Kathlyn Williams

Kathlyn Williams was born Kathleen Mabel Williams on May 31, 1879, in Butte, Montana, the only child of Joseph Edwin "Frank" Williams, a boarding house proprietor, and Mary C. Boe (1846–1908), of Welsh and Norwegian descent. Many biographies list her birth year as 1888; however, she is recorded in the 1880 United States Census as being one year old. Williams showed an early interest in acting, which led her to join a community thespian group. She also became a member of the Woman's Relief Corps, where she performed at local recitals, showcasing her vocal abilities.

Williams began her film career with the Selig Polyscope Company in Chicago, Illinois, making her first film in 1908 under the direction of Francis Boggs. By 1910, she was transferred to the company's Los Angeles studio. In 1914, she portrayed "Cherry Malotte" in the first film adaptation of Rex Beach's 1906 novel *The Spoilers*, a role later played by Betty Compson (1930), Marlene Dietrich (1942), and Anne Baxter (1955). In 1916, she starred in the thirteen-episode adventure film serial *The Adventures of Kathlyn*. She remained active during the silent film era, but the combination of aging and the rise of talkies limited her to only five sound films, the last of which was in 1935. During this time, Williams transitioned from comedic and serial roles in silents to character parts in the early 1930s.

Williams was married three times. Although many biographies incorrectly list her first husband as Victor Kainer, his actual name was Otto H. "Harry" Kainer (1876–1952), who operated an import and export business on Wall Street in New York City. They married on October 2, 1903, and had a son, Victor Hugo, in 1905. Their marriage reportedly ended due to Kainer's disapproval of his wife's acting career, and Williams obtained a divorce in Nevada in 1909. On March 4, 1913, she married Frank R. Allen, an actor, but the marriage was short-lived and ended in a little over a year. On June 30, 1914, Williams filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing desertion as the reason. She later married Charles Eyton, a Paramount Pictures executive, on June 2, 1916, in Riverside, California. The Eytons eventually divorced in 1931.

On December 29, 1949, Williams was involved in a fatal automobile accident in which her friend, Mrs. Mary E. Rose, was killed while they were returning home from a social event in Las Vegas. As a result of the crash, Williams lost her right leg. On April 8, 1950, she filed a lawsuit against the estate of Rose for $136,615, alleging negligence and claiming the car had inefficient brakes. In June 1951, Williams accepted a settlement of $6,500 from the Rose estate. Kathlyn Williams died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California, in 1960.

For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Kathlyn Williams has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7038 Hollywood Blvd.