Edna May Sperl

In 1919, Sperl became friends with actor Edgar Jones as he was beginning work on a series of new silent film productions for the photodrama company Big Woods. She accompanied him to his studio in Augusta, Maine, and the wooded regions of the state to work on becoming "known principally as a star of the great out-of-doors."{{cite news |author= |date=September 15, 1920 |title=Edna May Sperl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-edna-may-sperl/144485314/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} The first series of Jones's films were completed in August 1920, where Sperl then took a month's vacation before returning at the end of September to begin the second drama series.{{cite news |author= |date=September 28, 1920 |title=Returns To Work |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/akron-evening-times-returns-to-work/145450624/ |work=Akron Evening Times |access-date=April 16, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} She went on to become the leading woman in multiple Holman Day films.{{cite news |author= |date=March 27, 1921 |title=Daring Stunts Have No Terror for Edna May Sperl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-daring-stunts-have-no/144485389/ |work=Detroit Free Press |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} The success of the Holman Day series resulted in the film company Pathé Exchange hiring Jones and Sperl in August 1921 to make a new series of films set in the woods of Maine, beginning with 1921s The Black Ace.{{cite magazine |author= |title=A New Series of Holman Day Films Contracted for by Pathe |url=https://archive.org/details/movpicwor512movi/page/n169/mode/2up?q=%22Edna+May+Sperl%22 |magazine=The Moving Picture World |publisher=The World Photographic Publishing Company |date=August 13, 1921 |page=719 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}

During the filming of 1921s Caught in the Rapids with Jones, Sperl filmed a scene while on a raft in the middle of a river. Jones's role was to save her as a part of the film, but when the raft began breaking into pieces due to the rapids, he had to truly save her due to Sperl being a poor swimmer.{{cite news |author= |date=April 2, 1921 |title=Holman Day Perils |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-holman-day-perils/145604586/ |work=The Morning Call |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} In an article for the Orlando Evening Star, Sperl acknowledged that she enjoyed doing outdoors films the most because of the "freedom of the woods and plains", along with the "thrill of a lifetime" from the dangerous stunts and performances she was in. Her favorite character role was playing as Lora Farrell in Single-Handed Sam.{{cite news |last=Sperl |first=Edna May |date=June 27, 1921 |title=Why I Like To Play Outdoor Characters |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/orlando-evening-star-why-i-like-to-play/145617022/ |work=Orlando Evening Star |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

In October 1921, Sperl traveled with the other actors of Edgar Jones's studio to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where the United States Motion Picture Company had commissioned them to use the area as their new filming studio and location.{{cite news |author= |date=October 24, 1921 |title=To Make Pictures In The Valley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wilkes-barre-times-leader-the-evening-n/145623406/ |work=Wilkes-Barre Times Leader |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• The Leap Year Girls (1917){{cite news |author= |date=July 31, 1917 |title=Musical Play at Cross Keys |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-musical-play-a/145327711/ |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Rounder of Old Broadway (1918) as the pickpocket{{cite news |author= |date=September 3, 1918 |title=Temple - Vaudeville |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-temple-vaudeville/145334842/ |work=Detroit Free Press |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

• Other Men's Shoes (1920){{cite news |author= |date=May 8, 1920 |title=Imperial Presents Drama Acclaimed By Critics Of Both States And Canada |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-imperial-presents-dra/145638369/ |work=The Ottawa Citizen |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Knight of the Pines (1920){{cite news |author= |date=August 6, 1920 |title=Edgar Jones At The Jewel Today In "A Knight Of The Pines" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hamilton-evening-journal-edgar-jones-at/145631272/ |work=Hamilton Evening Journal |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Devil Brew (1921)
• The Rider of the King Log (1921)
• Lochinvar o' the Line (1921) as the heroine{{cite news |author= |date=February 10, 1921 |title=Love Among the "Rum-runners" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/shawnee-news-star-love-among-the-rum-ru/145494093/ |work=Shawnee News-Star |access-date=April 17, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Three and a Girl (1921){{cite news |author= |date=February 24, 1921 |title=A Lively Mixed Bill at Hippodrome Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/leavenworth-post-a-lively-mixed-bill-at/145508004/ |work=Leavenworth Post |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Two Fisted Judge (1921){{cite news |author= |date=February 25, 1921 |title=Bijou |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wilmington-morning-star-bijou/145508042/ |work=The Wilmington Morning Star |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Caught in the Rapids (1921){{cite news |author= |date=April 30, 1921 |title=A Lively Mixed Bill at Hippodrome Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leavenworth-times-a-lively-mixed-bil/145604869/ |work=The Leavenworth Times |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} as Elise Cormier{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Steve |date=June 11, 2023 |title=Maine silent film festival is something to talk about |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-maine-silent-film-festival-i/145630839/ |work=Sun-Journal |pages=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-maine-silent-film-festival-i/145630949/ B7] |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• A Forest Sampson (1921){{cite news |author= |date=May 28, 1921 |title=At the Dreamland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-at-the-dreamlan/145613100/ |work=The Akron Beacon Journal |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Timber Wolf (1921){{cite news |author= |date=June 20, 1921 |title=Holman Day Picture |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/kennebec-journal-holman-day-picture/145616987/ |work=Kennebec Journal |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Single-Handed Sam (1921) as Lora Farrell
• The Black Ace (1921){{cite news |author= |date=September 2, 1921 |title=Double Bill For Rialto Patrons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dayton-herald-double-bill-for-rialto/145619954/ |work=The Dayton Herald |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Flaming Trail (1921){{cite magazine |last=Sewell |first=C. S. |title=The Flaming Trail |url=https://archive.org/details/movpicwor522movi/page/946/mode/2up?q=%22Edna+May+Sperl%22 |magazine=The Moving Picture World |publisher=The World Photographic Publishing Company |page=947 |date=October 22, 1921 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Dangerous Dollars (1921){{cite news |author= |date=November 6, 1921 |title=New Film of Maine Woods |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-new-film-of-maine/145624818/ |work=The Charlotte Observer |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Cupid, Registered Guide (1921) as Lana Candage{{cite magazine |author= |title=Cupid, Registered Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/exhibitorstrade00newy/page/1662/mode/2up?q=%22Edna+May+Sperl%22 |magazine=Exhibitor's Trade Review |publisher=Exhibitor's Trade Review Inc. |page=1662 |volume=10 |issue=24 |date=November 12, 1921 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The Law of the Woods (1922){{cite news |author= |date=March 10, 1922 |title=Century |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-century/145625238/ |work=The South Bend Tribune |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• The V That Vanished (1922){{cite news |author= |date=April 7, 1922 |title=Century |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-bend-news-times-century/145625556/ |work=The South Bend Tribune |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Lonesome Corners (1922){{cite news |author= |date=April 30, 1922 |title=Lonesome Corners |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-galveston-daily-news-lonesome-corner/145626661/ |work=The Galveston Daily News |access-date=April 18, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} as Nola{{cite magazine |last=Oscar |first=John |date=August 19, 1922 |title=Lonesome Corners |url=https://archive.org/details/motionpicturenew26july/page/918/mode/2up?q=%22Edna+May+Sperl%22 |magazine=Motion Picture News |publisher=Motion Picture News, Inc. |page=918 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}
• His Darker Self (1924) as Bill Jackson's Sweetheart{{cite book |last=Wlaschin |first=Ken |date=2009 |title=Silent Mystery and Detective Movies: A Comprehensive Filmography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oJYZDgAAQBAJ |publisher=McFarland & Company |page=109 |isbn=9780786454297}}

While touring as a theater actress in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1916, Sperl met Sergeant William Caldwell Cottingham, son of Sherwin-Williams president Walter H. Cottingham. He was unaware that she was in theater at the time and they quickly became engaged. In March 1918, he attended her performance of The Rounder of Old Broadway for the first time and they planned to be married after the show. Cottingham's father, however, had obtained the help of the sergeant's commanding officer at Camp Sheridan to have a federal marshal to arrest him for abandoning his post in order to prevent the marriage from occurring.{{cite news |author= |date=March 19, 1918 |title=Uncle Sam Separates Beauty And Soldier |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chattanooga-news-uncle-sam-separates/145332655/ |work=The Chattanooga News |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |author= |date=March 18, 1918 |title=Girl Fights For Her Soldier Boy Millionaire |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee-girl-fights-for-her-sold/145329424/ |work=The Modesto Bee |access-date=April 14, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}}

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Category:American film actresses

Category:American stage actresses

Category:American silent film actresses

Category:20th-century American actresses