Eva Novak

Birthday: 1898-02-14
Deathday: 1988-04-17
Birthplace: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

Eva Barbara Novak (February 14, 1898 – April 17, 1988) was an American film actress, who was quite popular during the silent film era.

On February 14, 1898, Eva Barbara Novak was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Joseph Jerome Novak, an immigrant from Bohemia, and Barbara Medek. Her older sister, Johana, also became an actress. Joseph Novak died when Eva was still a child and Barbara was left to raise five children.

Novak began her acting career in 1917 in L-KO's Roped into Scandal, followed by another seven films that same year. She appeared in 17 films in 1918, and another eight in 1919. In 1920, she starred opposite Tom Mix in The Daredevil, one of six film roles she would have that year, and one of ten films in which she starred opposite Mix.

In 1921, she married stuntman William Reed, whom she met while on location for a film. They had two daughters Vivian Barbara and Pamela Eve.

Novak was interested in stunt performing herself, having been taught by Mix to perform many of her own stunts. From 1921 to 1928, she appeared in and starred in 48 films, including an early version of Boston Blackie. She also co-starred with Betty Bronson and Jack Benny in The Medicine Man (1930) and appeared in the 1922 film Chasing the Moon, which was an early forerunner of the 1950s film D.O.A. In the late 1920s, she and her husband moved to Australia, where she made numerous films, including The Romance of Runnibede. However, with the advent of "talking films", her popularity faded. She would continue to act, but mostly in obscure roles.

She appeared in 123 films between 1917 and 1965, when she retired. She was residing in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles at the time of her death from pneumonia at the age of 90, on April 17, 1988.

In May 1923, the Altoona Tribune held a contest to find the girl who most closely resembled Novak. An announcement in the newspaper said that the winner would receive $250 worth of clothes from a store.

Credits

Year Title Character
1965-05-05 Wild Seed Mrs. Simms
1962-04-13 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Townswoman (uncredited)
1960-05-25 Sergeant Rutledge Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
1957-01-25 Duel at Apache Wells Mrs. Munn (uncredited)
1955-06-18 Tall Man Riding Mrs. Henderson (uncredited)
1950-08-10 Sunset Boulevard Courtier (uncredited)
1949-12-22 The Blonde Bandit Jail Matron
1949-05-29 Hellfire
1948-12-31 3 Godfathers Townswoman (uncredited)
1948-08-03 Four Faces West Mrs. Winston
1948-05-25 I, Jane Doe Jury Woman
1947-07-24 Blackmail Mamie, the Maid
1947-07-15 Robin Hood Of Texas Guest
1946-12-23 That Brennan Girl Miss Novak - Elderly Woman (uncredited)
1945-12-27 The Bells of St. Mary's Nun (uncredited)
1945-09-27 Apology for Murder Maid
1945-09-15 The Fatal Witness Elsie - Vera's Maid (uncredited)
1930-11-01 Phantom of the Desert Mary Van Horn
1930-06-14 The Medicine Man Hilda
1927-06-20 For the Term of His Natural Life Sylvia Vickers
1927-03-01 Red Signals Mark Bryson
1926-10-31 30 Below Zero Ann Ralston
1926-08-29 No Man's Gold Jane Rogers
1926-07-29 The Dixie Flyer Rose Rapley / Rose Jones
1926-05-16 Say It with Babies
1926-01-24 Irene Eleanor Hadley
1925-10-13 The Northern Code Marie La Fane
1925-03-29 Sally Rosie Lafferty
1924-12-15 The Triflers Beatrice Noyes
1924-11-23 Laughing at Danger Carolyn Hollister
1924-10-01 The Beautiful Sinner Alice Carter
1924-08-08 Racing for Life Grace Danton
1924-08-01 The Battling Fool Helen Chadwick
1923-12-24 The Man Life Passed By Joy Moore
1923-05-06 Boston Blackie Mary Carter
1923-04-22 The Tiger's Claw Harriet Halehurst
1923-03-01 Temptation Marjorie Baldwin
1922-12-17 Making a Man Patricia Owens
1922-05-01 The Man from Hell's River Mabella
1922-04-22 Up and Going Jackie McNabb
1922-02-26 Chasing the Moon Jane Norworth
1922-01-15 Sky High Estelle Halloway - his ward
1921-12-11 Trailin' Sally Fortune
1921-11-01 The Last Trail Winifred Samson
1921-10-30 The Rough Diamond Gloria Gómez
1921-04-16 Wolves of the North Aurora Norris
1921-03-16 The Smart Sex Rose
1921-02-18 Society Secrets Louise
1921-02-06 O'Malley of the Mounted Rose Lanier
1921-01-22 The Torrent Velma Patton
1920-12-26 The Testing Block Nelly Gray
1920-10-25 Wanted at Headquarters
1920-07-01 Up in Mary's Attic Mary
1920-04-20 Desert Love Dolly Remington
1920-03-07 The Daredevil Alice Spencer
1919-12-07 The Feud Betty Summers / Betty Brown
1919-10-10 The Speed Maniac Pearl Matthews
1919-06-11 All Jazzed Up Dainty Dotty
1918-10-30 The King of the Kitchen Her niece
1918-07-10 The Belles of Liberty Trixie
1918-06-12 A Blind Pig The Sheriff's Daughter