Back in the mid 'teens, American actress Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries in Columbus, Ohio) was known as the "serial queen" of Universal Studios and was one of the most popular action stars of her era. Cunard began appearing on stage when she was a young teenager. In 1910, she began working at Biograph film studios and three years later married filmmaker/actor Francis Ford and moved to Universal. She and Ford often wrote screenplays together and shared directorial duties. They also starred in their films until 1918 when they divorced. After that, Cunard's bright star waned and though she continued appearing in films through the '40s, the roles were smaller and much harder to come by. Eventually she married Jack Shannon, a stunt man and bit player.