Claire Adams

• Name — Claire Adams • Birth Name — Beryl Vere Nassau Adams • Born — 24 September 1898 • Birthplace — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada • Died — 25 September 1978 • Place of death — Melbourne, Australia • Years Active — 1912–1963

Born in Winnipeg, Adams was the daughter of operatic teacher and singer Stanley Adams and Lillian Adams. She had a sister and a brother. She moved with her family to London, England, when she was seven years old. At age 13 she visited Canada and ended up staying with relatives there. At some point her parents moved to Toronto, and she rejoined them there. Her education included St. Hilda's Academy in Calgary, Canada, followed by a finishing school in England.

While Adams worked as a nurse in a Detroit hospital, the United States entered World War I. The Army had her portray a nurse in films that were shown in military camps. Her flim debut came in The Spirit of the Red Cross (1919). She went on to become a star for B. B. Hampton productions and later made films for Goldwyn. Early in Adams's career her performances lacked emotion. Even with experience she reached only a level that one newspaper article described as "giving interesting, delightful, but emotionally lukewarm performances". That situation changed with her work in The Big Parade, which the same article called "the first truly emotional performance in Claire's career". Her progress continued when she portrayed Maud Brewster in The Seal Wolf, leading to compliments for her performance in an "intensely emotional role".

Adams married Ben Hampton in Los Angeles in 1924. She died on 25 September 1978, in Windsor, Victoria, aged 80, and was cremated.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1934 — What a Mother-in-Law! — Frances • 1927 — Combat — Wanda • Married Alive — Viola Helmesley Duxbury • data-sort-value="Lunatic, The" | The Lunatic • 1926 — data-sort-value="Sea Wolf, The" | The Sea Wolf — Maud Brewster • Combat — Wanda • Yellow Fingers — Nona Deering • 1925 — data-sort-value="Big Parade, The" | The Big Parade — Justyn Reed • data-sort-value="Wheel, The" | The Wheel — Kate O'Hara • Souls for Sables — Helen Ralston — Uncredited • data-sort-value="Kiss Barrier, The" | The Kiss Barrier — Marion Weston • Men and Women — Agnes Prescott • data-sort-value="Devil's Cargo, The" | The Devil's Cargo — Martha Joyce • 1924 — data-sort-value="Brass Bowl, The" | The Brass Bowl — Sylvia • data-sort-value="Fast Set, The" | The Fast Set — Fay Colleen • data-sort-value="Painted Flapper, The" | The Painted Flapper — Eunice Whitney • Helen's Babies — Helen Lawrence • Oh, You Tony! — Betty Faine • Honor Among Men — Patricia Carson • data-sort-value="Girl in the Limousine, The" | The Girl in the Limousine — The Girl • Missing Daughters — Claire Mathers • data-sort-value="Night Hawk, The" | The Night Hawk — Clia Milton • Daddies — Bobette Audrey • 1923 — data-sort-value="Clean Up, The" | The Clean Up — Phyllis Andrews • Legally Dead — Minnie O'Reilly • Where the North Begins — Felice McTavish • Stepping Fast — Helen Durant • Brass Commandments — Ellen Bosworth • data-sort-value="Scarlet Car, The" | The Scarlet Car — Beatrice Forbes • 1922 — Do and Dare — Juanita Sánchez • Heart's Haven — Vivian Breed • Just Tony — Marianne Jordan • Golden Dreams — Mercedes McDonald • When Romance Rides — Lucy Bostil • data-sort-value="Gray Dawn, The" | The Gray Dawn — Nan Bennett • 1921 — data-sort-value="Mysterious Rider, The" | The Mysterious Rider — Columbine • data-sort-value="Man of the Forest, The" | The Man of the Forest — Helen Raynor • data-sort-value="Certain Rich Man, A" | A Certain Rich Man — Molly Culpepper • data-sort-value="Lure of Egypt, The" | The Lure of Egypt — Margaret Lampton • Black Beauty — Claire Adams is not in the Vitagraph film. She appeared in a competing rival version of the story produced by Eskay Harris Feature Film Company. • data-sort-value="Killer, The" | The Killer — Ruth Emory • data-sort-value="Spenders, The" | The Spenders — Avice Milbrey • 1920 — data-sort-value="Dwelling Place of Light, The" | The Dwelling Place of Light — Janet Butler • data-sort-value="Penalty, The" | The Penalty — Barbara • Riders of the Dawn — Lenore Anderson • data-sort-value="White Dove, The" | The White Dove — Ella De Fries — Credited as Clare Adams • data-sort-value="Key to Power, The" | The Key to Power — Ann Blair • data-sort-value="Money Changers, The" | The Money Changers — Lucy Hegan • data-sort-value="Great Lover, The" | The Great Lover — Ethel • 1919 — data-sort-value="Invisible Bond, The" | The Invisible Bond — Leila Templeton — Also known as Should a Wife Forgive? (USA) • data-sort-value="Misfit Earl, A" | A Misfit Earl — Phyllis Burton • Speedy Meade — Alice Hall • data-sort-value="End of the Road, The" | The End of the Road — Mary Lee • 1918 — data-sort-value="Spirit of the Red Cross, The" | The Spirit of the Red Cross — Ethel • Adam and Some Eves • data-sort-value="Man-Eater, The" | The Man-Eater — Credited as Peggy Adams • 1917 — Nutty Knitters • Faint Heart and Fair Lady • Your Obedient Servant • Chris and His Wonderful Lamp — Betty • 1913 — data-sort-value="Widow's Suitors, The" | The Widow's Suitors — Credited as Clara Adams • Boy Wanted — As Clara Adams • data-sort-value="Shower of Slippers, A" | A Shower of Slippers — As Clara Adams • Aunt Elsa's Visit — As Clara Adams • data-sort-value="Office Boy's Birthday, The" | The Office Boy's Birthday — As Clara Adams • Bragg's New Suit — As Clara Adams • 1912 — Kitty at Boarding School • Revenge Is Sweet — As Clara Adams • data-sort-value="Artist's Joke, The" | The Artist's Joke — As Clara Adams • An Intelligent Camera • Apple Pies — As Clara Adams • Kitty's Holdup • Eddie's Exploit — As Clara Adams • Curing the Office Boy — As Clara Adams • data-sort-value="Heroic Rescue, A" | A Heroic Rescue — As Clara Adams

* • Profile and picture at Northern Stars • Biography in the Australian Dictionary of Biography

Claire Adams is recorded with the occupation actor. Recorded as a citizen of Canada.

• Guide to the Claire Adams Photographs. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.