Eva Novak

Eva Novak
Eva Novak
	Novak, early 1920s
Born	February 14, 1898; St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 17, 1988 (aged 90); Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1917–1966
Spouse	William Reed (m. 1921)
Children	2
Relatives	Jane Novak (sister); Anne Schaefer (aunt)

Eva Barbara Novak (February 14, 1898 – April 17, 1988) was an American film actress, who was quite popular during the silent film era.

Biography

On February 14, 1898,^[2] Eva Barbara Novak^[3] was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Joseph Jerome Novak, an immigrant from Bohemia, and Barbara Medek. Her older sister, Johana, also became an actress.^[4] Joseph Novak died when Eva was still a child and Barbara was left to raise five children.^[5]

Novak began her acting career in 1917 in L-KO's Roped into Scandal, followed by another seven films that same year. She appeared in 17 films in 1918, and another eight in 1919. In 1920, she starred opposite Tom Mix in The Daredevil, one of six film roles she would have that year, and one of ten films in which she starred opposite Mix.

In 1921, she married stuntman William Reed,^[6] whom she met while on location for a film. They had two daughters Vivian Barbara and Pamela Eve.

Novak was interested in stunt performing herself, having been taught by Mix to perform many of her own stunts. From 1921 to 1928, she appeared in and starred in 48 films, including an early version of Boston Blackie. She also co-starred with Betty Bronson and Jack Benny in The Medicine Man (1930) and appeared in the 1922 film Chasing the Moon, which was an early forerunner of the 1950s film D.O.A. In the late 1920s, she and her husband moved to Australia, where she made numerous films, including The Romance of Runnibede. However, with the advent of "talking films", her popularity faded. She would continue to act, but mostly in obscure roles.

Eva Novak acting with Tom Mix in the 1922 film Sky High

She appeared in 123 films between 1917 and 1965, when she retired. She was residing in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles at the time of her death from pneumonia at the age of 90, on April 17, 1988.^[7]

In May 1923, the Altoona Tribune held a contest to find the girl who most closely resembled Novak. An announcement in the newspaper said that the winner would receive $250 worth of clothes from a store.^[8]

Selected filmography

The King of the Kitchen (1918, short) as Niece
The Freckled Fish (1919, short)
The Speed Maniac (1919) as Pearl Matthews
The Feud (1919) as Betty Brown / Betty Summers
Wanted at Headquarters (1920) as Kate Westhanger
The Daredevil (1920) as Alice Spencer
The Testing Block (1920) as Nelly Gray
Desert Love (1920) as Dolly Remington
Up in Mary's Attic (1920) as Mary
Silk Husbands and Calico Wives (1920) as Georgia Wilson
O'Malley of the Mounted (1921) as Rose Lanier
Trailin' (1921) as Sally Fortune
The Rough Diamond (1921) as Gloria Gomez
Society Secrets (1921) as Louise
The Smart Sex (1921) as Rose
The Torrent (1921) as Velma Patton
The Last Trail (1921) as Winifred Samson
Wolves of the North (1921) as Aurora Norris
The Man from Hell's River (1922) as Mabella
Sky High (1922) as Estelle Halloway
Chasing the Moon (1922) as Jane Norworth
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1922) as Vonia
Making a Man (1922) as Patricia Owens
Barriers of Folly (1922) as May Gordon
Up and Going (1922) as Jackie McNabb
The Great Night (1922) as Mollie Martin
The Tiger's Claw (1923) as Harriet Halehurst
A Noise in Newboro (1923) as Anne Paisley
The Man Life Passed By (1923) as Joy Moore
Boston Blackie (1923) as Mary Carter
Dollar Devils (1923) as Amy Andrews
Temptation (1923) as Marjorie Baldwin
Missing Daughters (1924) as Eva Rivers
Listen Lester (1924) as Mary Dodge
The Beautiful Sinner (1924) as Alice Carter
The Fatal Mistake (1924) as Ethel Bennett
Racing for Life (1924) as Grace Danton
A Fight for Honor (1924) as Margaret Hill
Lure of the Yukon (1924) as Sue McGraig
Tainted Money (1924) as Adams' Daughter
Women First (1924) as Jennie Doon
Laughing at Danger (1924) as Carolyn Hollister
The Triflers (1924) as Beatrice Noyes
Safeguarded (1924)
Battling Mason (1924) as Patsy
The Fearless Lover (1925) as Enid Sexton
Northern Code (also titled as The Northern Code) (1925) as Marie La Fane
Sally (1925) as Rosie Lafferty
Irene (1926) as Eleanor Hadley
Say It with Babies (1926, short) as Baby Man's Wife
The Millionaire Policeman (1926) as Mary Gray
The Dixie Flyer (1926) as Rose Jones / Rose Rapley
No Man's Gold (1926) as Jane Rogers
30 Below Zero (1926) as Ann Ralston
Red Signals (1927) as Mary Callahan
Duty's Reward (1927) as Dorothy Thompson
For the Term of His Natural Life (1927) as Sylvia Vickers
The Romance of Runnibede (1928)
The Medicine Man (1930) as Hulda
The Phantom of the Desert (1930) as Mary Van Horn
Dangerous Intrigue (1936) as Nurse (uncredited)
Ride a Crooked Mile (1938) as Cashier (uncredited)
The Topeka Terror (1945) as Mrs. Green
Apology for Murder (1945) as Kirkland's Maid
Corpus Christi Bandits (1945) as Stage Passenger (uncredited)
Three's a Crowd (1945) as Matron (uncredited)
Claudia and David (1946) as Maid (uncredited)
Blackmail (1947) as Mamie
Four Faces West (1948) as Mrs. Winston
3 Godfathers (1948) as Townswoman (uncredited)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) as Courtier (uncredited)
Havana Rose (1951) as Matron (uncredited)
Sergeant Rutledge (1960) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) as Townswoman (uncredited)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963) (Season 1 Episode 29: "The Dark Pool") as Mrs. Hayes
Wild Seed (1965) as Mrs. Simms

References

^ Brown, John W. (2008). Missouri Legends: Famous people from the Show-Me State. St. Louis: Reedy Press. pp. 176, 177.
^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
^ Maxford, Howard (2018). Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company. McFarland. p. 600. ISBN 978-1-4766-7007-2. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
^ Katchmer, George A. (September 22, 2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. ISBN 9780786446933 – via Google Books.
^ The Independent, London, February 1990
^ "Eva Novak Dies at 90; Starred With Tom Mix". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 20, 1988. p. B 9. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
^ "OBITUARIES : Eva Novak; Sweetheart of Silent-Movie Cowboy Stars". Los Angeles Times. April 21, 1988. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
^ "$250.00 Is Yours If You Resemble Actress!". Altoona Tribune. May 22, 1923. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.