JANE NOVAK - AUTOGRAPHED INSCRIBED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 171860

JANE NOVAK
Inscribed sepia photo of the actress shown in the silent movie serial Graft (1915)
Inscribed Photograph signed: "To Gladys Calvert/With the kindest wishes/of Jane Novak/'Dorothy Maxwell'/in/'Graft' serial". Sepia  7½ x 9½. Shown in her starring role in the 20-part serial Graft (1915), an innovative series in which each episode was written by a different, well-known author. Jane Novak (1896-1990) appeared in film shorts from 1913, and had larger roles in several Hal Roach comedies (with Harold Lloyd in Willie's Haircut, 1914; and Just Nuts,1915). By the 1920s, however, she had established herself as a Western heroine, co-starring in films with William S. Hart (with whom she was linked romantically) and Tom Mix. She impressed critics with strong dramatic performances in Thelma (1922) and The Lullaby (1925). Like many silent stars, she was reduced to mostly bit parts in talking films (through 1954). A lifelong friend of Alfred Hitchcock, she appeared in his Foreign Correspondent (1940). Novak made a fortune in real estate and film production, and then lost it in the stock market crash of 1929. Her acting range may be indicated by the diverse ways she is described by critics. Gary Brumburgh at IMDB calls her "fragile-looking," while Hans Wollstein at All-Movie Guide terms her "the strong outdoorsy type." Toned. Worn at corners. Upper and lower left corners torn off. Upper right corner creased. Pinhole on upper margin.  Lightly soiled on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.