Born Today February 6: Katherine Lee

1909-1968

Child actress of silent films Katherine Lee (older sister of Jane Lee) was born on this day in Glasgow, Scotland. Though born in the UK, she, and her younger sister, made films in the U.S. Her film debut came in 1913, when she was just 4 years of age in the Gem Motion Picture produced, Universal distributed comedic short None But the Brave Deserve the --? in 1913 in the role of "Kitty."  She had over 50 acting credits to her name between the ages of 4 and 15 (1913 through 1924).  Her sister Jane was born sometime in 1912 and eventually the two became an acting pair; this occurred in 1914 when they both first appeared together in Herbert Brenon's The Old Rag Doll.  Katherine (often credited as Catherine) continued on in films alone for sometime after this, owing to his sister's young age; and it wasn't until that latter part of 1915 that the two became a regular acting pair, though Katherine continued to take "solo" roles in films. They both were subsequently put under contract at Fox. Perhaps the most famous film that they appeared in is the lost 1916 Fox melodrama Her Double Life which starred Theda Bara (they also appear in another of Bara's Fox films--a feature length rendition of Romeo and Juliet  also from 1916).  If anyone knows anything about early film controversy, chances are they've heard of The Daughter of the Gods, a Fox film from 1916 also directed by Herbert Brenon.  The film was a spectacle for more reason than one--for one thing it as 3 hours long! Another is that is contained actual nudity (the film is famously lost, but some of the stills, including some nude stills, survive). So it is a little shocking to see such a young actress' name associated with such a controversial title, especially given that actual nudity in major films at the time was virtually unknown at the time (I am aware that risque elements also occur is Griffith's Intolerance); but Lee is Nydia in the film. In 1917, Katherine and Jane took top billing for the first time in the Kenean Buel directed Two Little Imps; and by later in the year they were being promoted in their own right by Fox--the poster for Trouble Makers (1917), for example, has their names emblazoned across it. It is notable that by this time, her younger sister was getting the top billing in films written specifically to feature them.  Also notable, the last film that she made as a juvenile player--and the last silent film in which she appeared--she is again acting on her own. The Side Show of Life (1924) was another Brenon directed vehicle, but a production of Paramount. Katherine was 15 years old when it was released. She and her sister both were featured in Hollywood Screen Snapshots in 1922 and 1924 and they were the focus of the short Jane and Katherine Lee in 1927, but she would not appear in another film as performer until the coming of sound and the 1930's. Her last film appearance came, again with her baby sister, in the short Warner Bros music exposition Vitaphone Billboard in 1936. Katherine outlived her sister by 11 years (Jane died tragically young at 45 in New York City in 1957).  Katherine passed away at the age of 59 in Flushing, New York on the 22nd of October.  There is no information on the interment or other funeral arrangements for either of them.

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