Val Paul

American actor

Val Paul

Born|

Vaughn Archibald Paul

April 10, 1886

Denver, Colorado, US

Died| March 23, 1962(1962-03-23) (aged 75)

Hollywood, California, US

Other names| Valentine Paul
Occupation| Actor
Years active| 1910–1948[1]
Spouse(s)| Anna Louise Wey
(m. 1907; div. 1913)
Mary Palmer Bredell (née Nields)
(alias May Foster Dabeney)
(m. 1914; died 1950)[2][3]

Vaughn Archibald "Val" Paul[4][5] (April 10, 1886[6] – March 23, 1962) was an American actor and director of the silent era. He appeared in 99 films between 1913 and 1922. He also directed 10 films between 1920 and 1932.

## Biography

[edit]

Born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah,[6][7] Paul was the son of Jenny and John J. Paul.[5] He attended the Oquirrh School and Salt Lake High School.[4][8][9]

## Personal life and death

[edit]

In September 1907, Paul married fellow Salt Lake City resident Anna Louise Wey; they divorced in the summer of 1913.[10][11] The following winter he exchanged vows with aspiring actress/writer May Foster Habeney[12][13][14] (aka Mary Palmer Bredell, née Nields[15]), with whom—in their sole joint screen appearance—he co-starred later that year in the 101 Bison two-reeler, The Brand of His Tribe.[16] Paul had two sons,[1] those being Elwood Bredell—by his wife's first marriage[17]—and Vaughn Austin Paul,[18] who later had a brief film career composed primarily of assistant director stints but became best known during that period for his long-rumored elopement with—and short-lived marriage to—movie star Deanna Durbin.[19]

Publicity of a more sobering sort was generated in 1935 at a "picnic" held in San Bernardino's Griffith Park, when Mrs. Paul's brother, Daniel Nields (with premeditation and in the presence of his 84-year-old prospective mother-in-law), fatally shot his girl friend, Hollywood stenographer Frances Conklin, for "teas[ing] me [for] loving my sister too much."[20] a crime to which Nields ultimately pled guilty, resulting in a life sentence, served at San Quentin.[21]

Predeceased by his wife, Paul died on March 23, 1962, at age 75 in Hollywood,[6] survived by his son, his stepson, and four grandchildren.[1]

## Selected filmography

[edit]

* Suspense (1913)
* The Brand of His Tribe (1914)
* The College Orphan (1915)
* The Secret of the Swamp (1916)
* It Happened in Honolulu (1916)
* God's Crucible (1917)
* Mutiny (1917)
* The Lair of the Wolf (1917)
* Mr. Logan, U.S.A. (1918)
* Fame and Fortune (1918)
* Treat 'Em Rough (1919)
* Smiles (1919)
* The Girl from Nowhere (1919)
* Sundown Slim (1920 - directed)
* West Is West (1920 - directed)
* Hearts Up (1921 - directed)
* The Kickback (1922 - directed)
* The Timber Queen (1922)
* Good Men and True (1922 - directed)
* Canyon of the Fools (1923 - directed)
* Crashin' Thru (1923 - directed)
* Desert Driven (1923 - directed)
* The Miracle Baby (1923 - directed)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Obituaries: Val Paul". The Hollywood Reporter. March 26, 1962. p. 12\. ProQuest 2339657667. "Services for Val Paul, 75, film pioneer who died of a heart attack Friday, will be held at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at Pierce Bros. Hollywood chapel. He started as an actor in 1910 with Mary Pickford and Ruth Roland, turned to directing Harry Carey and Hoot Gibson westerns at Universal in 1922, was later production and studio manager for various studios and a producer at Paramount and Universal before retiring in 1948. Two sons and four grandchildren survive."
2. ^ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLHG-6QP : Sun Mar 10 15:32:18 UTC 2024), Entry for Archie V Paul and May Foster Habeney, 3 March 1914.
3. ^ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K4W-LWFL : 11 February 2023), Vaughn Austin Paul, .
4. ^ a b Park, Ham (January 25, 1952). "The Senator from Sandpit: Show Business". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 14\. Retrieved December 5, 1952.
5. ^ a b "California, Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HG88-YYZM : Tue Mar 19 07:15:36 UTC 2024), Entry for Vaughn Archibald Paul and John Paul, 23 March 1962.
6. ^ a b c Katchmer, George A. (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 296\. ISBN 978-0-7864-4693-3.
7. ^ "Washington's Birthday". The Salt Lake Herald. February 21, 1896. p. 3\. retrieved December 7, 2024.
8. ^ "A Practice Game". Deseret News. October 5, 1900. p. 2\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
9. ^ "Vaughn Paul Made Captain; Selected to lead Red and Blue on Gridiron Next Year". The Salt Lake Herald. p. 7\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
10. ^ "Autumn Weddings Stir Society". The Salt Lake Herald. September 19, 1907. p. 4\. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
11. ^ "Lure of the Movies Leads to Divorce". The Salt Lake Herald. July 31, 1913. p. 7\. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
12. ^ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8Z1-W2R : Wed Mar 06 08:58:51 UTC 2024), Entry for Archie V Paul and May Foster Habeney, 3 March 1914.
13. ^ "Vital Record: Marriage Licenses". The Los Angeles Times. March 4, 1914. p. 16\. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
14. ^ "Through the Lens". The Billboard. July 18, 1914. p. 62\. ProQuest 1031487927. "The night before Val Paul sailed to Hawaii with the 101 Bison bunch Miss May Foster, known as the 'queen of ragtime,' became Mrs. Paul. Friends of Paul, who has just returned from Hawaii, are now offering the young Universal actor belated congratulations."
15. ^ "Last Rites Set for Mrs. Paul". Hollywood Citizen-News. January 23, 1950. p. 7\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
16. ^ "Amusement Notes: At The Favorite". The Piqua Daily Call. January 8, 1915. p. 2\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
17. ^ Binckley, Elaine (June 18, 1923). "Mission Inn Is Scene of High Noon Wedding". Hollywood Daily Citizen. See also
* "Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF8H-WJY : 13 January 2020), Mary P. Nields in entry for Jesse Bredell, 1900.
18. ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL4-DKW1 : Sat Mar 09 08:00:02 UTC 2024), Entry for Vaughan Austin Paul and Vaughan Archibald Paul, 5 January 1916.
19. ^ Associated Press (April 19, 1941) "At Reception After Ceremony". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. p. 5\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
20. ^ Associated Press (June 29, 1935). "Kissed Her, Loved Her and Shot Her". Arizona Daily Star. p. 2\. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
21. ^ Associated Press (August 27, 1935). "Slayer of Sweetheart Given Life Sentence". The Fresno Bee. p. 2\. Retrieved December 7, 2024. See also:
* "Three Slayers Denied Paroles". The Los Angeles Times. October 26, 1944. pt. I, p. 12.
* "Funeral Notices". Hollywood Citizen-News. April 13, 1955. p. 8.

## External links

[edit]

* Val Paul at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Poland