Minnie Devereaux was an American silent film actress. Also known as "Minnie Provost," "Indian Minnie," or "Minnie Ha-Ha," Devereaux held at least 14 roles, beginning in 1913 with Old Mammy’s Secret Code and ending with the 1923 release of The Girl of the Golden West. A few sources say Devereaux was a Cheyenne and the daughter of Chief Plenty Horses.. In a 1917 interview published in the Mack Sennett Weekly Ha Ha states that she was born to Cheyenne parents who fled G. A. Custer's Army during the Battle of the Ltttle Bighorn, an event that took place when she was eight years old.
Devereaux starred alongside Roscoe Arbuckle in the 1914 silent comedy filmFatty and Minnie He-Haw, directed by Arbuckle. Devereaux is featured as a Native American, whom Arbuckle reluctantly marries after being rescued by her tribe. Arbuckle pursues a white woman in town, played by Minta Durfee, but is driven back when Devereaux discovers his disloyalty. Outraged, the tribe prepares to burn him for his traitorous behavior, but Devereaux spares him in an act of love.
Other works
Devereaux worked with producer and "king of comedy" Mack Sennett on Fatty and Minnie He-Haw, as well as the 1918 filmMickey and the 1922 filmSuzanna, both films directed by F. Richard Jones. In 1920 Minnie worked with director James Cruze on the film Food for Scandal, the cinematic version of Paul Kester's play A Picture of Rare Delight. Devereaux was an actress in high demand, working with various production companies on the east coast, including Kay-Bee Pictures, New York Motion Picture, and Sennett's Keystone Studios.
Controversy
Despite being heralded as a dignified professional, Devereaux suffered through racial tension in 1910s America. Devereaux was subject to typecasting, holding roles that often made fun of her weight, and her Native American heritage. She is often referred to as a squaw, a derogatory slur for Native Americans, both in reviews and in reference to her characters' titles within such films. Peter Milne, a film critic and eventual screenwriter, berated Deveraux for her age and appearance, calling her "ancient" in his review of Mickey; Devereaux was only 27 years old at the time of the film's release. An article in Photoplay details an encounter between Devereaux and a belligerent white woman. On a crowded street car, the woman intentionally took up available space in order to prevent Devereaux from sitting nearby. Devereaux interrupted the conductor of the street car, who insisted that the woman move her belongings, saying that she would rather stand than to sit next to such a woman. Despite this unease, many in the film business were aware of, and respected Devereaux's wit, dignity, and talents as an actress. Motion Picture Magazine recounts a chance encounter between Devereaux and actor Bertram Grassby, who commented on the actress' persona: The encounter involved Grassby tipping his hat toward Devereaux, which prompted her to question the meaning of the act. Devereaux often poked fun at other actors, and at directors during the production of a film.
