Agnes Mapes Explained

Agnes Mapes
Occupation:	Actress
Years Active:	1907-1916

Agnes Mapes was an American actress who appeared in vaudeville performances and silent films throughout the 1900s and 1910s. Originally a part of the Crescent Theatre Stock Company, she was highly praised for her role in the 1907 production of The Holy City. She later worked for the Kalem Company and was part of some of its productions filmed in Ireland in 1911. Her multiple roles in 1912's A Fool There Was resulted from actors having to be swapped around which led to her playing the lead position and being applauded for her "fascinating and repellant" performance.

Career

During the 1907 production of the play The Holy City, Mapes was asked to fill the role of Salome for the play's week in Philadelphia, as the several actresses who normally played the role were unavailable. The part includes a complex choreographed dance, but the dance instructor was too busy to teach her and could only show her the basic poses. At the same time, none of the dance partners were available to practice with her, forcing her to work on the dance on her own. Her performance, despite this, was highly praised by Philadelphia newspapers.^[1] This time period had her working with the Crescent Theatre Stock Company, though she did play some outsourced roles, such as in the 1909 play Are You a Mason? with the Gotham Company.^[2]

Mapes was part of the Kalem crew that traveled to Ireland on July 3, 1911, to make films after the success of the Kalem film The Lad from Old Ireland, acting as the wardrobe manager in addition to actress.^[3] After a series of tours throughout the highlands of Killarney, the Kalem crew produced seventeen films of varying lengths, including The Colleen Bawn and Arrah-na-Pogue.^{[4] [5]} The 1912 production of A Fool There Was had Mapes frequently play the role of the sister, but after the main actress became ill in November of that year, Mapes was moved to the primary role of the vampiric "Woman". Her characterization of the role was described by the St. Louis Globe-Democrat as "fascinating and repellant by turns".^[6]

By 1925, Mapes had become the plays department manager for Conational Plays Inc, helping promote plays to the executive staff for production.^[7]

Theatre

• The Holy City (1907)^[8] as Salome^[9]
• Texas (1907)^[10] as Lady Cecelia Trevor^[11]
• The Dollar Mark (1908)^[12]
• The Sporting Duchess (1909) as Muriel, Countess of Desborough^[13]
• Robert Emmet (1909)^[14]
• Are You A Mason? (1909)^[2]
• The Fire Commissioner (1909) as the Commissioner's wife^[15]
• A Fool There Was (1912)^[16]
• Pilate's Daughter (1914) as Rebecca^[17]
• Hedda Gabler (1916) as Mrs. Elvsted^[18]

Filmography

• The Lad from Old Ireland (1910) as Aileene's mother
• Hubby's Day at Home (1911) as Wifie
• The Colleen Bawn (1911) as Mrs. Cregan^[19]
• Arrah-na-Pogue (1911)^[20] as Fanny Powers, an adaptation of Arrah-na-Pogue^[21]
• Il trovatore (1914), a film adaptation of Il trovatore^[22]
• The Glory of Youth (1915)^[23]
• The Foolish Virgin (1916) as Ella Swanson^[24]

Notes and References

1. News: . June 3, 1907 . Playing Salome Against Odds . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
2. News: . March 6, 1909 . Gotham Notes . The Chat . April 1, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
3. Book: Slide, Anthony . 1978 . Aspects of American film history prior to 1920 . . 89. 978-0-8108-1130-0 .
4. Book: Prime, Rebecca . Cinematic Homecomings: Exile and Return in Transnational Cinema . May 19, 2016 . . 978-1-5013-1995-2.
5. . A Kalem Girl In Ireland . . Chalmers Publishing Company . July 1911 . 31–32 . April 5, 2024 . Internet Archive.
6. News: . November 25, 1912 . A Fool There Was . . April 6, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
7. News: A.D. . July 5, 1925 . Allentown Man Is Successful As Playwright . . April 6, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
8. News: . April 21, 1907 . Footlight Flashes . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
9. News: . April 30, 1907 . "The Holy City" at the Girard . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
10. News: . March 23, 1908 . Hartford Opera House . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
11. News: . December 2, 1907 . Auditorium . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
12. News: . December 11, 1908 . At The Lyric . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
13. News: . February 9, 1909 . Stock Companies . . March 31, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
14. News: . March 2, 1909 . Emmet Ahead Of St. Patrick . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
15. News: . May 17, 1909 . Fine Bill Is Offered By The Colonial This Week . . April 3, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
16. News: . October 8, 1912 . Academy . . April 3, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
17. News: . March 17, 1914 . Former Local Citizen To Direct Production . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
18. News: . March 12, 1916 . In Aid of War Horses . . April 6, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
19. News: . October 24, 1911 . Star . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
20. Book: J.P. McGowan: Biography of a Hollywood Pioneer . 978-0-7864-1994-4 . McGowan . John J. . January 2005 . McFarland & Company.
21. News: . December 29, 1911 . "Arrah-Na-Pogue" At Star Today . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
22. . Miss Agnes Mapes in "Il Trovatore" . . World Photographic Publishing Company . 1914 . 259 . April 6, 2024.
23. News: . February 1, 1916 . At The Princess . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
24. News: . July 15, 1917 . The Foolish Virgin . . March 30, 2024 . Newspapers.com.