Viola Richard Biography



Left to Right May Wallace , Viola Richard , Stan , Barbara Pierce and the lovely Anita Garvin	Viola Richard has been one of the most asked-about and frequently mis-informed-about co-stars in the entire Laurel and Hardy repertoire. With a face and physique like Viola's, it's easy to see why. She understandably fluttered the hearts of fans everywhere with her appearances alongside the boys in six of their silent films: "Why Girls Love Sailors", "Sailors Beware", "Do Detectives Think?", "Flying Elephants", "Leave 'Em Laughing", and "Should Married Men Go Home?" She is also featured most notably in the 1928 Charley Chase silent "Limousine Love". But outside of her film appearances in 1927 and 1928 at the Hal Roach Studios, Viola seemed to have all-but-vanished into thin air .
Evelyn Viola Richard was born January 26, 1904 in Hamilton, Ontario. Canada to John Richard and English-born Alice Sweeting Richard. The family relocated to the United States in 1910 , The circumstances by which she chose an acting career and ultimately came to work at the Hal Roach Studios are unknown , The 1927-1928 season at Roach's wrapped at the end of March, at which time Viola would have been finishing her scenes in Laurel and Hardy's "Should Married Men Go Home?" It is speculated that cutbacks at the studio may have ended the career of Viola, along with other leading ladies Edna Marion and Dorothy Coburn. Whatever the scenario of her departure, by August 22, 1928. she was in New York - getting married. She was wed at the Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Manhattan to Alexander Kempner, a 37-year old official of the William Fox Theatre enterprises.
As early as 1935, the couple were back in California, residing in Beverly Hills. Viola is credited with walk-on appearances in two Hal Roach productions during that year. Our Gang's "Sprucin' Up" and Laurel and Hardy's "Tit For Tat". It is unknown whether she had made an attempt to return to the studios, or had simply dropped by for a visit. Apparently quite wealthy. Viola had already achieved an unsought social status in the com- munity. However it only proved to be a facade for the turmoil going on within her marriage. In 1938, she was granted a divorce from Alexander Kempner on the grounds of extreme cruelty. Among other issues, he was a perpetual bridge player that could not stop once he had started and eventually squandered much of the couple's fortune.	After her divorce settlement. Viola remained in Beverly Hills and bought into a cosmetics company that became known as the Viola Richard Corporation. Sydney I Rusinow was the manager of the business in 1939. He had been a champion bridge player as well. and in 1936 had journeyed out west to set up bridge clubs for folks in the motion picture industry; this provides a likely scenario by which Viola to made his acquaintance. On May 4. 1942, the couple were married in Las Vegas. By 1944. there is no record of Viola's corporation nor the couple's residence being in Beverly Hills. In fact, it is likely that they had moved out of state by this point, most likely to Florida. In 1951 her husband, Sydney Rusinow perished in a house fire.
Viola With Edna Marion and The Boys from "Should Married Men go Home?"
The next milestone in Viola's life was her third marriage to a widower from Los Angeles. On Christmas Eve. 1953, Viola married Lawrence McCafferty, a prominent professor of philosophy. Wed in Las Vegas, Viola gave her birth year as 1916, thus shaving twelve years from her age. Ironically, although Viola became somewhat of a spiritual and contemplative individual, she apparently never told her husband how old she really was. The next twenty years of her life were lived in a peaceful serenity in which she sought closeness to God, no doubt prompted by the teachings of her husband. Around 1972. Professor McCafferty retired from academic teaching and moved with his wife to Carmel , Vacationing in Palm Springs for Christmas in 1973, Viola celebrated the holiday with friends which brought her great joy in her final days. On December 28, Viola passed away, her final words to her husband being. "This is the spiritual rebirth. . . . and the pain that goes with birth." Viola is buried alongside her husband, who passed away in 1979, in the Monterey City Cemetery in California (Block 273. Lot 2).
Extract reproduced By Kind Permission of Brad Farrell Grand Sheik of A-Haunting We Will Go Tent of Dayton Ohio , and Editor of "Dantes Info" Full article in Winter 2002 edition *US subscription $10 Rest of World $14* *E-Mail BFarr62530@email.msn.com for details*
Those of you who know me will be aware that I have been trying to find out about Viola for years and coming up blank each time , so I am very grateful to Brad and Bill Cappello for finally shedding some light on Viola , Thanks a lot guys
Click Book for Website

Extract reproduced By Kind Permission of Brad Farrell Grand Sheik of A-Haunting We Will Go Tent of Dayton Ohio , and Editor of "Dantes Info" Full article in Winter 2002 edition

Those of you who know me will be aware that I have been trying to find out about Viola for years and coming up blank each time , so I am very grateful to Brad and Bill Cappello for finally shedding some light on Viola , Thanks a lot guys

Click Book for Website