Fontaine La Rue
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.
Acting
Movie
Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition
as 1st Street Crowd Participant (uncredited)
1915
Movie
Love, Loot and Crash
as Mary, The Banker's Daughter
1915
Movie
The Man Beneath
as Countess Petite Florence
1919
Movie
An Adventuress
1920
Movie
Droppington's Family Tree
as Cabaret Dancer
1915
Movie
A Blind Bargain
as Mrs. Lamb
1922
Movie
Mabel Lost and Won
as Mabel's Rival
1915
Movie
Unseen Hands
as Madame Le Quintrec
1924
Movie
Human Stuff
as Boka
1920
Movie
Flyin' Thru
as Sybil
1925
Movie
The Bear Cat
as Mary Lang
1922
Movie
The Faith Healer
as Mary Beeler
1921
Movie
Boots
as Mme. De Valdee
1919
Movie
The Great Impersonation
as Princess Eiderstrom
1921
Movie
The Lost Romance
as Elizabeth Erskine
1921
Movie
The Torrent
as Dancing Girl
1924
Movie
A Prohibition Monkey
1920
Movie
Peanuts and Bullets
as The Maid They All Love
1915
Movie
The Sins of Rosanne
as Rachel Bangat
1920
Movie
Beyond
as Mrs. Langley
1921
Movie
Love on the Rio Grande
1925
Movie
Oh, Mabel Behave
as The Barmaid
1922
Movie
The Love Letter
1923
Movie
The Further Adventures of Yorke Norroy
1922