Eileen Dennes

Eileen Dennes, born Eileen Amhurst Cowen was an Irish silent film actress who was born in 1898 in Dublin, Ireland. She began on the stage in the early 1910s. She travelled to America in 1917. She found work at the Empire Al Star Film Co. and was offered the role of Ethel Fielding in her first film ‘The Unforeseen’. She made more than one film in Hollywood that year with Olive Tell. She then decided to find work in England, it was there that Cecile Hepworth offered her a contract and she made her first English film as Rhoda Meredith in ’Sheba’ starring Alma Taylor in 1919. After this Dennes was given the chance at starring roles in films such as ’Once Abroad the Lugger’ in 1920, ‘Mr. Justice Raffles’ in 1921 and ‘The Pipes of Pan’ in 1923 again with Alma Taylor. Dennes’ last film appearance was as Lucy in ‘The Squire of Long Hadley’ with Brian Ahearn for the Stoll Film Co. in 1925.

While Irish male actors made such a big impression on the silent-film industry in Hollywood, a couple of Irish women stand out. A Dublin actress, Dennes, born in 1898, had a much shorter career. Dennes arrived in Hollywood in 1917 and found work at the Empire All-Star Film Co and was offered the role as Ethel Fielding in her debut film 'The Unforeseen' with Olive Tell she made one more film in Hollywood that same year and decided to find film work in England, Cecil Hepworth offered her a contract and she made her first British film as Rhoda Meredith in 'Sheba' starring Alma Taylor and Gerald Ames in 1919 afterwards Hepworth gave her the chance in starring roles, such as in 'Once Aboard the Lugger' in 1920, 'Mr. Justice Raffles' in 1921 and 'The Pipes of Pan' again with Alma Taylor in 1923. The final film that she worked on with Cecil Hepworth was "Comin Thro The Rye", in 1923. After this film she never worked with Hepworth again and the next director that she worked with was Fred LeRoy Granville on his film "The Sins Ye Do", in 1924. Dennes last film appearance was as Lucy in 'The Squire of Long Hadley' with Brian Aherne for the Stoll Film Co in 1925. Between 1919 and 1925, she appeared in a dozen silent films, then her movie career petered out. In retrospect, it's amazing how many Irish actors contributed to the silent-movie era in Hollywood, which flourished for a mere 15 years.

• The Unforeseen (1917) - Ethel Fielding
• Her Sister (1917) - Jane Alderson
• Sheba (1917) - Bessie Saxton
• The Forest on the Hill (1919) - Audrey Leaman
• Alf's Button (1919) - Lady Isobel Fitzpeter
• Once Aboard the Lugger (1920) - Mary Humfray
• John Forrest Finds Himself (1920) - The Pet
• Mrs. Erricker's Reputation (1920) - Lady Lettice Erricker
• Great Snakes (1920) - Bella Parkinson
• The Tinted Venus (1920) - Bella Parkinson
• Wild Heather (1921) - Dolly
• Tansy (1921) - Vicar's Daughter
• Mr. Justice Raffles (1921) - Camilla Belsize
• Tit for Tat (1921) - Clove
• The Pipes of Pan (1921) - Enid Markham
• Strangling Threads (1923) - Miss Debb
• Comin' Thro the Rye (1923)- Sylvia Fleming
• The Sins Ye Do (1923)- Lady Eslin
• Peeps Into Puzzleland (Short) - 1924 - Mother
• A Dear Liar (Short) - 1924
• The Squire of Long Hadley (1925) - Lucy

• Eileen Dennes at IMDb