Claire Windsor(1892-1972)
- Actress
Silent-era star Claire Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk in Cawker City, Kansas, the daughter of Ella
and G.E. Cronk. She was educated at Broadway High School in Seattle,
Washington, and Washburn Preperatory Academy in Topeka, Kansas. She
studied voice and piano at Cohn's Conservatory of Music in Seattle. Claire began her film career as an extra on the Famous Players-Lasky lot, and was signed to stock by director Allan Dwan to
work at First National Pictures. She was then signed by writer/director
Lois Weber to the lead role in
What Do Men Want? (1921), at
which time she changed her name to Claire Windsor (on the advice of
writer Frances Marion). She toured with
Al Jolson in his stage show in 1933.
