Introduction
Edna Hammel (9 April 1901 — 17 May 1964) was an American child actress active in the 1910s during the silent film era. She is known for her roles in The Little Bride of Heaven (1912), The Boy and the Girl (1912), and What Katie Did (1913)
Life and career
Edna Hammel was born on April 9, 1901, in Johnson City, New York. She is the niece of American actress Beatrice Mable.
She appeared with Edison Studios in over 40 films, alongside the company's other child actors, such as Yale Boss, Robert Emmett Tansey, Bobby Connelly, Andy Clark, Edna May Weick, Kathleen Coughlin, Helen Coughlin, Shirley Mason, and others.
Hammel made her acting debut in 1911 with a minor role in Charles M. Seay's comedy Bob and Rowdy. The following year, she was seen in such movies as A Western Prince Charming, The Little Bride of Heaven, Alone in New York, The Grandfather, Uncle Mun and the Minister, and A Christmas Accident. Also in 1912, she starred as "Katie Mooney" in Seay-directed What Katie Did alongside Bliss Milford and William Bechtel.
Her other major credits include Harold M. Shaw's The New Day's Dawn (1913), Walter Edwin's Her Royal Highness (1913), Charles H. France Quarantined (1914), and Langdon West's The New Partner (1914.)
Hammel also appeared in four Andy Clark movie series: Andy Plays Hero (1914), Andy, the Actor (1914), Andy Learns to Swim (1914), and Andy and the Redskins (1914).
She was last seen on the silver screen in 1915 in The Fairy and the Waif, alongside Mary Miles Minter, Percy Helton, and Will Archie.
Hammel had trouble finding roles when she reached adolescence. Edison Studios did not consider her suitable for the roles of a young actress and subsequently, her acting career faded.
Death
Hammel died on May 17, 1964, in Southwick, Massachusetts. She was 63.
Filmography
- Bob and Rowdy (1911)
- A Western Prince Charming (1912)
- The Little Bride of Heaven (1912)
- Alone in New York, by Ashley Miller (1912)
- The Boy and the Girl, by Ashley Miller (1912)
- The Grandfather, by Harold M. Shaw (1912)
- The Little Girl Next Door, by Ashley Miller (1912)
- Uncle Mun and the Minister, by CJ Williams (1912)
- Mother Goose in a Sixteenth Century Theater (1912)
- The Affair at Raynor's, by Charles Brabin (1912)
- Linked Together, by CJ Williams (1912)
- A Thrilling Rescue by Uncle Mun, by CJ Williams (1912)
- Annie Crawls Upstairs, by Charles Brabin (1912)
- A Christmas Accident, by Harold M. Shaw (1912)
- What Katie Did, by Charles M. Seay (1913)
- The New Day's Dawn, by Harold M. Shaw (1913)
- The Governess, by Walter Edwin (1913)
- The Ranch Owner's Love-Making, by Walter Edwin (1913)
- The Gauntlets of Washington, by J. Searle Dawley and Walter Edwin (1913)
- Newcomb's Necktie, by CJ Williams (1913)
- Her Royal Highness, by Walter Edwin (1913)
- The Patchwork Quilt, by Charles H. France (1913)
- The Dream Fairy, by Ashley Miller (1913)
- A Tardy Recognition, by George Lessey (1913)
- A Mistake in Judgment, by Charles M. Seay (1913)
- The Embarrassment of Riches, by Charles M. Seay (1913)
- The Doctor's Duty, by George Lessey (1913)
- The Phantom Signal, directed by George Lessey (1913)
- The Gunmaker of Moscow, directed by George Lessey (1913)
- United in Danger, by Ashley Miller (1914)
- The Adventures of Andy Clark, film serial
- Andy Plays Hero, by Charles H. France (1914)
- Andy, the Actor, by Charles H. France (1914)
- Andy Learns to Swim, by Charles H. France (1914)
- Andy and the Redskins, by Charles H. France (1914)
- Sophia's Imaginary Visitors, directed by Walter Edwin (1914)
- Mr. Sniffkins' Widow, by Charles M. Seay (1914)
- Quarantined, by Charles H. France (1914)
- His Sob Story, by George Lessey (1914)
- The Coward and the Man, by Ashley Miller (1914)
- A Canine Rival, by CJ Williams (1914)
- One Touch of Nature, by Ashley Miller (1914)
- Father's Beard, by Charles Ransom (1914)
- The New Partner, by Langdon West (1914)
- The Fairy and the Waif, by Marie Hubert Frohman and George Irving (1915)