Edwin Carewe

Native American actor and director (1883–1940

Edwin Carewe

Carewe in 1918

Born|

Jay John Fox[1]

(1883-03-03)March 3, 1883

Gainesville, Texas, United States

Died| January 22, 1940(1940-01-22) (aged 56)

Hollywood, California, United States

Nationality| Chickasaw Nation,[1] American
Education| University of Texas
Occupation(s)| Film director, actor
Years active| 1912–1934
Spouses|

* Mary Jane Croft
* Mary Akin (actress)
* Mary Akin (remarried)[2]

Children| Violette Carewe, Mary Jane Carewe, Sally Ann Carewe, William Carewe, Carol Lee Carewe [3]
Parent(s)| Franklin Marion Fox and Sally J. Priddy Fox[4][3]
Family| F. Finish Carewe (brother)
Wallace Carewe (brother)

Edwin Carewe (Chickasaw Nation,[1] March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was a Native American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Jay John Fox was born on March 3, 1883, in Gainesville, Texas.[1] His parents were Franklin Marion Fox and Sallie J. Priddy Fox.[1]

Carewe and his two brothers, Wallace Ware Fox (a director/producer) and Franklin Finis Fox (a scenario writer), were all citizens of the Chickasaw Nation and original enrollees on the 1907 Chickasaw Dawes Rolls.[5][1]

## Career

[edit]

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After brief studies at the Universities of Texas and Missouri and a period of work with regional theatrical groups, Carewe moved to New York City in 1910, where he became a member of the Dearborn Stock Company. Although Jay Fox was his given name, Carewe chose Edwin (from stage actor Edwin Booth) and Carewe from a character he was playing.[6]

Carewe was on stage as an actor before he worked for Lubin studios. Later, he directed films for MGM, First National, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and United Artists. During his career, he provided early screen exposure to many actors such as Dolores del Río, Warner Baxter, Francis X. Bushman and Gary Cooper. He directed 58 films including the acclaimed 1928 version of Ramona starring Dolores del Río and Warner Baxter, which was rediscovered and restored by the Library of Congress and had its world premiere at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2014.

Another of Carewe's notable films was Evangeline in 1929, also with Del Río, and written by his brother Finis Fox. Evangeline was based upon the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and earned praise for its exceptional lighting and camera work.[7]

Although Carewe directed and produced several critically and financially successful pictures during the silent era, he was not fully able to make the transition to sound. After resorting to sound remakes of his earlier successes, and later to low-budget and religious films, he made his last feature Are We Civilized? in 1934.

Carewe was married three times, twice to actress Mary Akin. By his first wife, Mary Jane Croft (married January 9, 1909 in Toronto, Ontario),[citation needed] he had two daughters, Violette (who became an actress, known as "Rita Carewe") and Mary Jane. By his first marriage to his second wife, Mary Akin, he had two children, Sally Ann and William (born Edwin Gilbert). By his second marriage to Akin, they had one more child, Carol Lee.[citation needed]

## Death

[edit]

Carewe died from a heart ailment in his Hollywood apartment, and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[8]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Director

[edit]

Year  | Films  | Notes

|
|

1914  | Across the Pacific | Extant at The Museum of Modern Art[9]
1915  | Cora | Lost film
1915  | The Cowboy and the Lady | Lost film
1915  | Destiny: Or, The Soul of a Woman | 3 of 5 reels held at Library of Congress
1915  | The Final Judgment |
1915  | The House of Tears | Lost film
1915  | Marse Covington | Lost film [10]
1916  |  The Dawn of Love | Lost film
1916  | God's Half Acre | Extant at Library of Congress[11]
1916  | Her Great Price | Lost film [12]
1916  | The Snowbird |
1916  | The Sunbeam | Lost film [13]
1916  | The Upstart | Lost film [14]
1917  | The Barricade | Lost film
1917  | The Greatest Power | Lost film
1917  | Her Fighting Chance | Lost film
1917  | The Trail of the Shadow | Lost film
1917  | Their Compact | Lost film
1917  | The Voice of Conscience |
1918  | The House of Gold | Lost film
1918  | Liberty Bond Jimmy | Short film
1918  | Pals First | Lost film [15]
Remade in 1926
1918  | The Splendid Sinner | Lost film
1918  | The Trail to Yesterday |
1919  | Easy to Make Money | Lost film
1919  | False Evidence |
1919  | The Right to Lie | Extant at  EYE Filmmuseum[16]
1919  | Shadows of Suspicion | Lost film
1919  | The Way of the Strong | Lost film
1920  | Isobel; Or, The Trail's End | Lost film [17]
1920  | Rio Grande | Lost film
1920  | The Web of Deceit |
1921  | Habit | Lost film
1921  | Her Mad Bargain | Lost film
1921  | The Invisible Fear | Lost film
1921  | My Lady's Latchkey | Lost film
1921  | Playthings of Destiny | Lost film
1922  | I Am the Law | Lost film
1922  |  A Question of Honor | Lost film
1922  | Silver Wings | Lost film
1923  | The Bad Man | Lost film
1923  | The Girl of the Golden West | Lost film
1923  | Mighty Lak' a Rose | Lost film
1924  |  Madonna of the Streets | Lost film
1924  | A Son of the Sahara | Lost film
1925  | Joanna | Lost film
1925  | The Lady Who Lied | Lost film
1925  |  My Son | Lost film
1925  | Why Women Love | Lost film
1926  | High Steppers | Lost film
1926  | Pals First | Lost film
1927  | Resurrection | Lost film
1928  | Ramona |
1928  | Revenge |
1929  | Evangeline |
1930  | The Spoilers |
1931  | Resurrection |
1934  | Are We Civilized? |

### Actor

[edit]

* The Water Rats (1912)
* Gentleman Joe (1912)
* The Moonshiner's Daughter (1912)
* A Girl's Bravery (1912)
* The Call of the Heart (1913)
* His Conscience (1913)
* Into the Light (1913)
* On Her Wedding Day (1913)
* Her Husband's Picture (1913)
* From Ignorance to Light (1913)
* The Wine of Madness (1913)
* The Great Pearl (1913)
* Kidnapping Father (1913)
* Retribution (1913)
* A Mock Marriage (1913)
* In the Harem of Haschem (1913)
* A Florida Romance (1913)
* Women of the Desert (1913)
* The Moonshiner's Wife (1913)
* Dolores' Decision (1913)
* The Soul of a Rose (1913)
* The First Prize (1913)
* The Supreme Sacrifice (1913)
* The Regeneration of Nancy (1913)
* Down on the Rio Grande (1913)
* It Might Have Been (1913)
* Love's Justice (1913)
* The Mexican Spy (1913)
* The Miser (1913)
* On the Threshold (1913)
* Private Smith (1913)
* The Three of Us (1914)
* Cora (1915)
* Snowbird (1916)

### Producer

[edit]

* Isobel or The Trail's End (1920)
* The Web of Deceit (1920)
* I Am the Law (1922)
* The Bad Man (1923)
* The Girl of the Golden West (1923)
* Mighty Lak' a Rose (1923)
* Madonna of the Streets (1924)
* A Son of the Sahara (1924)
* Joanna (1925)
* Why Women Love (1925)
* The Lady Who Lied (1925)
* My Son (1925)
* Pals First (1926)
* High Steppers (1926)
* Resurrection (1927)
* Revenge (1928)
* Evangeline (1929)
* The Spoilers (1930)
* Resurrection (1931)
* Are We Civilized? (1934)

### Writer

[edit]

* Across the Pacific (1914)
* The Dancer and the King (1914)
* Rio Grande (1920)
* Resurrection (1927)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Large, Deborah (December 2014). "Edwin Carew Was Pioneering Director During Silent Screen Era". Chickasaw Times. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
2. ^ Slate, John H. (June 12, 2010). "Carewe, Edwin". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
3. ^ a b "Edwin Carewe's Biography". Edwin Carewe. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
4. ^ "Fox Brothers: Finis, Jay (Edwin Carewe), and Wallace". University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
5. ^ Aleiss, Angela (March 27, 2014). "Recovered and Restored: Ramona, Silent Movie by Chickasaw Filmmaker". Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
6. ^ The New York Times, January 23, 1940, p. 21; Variety January 24, 1940.
7. ^ The New York Times, August 20, 1929.
8. ^ See Edwin Carewe, State of California Standard Certificate of Death, 22 Jan 1940 (filed 24 Jan 1940), Local Registered No. 1904. Although a few writers have said that Carewe had committed suicide, his death certificate actually states arteriosclerosis general and coronary sclerosis as the cause of death. He had a previous condition of coronary thrombosis. Even if suicide had been suspected, the LA County Coroner's Office would have been required by law to perform an autopsy and none was ever performed.
9. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Across The Pacific
10. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Marse Covington
11. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: God's Half Acre
12. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Her Great Price
13. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Sunbeam
14. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Upstart
15. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Pals First
16. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Right to Lie
17. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Isobel; Or, The Trail's End

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edwin Carewe.

* Edwin Carewe at IMDb
* Edwin Carewe at Virtual History
* Official website of Edwin Carewe

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Spain
* Poland