Neva Gerber was an American silent film actress who appeared in 128 films between 1912 and 1930.
Background
She was born Genevieve Dolores Gerber in Argenta, Illinois to S. Nelson Gerber and Jean Pullman. Her parents separated when she was young and her mother moved her to Los Angeles, California. After the death of her father, Gerber"s impoverished mother gave guardianship of her daughter to an attorney.
Career
She was raised by nuns from the College of the Immaculate Heart. After her graduation from high school, Gerber became an actress and appeared in several one-reelers. Beginning in 1917, she starred in multiple serial films, and she is considered one of the top ten "serial queens" of the silent film period.
She teamed with director and actor Ben F. Wilson in many of these productions, and starred in the first crude sound era serial, The Voice from the Sky, also directed by Wilson.
However, her career stalled in 1930 after Wilson died from heart disease. Gerber retired from acting shortly thereafter.
On January 2, 1974, Gerber died of a cerebral thrombosis in Palm Springs, California. She was buried in a pauper"s grave in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.