Minta Durfee
Araminta Estelle "Minta" Durfee (October 1, 1889 – September 9, 1975) was an American silent film actress from Los Angeles, California, possibly best known for her supporting role in Mickey (1918).
Also recorded as Araminta Durfee
Minta Durfee

Photoplay Magazine · Public domain
- Name
- Minta Durfee
- Birth Name
- Araminta Estelle Durfee
- Born
- 1 October 1889
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Died
- 9 September 1975
- Place of death
- Los Angeles California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actress
- Full name
- Araminta Estelle Durfee.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Araminta Estelle "Minta" Durfee (October 1, 1889 – September 9, 1975) was an American silent film actress from Los Angeles, California, possibly best known for her supporting role in Mickey (1918).
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Note VALÉORINE
Minta Durfee (1889–1975) was an actor, actress and film actor, of American nationality. The actor was born Araminta Estelle Durfee in Los Angeles and died in Woodland Hills. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q443110 · wikipedia · Minta Durfee
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Minta Durfee • Birth Name — Araminta Estelle Durfee • Born — 1 October 1889 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Died — 9 September 1975 • Place of death — Los Angeles California, U.S. • Other Names — Minta Durfee Arbuckle • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1913–1971
Biography
Biography
She met Roscoe Arbuckle when he was attempting to get started in theater, and the two married in August 1908. Durfee entered show business in local companies as a chorus girl at the age of 17. She was the first leading lady of Charlie Chaplin. Durfee and Arbuckle separated in 1921, just prior to a scandal involving the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. There were three trials and, finally, Arbuckle was acquitted, but his career was destroyed and he received few job offers. Durfee and Arbuckle divorced in 1925. Durfee in her later years said Arbuckle was "the most generous human being I've ever met", and "if I had to do it all over again, I'd still marry the same man."[1] Durfee was an avid defender of her close friend Mabel Normand throughout Normand's many public scandals. A regular performer on television, Durfee appeared on such shows as Noah's Ark (1956). She had minor roles in motion pictures including How Green Was My Valley (1941), Naughty Marietta (1935), Rose-Marie (1936), It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), and Savage Intruder (1970). In later life, Durfee gave lectures on silent film and held retrospectives on her and her former husband's pictures. She was surprised and excited by the renewed interest in silent film. Durfee died in Woodland Hills, California, at the Motion Picture Country Home in 1975. She suffered from a heart ailment.[2][3]
Filmography
Filmography
• His Sister's Kids (1913, Short) (uncredited)[4] • Fatty's Day Off (1913, Short) • A Quiet Little Wedding (1913, Short) as Fatty's fiancée • Fatty at San Diego (1913, Short) as Girl at the carnival • Wine (1913, Short) as Diner's sweetheart • Fatty Joins the Force (1913, Short) (uncredited) • Fatty's Flirtation (1913, Short) as Minta • Ambrose's First Falsehood (1914, Short) (uncredited) • A Misplaced Foot (1914, Short) • The Under-Sheriff (1914, Short) as The Sheriff's Wife • A Flirt's Mistake (1914, Short) (uncredited) • Rebecca's Wedding Day (1914, Short) as Wedding guest (uncredited) • Making a Living (1914, Short) as Girl (uncredited) • Tango Tangles (1914, Short) as Guest • Cruel, Cruel Love (1914, Short) as The Lady • The Star Boarder (1914, Short) as Landlady • Twenty Minutes of Love (1914, Short) as Edgar's girl • Where Hazel Met the Villain (1914, Short) • Caught in a Cabaret (1914, Short) as Cabaret patron / Girl in park (uncredited) • A Suspended Ordeal (1914, Short) • The Water Dog (1914, Short) as Nursemaid • The Alarm (1914, Short) • The Knockout (1914, Short) as Pug's sweetheart (uncredited) • Fatty and the Heiress (1914, Short) • Fatty's Finish (1914, Short) • The Sky Pirate (1914, Short) • Those Happy Days (1914, Short) • Fatty's Gift (1914, Short) as Fatty's Wife • The Masquerader (1914, Short) as leading lady • His New Profession (1914, Short) • The Rounders (1914, Short) as Fatty's wife • Lover's Luck (1914, Short) as The Girl • Fatty's Debut (1914, Short) • Fatty Again (1914, Short) as Proprietor's daughter • Lovers' Post Office (1914, Short) as Fatty's sweetheart • An Incompetent Hero (1914, Short) as Neighbor's maid • Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914) as Maid (uncredited) • Fatty's Wine Party (1914, Short) as in a minor role (uncredited) • Leading Lizzie Astray (1914, Short) as Lizzie, the farm boy's fiancée • Fatty's Magic Pants (1914, Short) as Fatty's sweetheart • Fatty and Minnie He-Haw (1914, Short) as Minta • Dirty Work in a Laundry (1915, Short) (uncredited) • A Bird's a Bird (1915, Short) (uncredited) • Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition (1915, Short) as Jealous husband's wife (uncredited) • Mabel, Fatty and the Law (1915, Short) as Flirty wife • Fatty's Reckless Fling (1915, Short) as Neighbor's wife • Fatty's Faithful Fido (1915, Short) (uncredited) • Fatty's Chance Acquaintance (1915, Short) as Pickpocket's girlfriend • That Little Band of Gold (1915, short) • Fatty's Faithful Fido (1915, Short) as Fatty's sweetheart • When Love Took Wings (1915, Short) • Court House Crooks (1915, Short) as Judge's wife • Dirty Work in a Laundry (1915) • Fickle Fatty's Fall (1915, Short) as Fatty's wife • Fatty and the Broadway Stars (1915, Short) as Sam Bernard's leading lady • Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition (1915, Short) (uncredited) • Bright Lights (1916, Short) in a minor role (uncredited) • His Wife's Mistakes (1916, Short) • The Other Man (1916, Short) • The Cabaret (1918) • Mickey (1918) as Elsie Drake • Skinner's Dress Suit (1926) as Party guest (uncredited) • Naughty Marietta (1935) in minor role (uncredited) • The Man with Nine Lives (1940) (uncredited) • Glamour for Sale (1940) as Matron (uncredited) • Rollin' Home to Texas (1940) (uncredited) • The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) as Customer (uncredited) • How Green Was My Valley (1941) in a minor role (uncredited) • The Miracle Kid (1941) as Pheney • The Man Who Returned to Life (1942) as Mrs. Tuller (uncredited) • Blondie for Victory (1942) as Housewife (uncredited) • The Chance of a Lifetime (1943) (uncredited) • Eve Knew Her Apples (1945) as Landlady (uncredited) • The Son of Rusty (1947) as Townswoman (uncredited)[5] • My Dog Rusty (1948) as Mrs. Laura Foley (uncredited)[6] • How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) as Older woman (uncredited) • Artists and Models (1955) as Dancer (uncredited) • Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as an extra (uncredited) • Hollywood or Bust (1956) as Miss Pettywood (uncredited) • The Buster Keaton Story (1957) as Boarder (uncredited) • An Affair to Remember (1957) as Ship passenger (uncredited) • Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) as Scrubwoman (uncredited) • The Big Fisherman (1959) in a minor role (uncredited) • Beloved Infidel (1959) (uncredited) • My Six Loves (1963) as Woman at auction (uncredited) • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)[7] as Woman in crowd (uncredited) • The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) as Denver party guest (uncredited) • Caprice (1967) as Agent (uncredited) • Savage Intruder (1970) as Guest • Willard (1971) (uncredited) • What's the Matter with Helen? (1971) as Old lady (uncredited) • The Steagle (1971) as Old lady (uncredited) • Portnoy's Complaint (1972) as Elevator lady
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Minta Durfee was recorded at birth as Araminta Estelle Durfee. The authorities additionally record the heading Araminta Durfee. Her recorded language was English. She married Roscoe Arbuckle.
Actress Minta Durfree
by Ruth Waterbury · Photoplay: The Aristocrat of Motion Picture Magazines, Volume 9 December, 1915 pg. 27
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1975
Minta Durfee died at Woodland Hills.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Los Angeles.
Birth place
Woodland Hills.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Schneider, Don. Excerpts of Interview with Minta Durfee Arbuckle. July 21, 1974.
- 2.Minta Durfee, Actress, 85, Dies; Former Wife of Fatty Arbuckle. New York Times. September 12, 1975.
- 3.Del Olmo, Frank. Fatty Arbuckle's First Wife Dies. Los Angeles Times. September 12, 1975.
- 4.Turner Classic Movies. Minta Durfee Filmography.
- 5.Blottner, Gene. Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926-1955: The Harry Cohn Years. McFarland & Company. 282. 2011. 978-0786433537.
- 6.Blottner, p. 283.
- 7.Walker, Brent E. Mack Sennett's Fun Factory. McFarland & Co. 500. 2009. 978-0786436101.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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