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Claire Windsor (born Clara Viola Cronk; April 14, 1892 – October 24, 1972) was an American film actress of the silent screen era.
Intent on further refining her daughters' education and position in society, Rosella and her daughters returned to Seattle in the fall of 1910. On July 14, 1913, Claire ("Ola") was chosen for the role of Emperor during the lavish Musical theatre of Jappyland. While living in Seattle, Ola met David Willis Bowes and the intense relationship continued by correspondence after Mr. Bowes' return to Denver. Soon a June wedding was planned, but en route back to Kansas, Ola and Bowes wed secretly on May 13, 1914, in Denver. The union resulted in the birth of a son, David Willis Bowes Jr., on September 9, 1916, but the couple soon went their separate ways. Bowes officially filed for divorce on September 14, 1920.
Ola moved to California to be reunited with her parents who had recently retired. Seeking a way to support herself and baby son, Ola took the advice of a friend and quickly found employment at the Film studio. Initially receiving only , she was soon spotted by Lois Weber, a highly regarded and influential director and producer of silent films for Paramount Pictures. Weber immediately signed Windsor to a contract. "Silent Era People"; accessed September 2, 2021.
The publicity paid off; in 1922 the newly formed Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) began their annual WAMPAS Baby Stars awards and she was named, along with Bessie Love, Lila Lee, Mary Philbin and Colleen Moore, as the year's most promising starlets. That same year Claire signed a contract with Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. She would appear in Broken Chains with fellow WAMPAS Baby Star Colleen Moore.
In 1923, the former Ola Cronk officially began using the more matinee-friendly Claire Windsor as a moniker. Throughout the 1920s, Windsor established herself as highly regarded leading lady in film. As her career progressed, she was often typecast as the "upscale It girl", often playing the part of a princess, or monied socialite. Critics lauded her elegant fashion sense, and Windsor became a noted trend-setter of 1920s fashion.
In 1924, Windsor was one of the top stars at the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio. Later, at Tiffany Pictures, Souls for Sables (1925), co-starring Eugene O'Brien, was a box-office hit for Windsor.
By the late 1920s, Windsor (like so many of her acting peers) found it difficult to move into talkies. She made several talkies throughout the 1930s but could never recapture the success of her earlier years as a silent screen actress. She had a brief stint on a road tour with Al Jolson in the production of The Wonder Bar and occasionally took stage parts. In 1937 she performed at Harold Lloyd Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals. In her later years, Windsor devoted herself to painting.
On April 12, 1943, she legally changed her name to Claire Windsor, and her son took the name of William Willis Windsor.
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Claire Windsor was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
| 1919 | Eyes of Youth | Guest at Party (uncredited) | |
| 1920 | In the Heart of a Fool | (uncredited) | Lost Film |
| 1920 | To Please One Woman | Alice Granville | Lost Film |
| 1921 | What's Worth While? | Phoebe Jay Morrison | |
| 1921 | Too Wise Wives | Marie, his wife | |
| 1921 | The Blot | His daughter, Amelia | |
| 1921 | What Do Men Want? | Hallie, The Girl | 41 of 70 minutes extant |
| 1921 | Dr. Jim | Helen Keene | Lost Film |
| 1921 | The Raiders | "Honey" Moore | Lost Film |
| 1922 | Grand Larceny | Kathleen Vaughn | Lost Film |
| 1922 | One Clear Call | Faith | |
| 1922 | Fools First | Ann Whittaker | Lost Film |
| 1922 | Rich Men's Wives | Gay Davenport | Lost Film |
| 1922 | Brothers Under the Skin | Dorothy Kirtland | 4 of 6 reels extant |
| 1922 | The Strangers' Banquet | Derith Keogh | Lost Film |
| 1922 | Broken Chains | Hortense Allen | |
| 1923 | Souls For Sale | Herself | |
| 1923 | The Eternal Three | Frances Walters | |
| 1923 | Little Church Around the Corner | Leila Morton | |
| 1923 | Rupert of Hentzau | Countess Helga | Lost Film |
| 1923 | The Acquittal | Madeline Ames | |
| 1924 | Nellie, The Beautiful Cloak Model | Nellie | |
| 1924 | A Son of the Sahara | Barbara Barbier | Lost Film |
| 1924 | For Sale | Eleanor Bates | Lost Film |
| 1924 | Born Rich | Chadyeane Fairfax | |
| 1924 | The Dixie Handicap | Virginia | Lost Film |
| 1925 | The Denial | Mildred | |
| 1925 | The White Desert | Robinette | |
| 1925 | Just A Woman | June Holton | Lost Film |
| 1925 | Souls for Sables | Alice Garlan | |
| 1926 | Dance Madness | May Anderson | Lost Film |
| 1926 | Money Talks | Phoebe Starling | Lost Film |
| 1926 | Tin Hats | Elsa von Bergen | 6 of 7 reels extant |
| 1927 | A Little Journey | Julia Rutherford | Lost Film |
| 1927 | The Claw | Dierdre Saurin | |
| 1927 | The Bugle Call | Alice Tremayne | Lost Film |
| 1927 | Foreign Devils | Lady Patricia Rutledge | |
| 1927 | The Frontiersman | Lucy | Lost Film |
| 1927 | Blondes by Choice | Bonnie Clinton | |
| 1927 | The Opening Night | Carol Chandler | |
| 1928 | Satan and the Woman | Judith Matheny | Lost Film |
| 1928 | Nameless Men | Mary | Lost Film |
| 1928 | Fashion Madness | Gloria Vane | Lost Film |
| 1928 | The Grain of Dust | Josephine Burroughs | Lost Film |
| 1928 | Domestic Meddlers | Claire | Lost Film |
| 1928 | Show People | Herself | |
| 1929 | Captain Lash | Cora Nevins | |
| 1929 | Midstream | Helene Craig | |
| 1932 | Self Defense | Alice | |
| 1932 | Sister to Judas | Annie Frayne | |
| 1933 | The Constant Woman | Marlene Underwood | |
| 1933 | Kiss of Araby | Mrs. Courtney | |
| 1934 | Cross Streets | Ann Clement Grattan | |
| 1938 | Barefoot Boy | Valerie Hale | |
| 1945 | How Doooo You Do!!! | Herself | |
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