerber stepped away from the spotlight, eventually passing away in Palm Springs, California, in 1974.