Eva Novak

Known for ActingBorn 1898-02-14Died 1988-04-17Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

The Dixie Flyer

Dollar Devils

O'Malley of the Mounted

A Blind Pig

Hearts and Flour

Phantom of the Desert

Red Signals

Racing for Life

The Battling Fool

The Fatal Mistake

Listen Lester

The Tiger's Claw

The Man from Hell's River

The Great Night

Wolves of the North

The Rough Diamond

Wanted at Headquarters

The Sign of the Cucumber

Sunset Boulevard

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

The Romance of Runnibede

The Northern Code

Sally

The Beautiful Sinner

Boston Blackie

Making a Man

Society Secrets

The Daredevil

Desert Love

Up in Mary's Attic

Silk Husbands and Calico Wives

Sergeant Rutledge

Robin Hood Of Texas

3 Godfathers

30 Below Zero

No Man's Gold

The Bells of St. Mary's

The Triflers

Women First

Chasing the Moon

The Man Who Saw Tomorrow

The Last Trail

The Smart Sex

The Speed Maniac

The Feud

All Jazzed Up

The Belles of Liberty