Actress and dancer in the early days of silent film. Born to Portuguese immigrants in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she moved to New York City with her mother and several of her brothers following the death of her father, Manuel. While residing in Manhattan, she began dance lessons. This led to supportive roles in early silent films produced in the NYC area. She was noticed by Larry Semon, himself an up-and-coming film comedian who was becoming the hottest property of Brooklyn-based Vitagraph Studios. Florence acted in several of his films as the lead female foil to Semon's comedic genius. These films were all produced in 1917, usually shot in a matter of days for each one. Among her titles were "Risks and Roughnecks," "Gall and Golf," "Skids and Scalawags," "Plagues and Puppy Love," and "Rooftops and Ruffians." On a publicity visit to a nearby US Army base, she met her future husband, Lt. William F. Hooley. She was starting to develop a fan base when she gave up acting to devote herself entirely to her new marriage. She had three children, William F. Hooley, Jr., Patricia Margaret Hooley Doty, and John George Hooley. They were additionally blessed with eleven grandchildren. The newlyweds first lived in the Bronx, then, as the family expanded, in Lynn and Swampscott, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, Ohio. Following her husband's retirement in the mid-1950s, they lived in La Jolla, California, and finally Treasure Island, Florida. Her husband's is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Petersburg, FL.
Actress and dancer in the early days of silent film. Born to Portuguese immigrants in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she moved to New York City with her mother and several of her brothers following the death of her father, Manuel. While residing in Manhattan, she began dance lessons. This led to supportive roles in early silent films produced in the NYC area. She was noticed by Larry Semon, himself an up-and-coming film comedian who was becoming the hottest property of Brooklyn-based Vitagraph Studios. Florence acted in several of his films as the lead female foil to Semon's comedic genius. These films were all produced in 1917, usually shot in a matter of days for each one. Among her titles were "Risks and Roughnecks," "Gall and Golf," "Skids and Scalawags," "Plagues and Puppy Love," and "Rooftops and Ruffians." On a publicity visit to a nearby US Army base, she met her future husband, Lt. William F. Hooley. She was starting to develop a fan base when she gave up acting to devote herself entirely to her new marriage. She had three children, William F. Hooley, Jr., Patricia Margaret Hooley Doty, and John George Hooley. They were additionally blessed with eleven grandchildren. The newlyweds first lived in the Bronx, then, as the family expanded, in Lynn and Swampscott, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, Ohio. Following her husband's retirement in the mid-1950s, they lived in La Jolla, California, and finally Treasure Island, Florida. Her husband's is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Petersburg, FL.
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