By Dennis McCaslin - Editor and Publisher
In the annals of early American cinema, opportunities for African-American perfomers were few and far between. Relegated to most playing slaves, manservants, and housekeepers, black performers took a backseat in the movie industry, mainly because of a lack of roles catering to diversity and the prevailing prejudices of the times.
While she never struck it big, Fort Smith-born Mattie Edwards(1866-1944) left an impact on the early cinema industry and considering she was born almost one year to the day to the end of the Civil War and slavery, her accomplishments shine even brighter in hindsight.
Very little is known about Edward's early life--proving out her parents is difficult because of the poor recordkeeping in the African American community --although we can ascertain that she spent all of her childhood into what would have then been early-adulthood in Fort Smith, because at the age of sixteen she was reportedly appointed as a Deputy Marshal, a role that saw her assisting in the arrest of some of the notorious outlaws of the area..
When you think of African Americans in roles of the Western District of Arkansas court under Judge Issac C, Parker, names like Bass Reeves and Bynum Colbert usually come to mind, but there were many others who supposedly worked for the federal court, including the deputy marshals, jailers, court clerks, and bailiffs.
It is also speculated that Edwards may have been employed in some undercover roles to help in the gathering of evidence against the transient outlaw element of the time.
After almost four months researching Edwards, and consulting with a number of venerated film and cinema experts in southern California, it'd almost certain that "Edwards" was a stage name, making it even tougher to track down her ancestry. The information on her being a "US Deputy" very well could have been Hollywood fluff created by a creative casting director.
Between 1913 and 1937, Edwards is official credited with roles in twenty-six motion pictures. She is also credited in fifteen theatre productions through 1930.
One film professor at UCLA says his research indicates Edwards may have been part of a family out of the Holly Springs, Mississippi area that migrated to Fort Smith as early as 1938.
The historic Washington Cemetery in Fort Smith does have a number of "Edwards" interred included a widowed Mary Ann Edwards who died in 1956 at the age of 109 who is listed as having been born in the aforementioned Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1947.
The UCLA professor, however, says connecting the actress with that family "requires a massive leap of faith" in light of the "stage name" indications.
Edward's early brush with law enforcement would later influence her strong, commanding presence on stage and screen . A scant five years after her original "appointment" to the Deputy Marshal role, Edwards’ first foray into the performing arts was with P. G. Lowery’s minstrel group in 1887. playing tent shows and traveling with circuses across the country.
.Her talent quickly became evident, and she soon transitioned to vaudeville theatre. By the early 1900s, she had made a name for herself in the Williams and Walker Co. films, particularly in their 1903 production of "In Dahomey".
Her film debut came during the silent film era with Essanay Studios, where she starred alongside Ben Turpin. Edwards’ versatility as an actress saw her move between multiple film studios, including the Lubin Motion Picture Company and the Ebony Film Company.
Throughout her career, Edwards was known for her powerful performances in both theatre and film. Some of her most notable works include:
In the later years of her career, Edwards moved to Los Angeles, where she continued to take on smaller film roles and theatre performances. She remained active in the industry until her death in 1944 at the age of 78.
According to sources at UCLA, Edwards was married twice, once to a man named Edward Settle, and upon her death was buried in an undisclosed location. An intense search on cemetery records throughout the country does not provide a match with a Matte Edwards or Settle that lists known birth and death dates.
Once again, because of the potential of her working under a stage name during her career, speculation is that details of her early days in Fort Smith, marriages, and burial place have all been seemingly lost to time.
Filmography (according to Wikipedia)
Zeb, Zack and the Zulus (1913)
Mandy's Chicken Dinner (1914) as Aunt Mandy
Sam and the Bully (1914) as Mattie
Swami Sam (1914) as Mattie
Coon Town Suffragettes (1914) as Mandy Jackson
The Tale of a Chicken (1914)
The Rise of the Johnsons (1914)
He Said He Could Act (1914)
He Was Bad (1914)[24]
Rastus Knew It Wasn't (1914) as Nita Nonenti
Just A Note (1914)
The Haunted Attic (1915)
The Rakoon Hose Company (1915)
It Happened on Washday (1915)
The Undertaker's Daughter (1915)
Black Art (1915)
Father Said He'd Fix It (1915)
In Zululand (1915) as Queen Cocoa
A New Way To Win (1915)
Under a Barrel (1916)
Good Luck in Old Clothes (1918)
Within Our Gates (1920) as Jasper Landry's wife
The Brute (1920)
Give Us the Night (1936)[2] as Elena
Champagne Waltz (1937)
