Ethel Mary Oakland

Ethel Mary Oakland was an American actress born in Indiana on July 30, 1909, who built an early career as a child performer in silent films before transitioning to the Broadway stage. She died on December 2, 1999.

Oakland began her film career at the age of four and quickly established herself as a notable presence in silent cinema. By 1915, her work had drawn press attention, with the Buffalo Times remarking that her portrayal of child screen roles was unrivalled. That same year her weekly salary ranged from $100 to $400, equivalent to approximately $3,200 to $12,700 per week in 2025. She also trained in dance under Anna Pavlova, and in 1916 a portrait of her by artist Emil Fuchs was displayed in public exhibits and a gallery.

Her film work included appearances in productions from Thanhouser Film Corporation, among them Always in the Way (1915), which featured Mary Miles Minter and Charlotte Shelby, and The World and the Woman (1916), which starred Jeanne Eagels. Additional credits from this period include Hearts of Men (1915), John Brewster's Wife (1916), The Shine Girl (1916), Divorce and the Daughter (1916), and The Dummy (1917), the last of which was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and featured Jack Pickford. In 1917 she also played the leading role in The Little Rebel.

Oakland's Broadway career ran from 1917 to 1919 and included the musical Oh, What a Girl! and the play Eyes of Youth. She departed the film industry in the late 1910s and later became a librarian at Seton Hall University.