Background
Claire was born in Chicago, Illinois and began appearing onstage at the age of 16.
Claire was born in Chicago, Illinois and began appearing onstage at the age of 16.
She played minor roles in New York, New New York In the coming years she began to play leads. Among the actors of note she played with John Drew Junior., Edwin Booth, and Richard Mansfield.
She began work in films while the industry was still based in New New York
Then she moved to Hollywood, where she was part of the first motion picture playing company organized there. Claire had roles in 123 films beginning in 1910 and continuing until 1928.
Her last appearance in movies was in the Clara Bow feature film Red Hair (1928). Gertrude Claire died in Los Angeles in 1928, aged 75, at her home.
She was interred in the Hollywood Mausoleum.