Acting
Seena Owen
Seena Owen, born Signe Auen on November 14, 1894, in Spokane, Washington, was a prominent Danish-American actress during the silent film era. The youngest of three children, she was raised by Danish immigrants Jens Christensen and Karen (née Sorensen) Auen, who settled in Minnesota before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Owen began her film career at 21, making her mark with the film *A Yankee From the West* in 1915 under her birth name. Shortly thereafter, she adopted the stage name Seena Owen, which phonetically mirrored her original name.
Owen's career flourished with significant roles in major productions, including D. W. Griffith's epic *Intolerance* in 1916. That same year, she married fellow actor George Walsh, whom she met on the set of *Intolerance*. Their union lasted until 1924. Throughout the silent film era, Owen appeared in several notable films, including *Victory* (1919), where her performance was enhanced by the cinematography of Maurice Tourneur's team. She also starred alongside Lon Chaney in *The Gift Supreme* (1920) and played a memorable role in the controversial *Queen Kelly* (1928) alongside Gloria Swanson.
The transition to sound films posed challenges for Owen due to her delicate voice, leading her to step away from acting in 1933. Post-retirement, she ventured into screenwriting, contributing to films such as *Aloma of the South Seas* and *Rainbow Island* in 1941, the latter co-written with her sister, Lillie Hayward. Seena Owen passed away on August 15, 1966, at the age of 71, and was laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
