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Vera Sisson
Vera Sisson
Vera Sisson
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Vera Sisson (July 31, 1891 – August 6, 1954)[1] was an American actress of the silent era.[1]

Key Information

Biography

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Vera Sisson was born on July 31, 1891, in Salt Lake City.[2] She received her education at Brownlee Collegiate School for Girls in Denver, Colorado. In 1912, Sisson applied for work as an extra at Universal Pictures and made her film debut in The Helping Hand (1913). Sisson received recognition as J. Warren Kerrigan's leading lady in seven successful films, including The Sandhill Lovers (1914), The Oyster Dredger (1915), and A Bogus Bandit (1915).

In 1915, Sisson was offered a contract with Biograph Studios, and the following year she married actor and director Richard Rosson.

Sisson costarred with Harold Lockwood and Virginia Rappe in Paradise Garden (1917), Rudolph Valentino in The Married Virgin (1918), and Constance Talmadge in Experimental Marriage (1919). Her final film appearance was in Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (1926), starring Evelyn Brent and Louise Brooks.

On May 1, 1939, Sisson and her husband Rosson, along with two other British nationals, were arrested on a charge of espionage in Vienna, Austria by the Gestapo, allegedly for filming military hardware. They were held in solitary confinement for 34 days and released.[3]

On May 31, 1953, Richard Rosson committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. A year later, on August 6, 1954, Sisson committed suicide by barbiturate overdose.[4] She is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery near her brother in law Arthur Rosson.

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1913 A Mix-Up in Pedigrees The Stenographer Short
Always Together The Old Bricklayer's Daughter Short
The House in the Tree May – age 18 Short
The Helping Hand Ellen – age 19 Short
How Freckles Won His Bride Vera Short, Unconfirmed
Helen's Stratagem Helen Rockwood – John's Sister Short
1914 The Ten of Spades Jess – the Waif Short
An Academy Romance Vera Short
The Rival Dentists Jane Payne Short
Some Boy Short
A Murderous Elopement Mabel Short
Hawkeye and the Cheese Mystery Pansy Buttermilk Short
Too Much Married Tottie Coughdrop Short
The Seat of the Trouble Edna Short
The Bolted Door Natalie Judson Short
The Lion Harriet Courtney Short
Women and Roses Wallace's Wife Short
As Fate Willed Marion Stearns Short
Toilers of the Sea Jessie Scott Short
The Call Back Emily Forbes Short
The Golden Ladder Short
The Sandhill Lovers Meg, Hardy's Daughter Short
The Silent Witness Vera Short
A Twentieth Century Pirate Penelope Hampton Short
At Mexico's Mercy Brenda Short
Value Received Frances De Vere Short
Out of the Valley Mrs. Osborne Short
A Man and His Brother Eleanor Hess – the Farmer's Daughter Short
Weights and Measures Kitty Donely Short
There Is a Destiny Jeanne de Jean – the Fisherman's Daughter Short
The Man from Nowhere Lolita – the Stranger's Sweetheart Short
Little Meg and I Meg Anderson Short
A Gentleman from Kentucky Nell Hastings Short
The Proof of a Man Alma Wilson Short
Disillusioned Velma Benning Short
His Father's Son Mrs. Horton - Cal Jr.’s Mother Short
His Heart His Hand and His Sword Princess Beatrix de Grandlieu Short
The Empire of Illusion Princess Beatrix de Grandlieu Short
The Inn of the Winged Gods Princess Beatrix de Grandlieu Short
1915 A Bogus Bandit The Drifter's Daughter Short
Martin Lowe, Financier Short
The Storm Helen Cartwright Short
The Guardian of the Flock Rosaria Short
The Stool Pigeon Mildred Moore Short
For Cash Vera Ronceval Short
The Oyster Dredger Vera – an Heiress Short
Martin Lowe, Fixer Helen Stebbins Short
The Trust Florence Allison Short
According to Value Mabel Stewart – Arthur's Sweetheart Short
The Chimney's Secret Short, Uncredited
The Rehearsal Evelyn Payne Short
His Wife's Story Louise Blair Short
The Worth of a Woman Mrs. Holmes Short
His Hand and Seal Short
The Laurel of Tears Esther Browne Short
The Chief Inspector Lucille Palmer – George's Daughter Short
A Woman Without a Soul Cora Martin Short
Her Stepchildren Rose Short
The Tides of Retribution Nellie Carpenter Short
1916 The Avenging Shot Short
Stronger Than Woman's Will Short
The Iron Will Henrietta Short
The Guilt of Stephen Eldridge Eleanor Curzon Short
The Mystery of Orcival Laurence Short
The Battle of Truth Belle Bolter Short
The Man Who Called After Dark Dorothy – Whitmore's Ward Short
The Larrimore Case The Girl in the Case Short
Fit for Burning Constance Grey Short
The Iron Woman Elizabeth Ferguson
That Sharp Note Short
1917 The Hidden Spring Thora Erickson
Paradise Garden Una Habberton
1918 The Married Virgin Mary McMillan
1919 Experimental Marriage Dot Harrington
The Veiled Adventure Eve Gardiner
The Heart of Youth Evie Atherton
His Official Fiancée Cicely Harradine
1920 The Marriage Blunder
1921 The Avenging Arrow Unconfirmed
The Sage–Brush Musketeers Short
1926 Love 'Em and Leave 'Em Mrs. Whinfer

References

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Vera Sisson

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from Grokipedia
Vera Sisson was an American silent film actress known for her leading roles in early Hollywood westerns and her supporting appearances in notable productions of the 1910s and 1920s. Born on July 31, 1891, in Salt Lake City, Utah, she began her career in 1913 as an extra at Universal Studios before rising to prominence through collaborations with J. Warren Kerrigan in several successful westerns, including titles such as The Sandhill Lovers and The Oyster Dredger. She later appeared in films like The Married Virgin (1918), where she co-starred with Rudolph Valentino early in his career, and transitioned to character roles in projects such as Experimental Marriage (1919) and Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (1926), her final credited performance. After her marriage to director Richard Rosson in 1916, Sisson largely retired from acting in the 1920s, with her final credited performance in 1926. Her later life included a dramatic incident in 1939 when she and her husband were arrested in Vienna, Austria, on charges of photographing military secrets and held for thirty-four days before their release. Her husband died by suicide in 1953, and Sisson herself died by barbiturate overdose on August 6, 1954, at age 63, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; she is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Early life

Birth and background

Vera Sisson was born on July 31, 1891, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. At the time of her birth, the region was still designated as Utah Territory, prior to Utah's admission as a U.S. state in 1896. She later moved to Denver, Colorado, for her education.

Education

Vera Sisson was educated at the Brownlee Collegiate School for Girls in Denver, Colorado. This schooling occurred during her youth, prior to her relocation to California.

Film career

Entry into films and early shorts (1913–1915)

Vera Sisson entered the film industry in 1912 when, at the age of twenty-one, she applied for extra work at Universal Studios. She made her screen debut the following year in the short drama The Helping Hand (1913), playing the role of Ellen. Between 1913 and 1915, Sisson appeared in numerous short films, primarily produced by Universal, as the studio churned out high volumes of one- and two-reel pictures during the early silent era. Her credits from this period include A Mix-Up in Pedigrees (1913), where she portrayed the Stenographer, The House in the Tree (1913), and A Twentieth Century Pirate (1914), in which she appeared alongside J. Warren Kerrigan. Additional shorts from these years featured her in supporting or smaller roles, contributing to her rapid accumulation of screen experience. By 1915, Sisson's consistent work in these early shorts positioned her for more substantial opportunities, including collaborations with J. Warren Kerrigan.

Leading roles with J. Warren Kerrigan (1914–1915)

Vera Sisson rose to prominence as the leading lady opposite J. Warren Kerrigan in several successful western shorts produced by Universal Studios between 1914 and 1915. These films capitalized on Kerrigan's popularity as a matinee idol and marked Sisson's breakthrough in the industry, establishing her as a reliable performer in outdoor melodramas and action-oriented stories. Contemporary accounts described the collaborations as hit westerns that highlighted her on-screen chemistry with Kerrigan. Specific titles from this series include The Sandhill Lovers (1914) and The Oyster Dredger (1915). Other verified entries are A Bogus Bandit (1915) and The Stool Pigeon (1915). These one- and two-reel shorts represented Sisson's most notable early success and demonstrated her versatility in western roles. In 1915, Biograph Studios offered Sisson a contract, reflecting her growing reputation following the Kerrigan pairings. After this period, she transitioned to feature-length work.

Feature films and supporting roles (1916–1926)

Following her collaboration with J. Warren Kerrigan in shorts and early features, Vera Sisson transitioned to longer-form productions beginning in 1916 with a role in the feature The Iron Woman as Elizabeth Ferguson. Her work during the late 1910s included several notable appearances in feature films, often in supporting or co-starring capacities alongside prominent performers of the silent era. In 1917 she appeared in Paradise Garden as Una Habberton and The Hidden Spring as Thora Erickson. The following year she had a prominent role opposite Rudolph Valentino in The Married Virgin (1918), portraying Mary McMillan. In 1919 she was particularly active, appearing in Experimental Marriage as Dot Harrington alongside Constance Talmadge, The Veiled Adventure as Eve Gardiner, The Heart of Youth as Evie Atherton, and His Official Fiancée as Cicely Harradine. From 1920 onward Sisson's screen work grew increasingly sporadic as she shifted toward supporting and character parts. She appeared in The Marriage Blunder (1920) and The Sage-Brush Musketeers (1921), the latter a short subject. Her final credited role came in 1926 with a supporting performance as Mrs. Whinfer in the Paramount comedy-drama Love 'Em and Leave 'Em. Following this appearance she retired from acting to focus on her marriage.

Retirement from acting

Vera Sisson's final credited film appearance was a small supporting role as Mrs. Whinfer in the 1926 comedy Love 'Em and Leave 'Em, directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Evelyn Brent and Louise Brooks. After this performance, she retired from acting to become a full-time wife following her marriage to director Richard Rosson. She had continued in occasional supporting roles after their 1916 wedding, but ultimately chose to leave the industry to focus on domestic life.

Personal life

Marriage to Richard Rosson

Vera Sisson married film director Richard Rosson in 1916. Their marriage lasted until Rosson's death in 1953. The couple had no children. They later made their home in Pacific Palisades, California. Sisson largely retired from acting after her marriage, though she appeared in one later film in 1926.

Arrest in Vienna (1939)

On May 1, 1939, Vera Sisson and her husband Richard Rosson were arrested in Vienna, Austria, along with two British camera men (Jack Whitehead and William Allan), by the Gestapo. The group, Americans and Britons, faced charges of espionage for allegedly taking unauthorized photographs of military sites or installations. They were held in solitary confinement for several weeks before being released without formal conviction on or around May 25, 1939. The incident occurred in the tense pre-war atmosphere following the Anschluss, when Austria had been incorporated into Nazi Germany, bringing Vienna under Gestapo authority. The group had been photographing for film backgrounds. Their marriage endured the ordeal, though it marked a dramatic episode in their later lives.

Death

Husband's suicide (1953)

On May 31, 1953, Vera Sisson's husband, Richard Rosson, committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. This event ended their marriage of over three decades, which had begun in 1921. Sisson suffered severe depression in the wake of her husband's death. The tragedy preceded her own death by 14 months in 1954.

Her suicide (1954)

Vera Sisson committed suicide on August 6, 1954, in Carmel, California, by ingesting an overdose of barbiturates at the age of 63. The death was officially ruled a suicide, coming 14 months after her husband Richard Rosson's suicide in 1953, amid ongoing depression following his death. She was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
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