Fontaine La Rue

Birthday: 1897-12-01
Deathday: 1964-09-13
Birthplace: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

Matilda Fernández, stage name Fontaine La Rue (July 18, 1890 in Hermosillo, Mexico – September 13, 1964) was an American silent film actress appearing in films from 1918 to 1929. Her career ended with the advent of talkies.

She was one of seven children born to Diego and Carlotta Monreal Fernandez. After immigrating to the United States in 1907, Matilda married Victor Garcia Rojas. The couple had three children, Victor Paul, Matilda Garcia, and Victoria Grace.

After the couple divorced, Matilda entered show business. She got her start on stage as a toe dancer and in musical comedy. She toured with the Trimble Musical Comedy Company in 1914 before breaking into films the following year in comedy shorts for Keystone.

She first used the name Dora Rodgers, but reinvented herself with the name Fontaine La Rue, tiring of playing vamps. On occasions she would switch between the names. Notably she appeared in the lost film, A Blind Bargain with Lon Chaney.

After a lengthy love affair with actor Nelson McDowell, Fontaine married real estate broker Wayne Hancock and retired from the screen.

The Keystone Vamp died of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia on September 13, 1964, at UCLA Medical Center.

Credits

Year Title Character
1925-12-01 Flyin' Thru Sybil
1925-07-25 Love on the Rio Grande
1924-08-01 The Torrent Dancing Girl
1924-05-25 Unseen Hands Madame Le Quintrec
1923-05-14 The Showdown
1923-02-09 The Love Letter
1922-12-03 A Blind Bargain Mrs. Lamb
1922-06-20 Oh, Mabel Behave The Barmaid
1922-04-03 The Bear Cat Mary Lang
1922-02-28 The Secret Code
1922-02-28 The Further Adventures of Yorke Norroy
1921-10-09 The Great Impersonation Princess Eiderstrom
1921-09-04 Beyond Mrs. Langley
1921-05-08 The Lost Romance Elizabeth Erskine
1921-03-13 The Faith Healer Mary Beeler
1920-11-07 The Sins of Rosanne Rachel Bangat
1920-09-13 A Prohibition Monkey
1920-06-28 Human Stuff Boka
1920-04-10 The Isle of Love
1919-07-05 The Man Beneath Countess Petite Florence
1919-02-16 Boots Mme. De Valdee
1918-11-04 Borrowed Clothes Rita Morris (as Fontine La Rue)
1918-04-14 Who Killed Walton? Elsa Armytage
1918-03-10 Did She Do Wrong?
1917-06-03 Cactus Nell The Gent's Accomplice
1917-05-06 His Naughty Thought Babe Delores
1915-11-28 Stolen Magic Secondary Supporting Role
1915-04-23 Love, Loot and Crash Mary, The Banker's Daughter
1915-04-11 Droppington's Family Tree Cabaret Dancer
1915-02-01 The Home Breakers Mts. Walrus
1915-01-23 Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition 1st Street Crowd Participant (uncredited)
1915-01-12 Peanuts and Bullets The Maid They All Love