Marie Walcamp

Marie Walcamp (July 27, 1894 – November 17, 1936) was an American actress of the silent film era, often specializing in roles as an "action heroine" in serials, including Westerns. She often appeared with actor Eddie Polo.

Born in Dennison, Ohio, Walcamp was the daughter of Mary (née Mackel) and Arnold Walcamp. She relocated to the East Coast after finishing her formal education, making the move with hopes of finding acting jobs on the stage. After landing various roles in New York, she signed to Universal Studios in 1913 and was cast at the age of 19 in the film The Werewolf.

She appeared in more than 50 motion pictures, mostly shorts, over the next two years, although by 1916 the pace of her work in films began to decrease. That year she still performed in no less than 13 productions, including the leading role in the Western serial Liberty. She was known for doing her own dangerous stunts, which earned her nicknames like "The Daredevil of the Films" and "The Dare-Devil Girl of the Movies".

By the 1920s, however, Walcamp's movie career had effectively ended, as fewer serials were being made. Her final role was in 1927 as Alice Gage in In a Moment of Temptation. On November 17, 1936, Walcamp, suffering from depression, committed suicide by turning on the gas in her Los Angeles apartment while her husband, actor Harland Tucker, was away on business. In her will, she asked that her ashes be scattered over the back lot at Universal Studios, where she had worked for many years.