Hubbry Logo
Edna MortonEdna MortonMain
Open search
Edna Morton
Community hub
Edna Morton
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Edna Morton
Edna Morton
Edna Morton
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
Edna Morton (right) with Lawrence Chenault in The Jazz Hounds

Edna Morton (April 2, 1894 – July 31, 1980) was an American actress who was in films in the 1920s.[1][2] She starred in mainly race films most of them produced by Reol Productions.[1] Her most notable films being Spitfire (1922), Easy Money (1922), and The Call of His People (1921). She was also in a film by Oscar Micheaux called A Son of Satan (1924). She is known to have been in ten films in total.[1] She was referred to as "the colored Mary Pickford".[1]

Early life

[edit]

Morton was born in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 1894.

Acting career

[edit]

Her earliest film was The Sport of the Gods (1921).[3] She acted in many other films in 1921 but the production of The Sport of the Gods is believed to have taken place during February and March.[1] It was Reol Productions' first film and she played the character known as Hattie Thompson.[1] She went on to have bigger roles. In the film Spitfire (1922) she was the lead actress, playing the character Ruth 'Spitfire' Hill. Her co-star in this film was Lawrence Chenault, another African American actor. They were both in The Sport of Gods as well and made many films together between 1921 and 1925. These films included: The Burden of Race (1921), The Call of His People (1921), Secret Sorrow (1921), Ghost of Tolston's Manor (1923), and A Son of Satan (1924).[1][4] One non-race film Edna Morton acted in was T. Hayes Hunter's Wildfire (1925). She had a part in the film as the side character known as Susie. When seen in cast listings, Edna Morton was listed a player, leading to majority of her story being lost.[5]

Family

[edit]

Morton married twice. Her first marriage was to Samuel A. Wilson. They were married in September 1915. They divorced on an unknown date. Morton’s second marriage was to Edward R. DeGrant on September 7, 1930. He died June 6, 1973. Morton did not marry again after and died seven years later at the age of 86 on July 31, 1980.

Filmography

[edit]

Source[4]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Edna Morton

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Edna Morton (April 2, 1894 – July 31, 1980) was an American actress known for her leading roles in silent race films during the 1920s, particularly those produced by the Black-owned Reol Productions company. She starred in notable titles such as Spitfire (1922), Easy Money (1922), The Call of His People (1921), and A Son of Satan (1924), contributing to early African-American cinema by appearing in films created specifically for Black audiences at a time when opportunities for Black performers in mainstream Hollywood were severely limited. Morton also performed on stage, appearing in the role of Luciana in a 1923 all-Black cast production of The Comedy of Errors on Broadway. Her work with Reol Productions established her as a prominent figure in race films, where she often took on central dramatic roles in an era when independent Black production companies provided key platforms for African-American talent.

Early Life

Birth and Background

Edna Morton was born on April 2, 1894, in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Details about her early life, family background, and upbringing are scarce in surviving records, as is common for many African American performers of the silent film era whose personal histories were often poorly documented outside of their professional credits.

Acting Career

Entry into Silent Films and Reol Productions

Edna Morton made her entry into silent films in 1921 through her association with Reol Productions, an independent company specializing in race films—silent productions created by and for African American audiences. Reol's first film was The Sport of the Gods (1921), in which Morton debuted in the role of Hattie Sterling under the credit Edna Morton Wilson. During Reol Productions' primary active period of 1921–1922, Morton became one of its key performers, appearing in several of the company's titles including The Jazz Hounds (1921), Secret Sorrow (1921), The Simp (1921), The Call of His People (1921), and The Burden of Race (1921), and frequently co-starring with actor Lawrence Chenault. Her popularity in the Black film circuits earned her the nickname "the colored Mary Pickford," reflecting her appeal as a leading lady in these specialized productions. Many race films from this era, including those from Reol, are now considered lost, which limits detailed accounts of Morton's early performances and contributions. Her work with Reol marked the beginning of her brief silent film career, which extended until 1925.

Notable Roles and Collaborations

Edna Morton's career in silent race films featured several standout roles, particularly during her association with Reol Productions in the early 1920s. She took on leading and supporting parts in titles such as The Call of His People (1921), The Burden of Race (1921), Easy Money (1922), and The Schemers (1922), where she portrayed Isobel Benton. One of her most prominent performances came as the lead in Spitfire (1922), a Reol Productions semi-Western drama in which she co-starred with Lawrence Chenault. Morton maintained a notable professional partnership with actor Lawrence Chenault, appearing alongside him in multiple productions from 1921 to 1924, including both Spitfire and the later A Son of Satan. In 1924, she appeared in A Son of Satan, directed by Oscar Micheaux, marking her only known collaboration with the influential race film director. She shared the screen with Chenault once again in this production. Due to the loss of many silent-era race films, information about her specific performances and character interpretations relies primarily on surviving credits, cast lists, and period synopses.

Later Roles and Retirement

Edna Morton's later career featured roles in a handful of films during the mid-1920s. She appeared in Ghost of Tolston's Manor (1923), Three Miles Out (1924), and Wildfire (1925). Wildfire, directed by T. Hayes Hunter, marked her only known appearance in a non-race film, where she had a smaller supporting role. Morton made no further documented film appearances after 1925. Her withdrawal from acting coincided with the decline of silent race films and the industry's transition to sound cinema in the late 1920s, though no records specify the reasons for her retirement.

Personal Life

Edna Morton was born on April 2, 1894, in Washington, District of Columbia, and died on July 31, 1980, in Brooklyn, New York.

Marriages

Edna Morton was married twice. Her first marriage was to Samuel A. Wilson. Her second marriage was to Edward R. DeGrant. Some records list the wedding date as September 7, 1930. However, a contemporary announcement in The Afro-American newspaper, published on September 20, 1930, reported that DeGrant and Edna Morton Wilson had announced their marriage, which took place on Sunday, September 14, 1930, followed by an at-home reception. DeGrant died on June 6, 1973. No further marriages are documented after DeGrant's death.

Later Years and Death

Post-Acting Life

After her last film appearance in 1925, no further professional or public activities are documented for Edna Morton.

Death

Edna Morton died on July 31, 1980, in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 86.

Filmography

Known Credits

Edna Morton's known film credits consist of 12 unique appearances in silent films from 1921 to 1925, as documented on IMDb (with one entry corrected for duplication). Her earliest roles were in 1921 with The Simp, The Burden of Race, Secret Sorrow, The Call of His People, The Jazz Hounds as Anne Morgan, and The Sport of the Gods as Hattie Sterling (credited as Edna Morton Wilson). In 1922 she appeared in Spitfire, Easy Money, and The Schemers as Isobel Benton. Her 1924 films were Three Miles Out as Susie (a supporting role in a mainstream production) and A Son of Satan (also known during production as Ghost of Tolston's Manor). In 1925 she appeared in Wildfire as Hortense (a supporting role in a mainstream production). Some sources list only ten films (likely focusing on her race film credits), and many of her silent race films are now considered lost.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.