A Hat for a Lady.
Worn by ladies born in the 1800s.
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- Naomi Childers was born on November 15, 1892 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Largely a character actress, she began her career at age 22 in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1914.
From then until 1919, Naomi Childers appeared in nineteen films. Some of the films in question were Mr. Barnes of New York (1914), The Dust of Egypt (1915), Fathers of Men (1916) and The World and Its Woman (1919). After staying busy for five years, the roles began to vanish. Between 1920 and 1924, she appeared in only 8 films. Most performers worked in 15-17 films a year, sometimes more. In the whole of the "talkie" era, Childers was in 23 films between 1934-1946. Her last appearance on the big screen came in Ziegfeld Follies (1945) at the age of 54.
On May 9, 1964, she died of undisclosed causes in Hollywood, California, at age 71.1892 - 1964, (71).
101 credits, 1913-1952. - Louise Lorimer was born on 14 July 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Flying Cadets (1941), Compulsion (1959) and The Prowler (1951). She died on 11 August 1995 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.
- Lilian Hall Davis was born June 23, 1898, in Mile End, London, England, the daughter of a London cab driver. For publicity purposes, she changed the spelling of her name to to the tonier Lillian Hall-Davis and reported her birthplace as the more fashionable Hampstead, London. She began acting in films in 1917 and by the early 1920s, Hall-Davis was one of the leading actresses of British silent film. She was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite actress during the early days of his career. He directed her in The Ring (1927) and The Farmer's Wife (1928) Hall-Davis was married to Walter Pemberton, a British stage actor. Her last film was a supporting role in Her Reputation (1931). By 1933, her film career was over, she was being treated for neurasthenia and was suffering a nervous breakdown. On October 25, 1933, she locked herself in the kitchen of her home in Golders Green, turned on the gas, stuck her head in the oven, and cut her throat with her brother's straight razor. Her 14-year-old son Grovsvenor, came home from school, found her suicide note in the hall and summoned the neighbors for help. They were too late. Hall-Davis was dead at the age of 34.
- Cissy Fitzgerald was born on 20 June 1873 in Blean, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Patricia Gets Her Man (1937), The Painted Angel (1929) and Flirtation (1934). She was married to Osmund Mark Tucker. She died on 10 May 1941 in Ovingdean, Sussex, England, UK.1873 - 1941, 67. UK.
- Evelyn Selbie was born on 6 July 1871 in Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for The Silver Treasure (1926), Dangerous Paradise (1930) and The Prisoner's Story (1912). She died on 7 December 1950 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.1871 - 1950, 79.
- Orfilia Rico was born on 5 April 1874 in Montevideo, Uruguay. She was an actress, known for Hasta después de muerta (1916) and Nobleza gaucha (1915). She died on 10 October 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.1874-1936, 67.
- Sigrid Holmquist was born on 21 February 1899 in Borås, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. She was an actress, known for The Light That Failed (1923), The Early Bird (1925) and The Men Women Love (1926). She was married to Anthony Cirici. She died on 9 July 1970 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Priscilla Bonner was born on 17 February 1899 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Charley's Aunt (1925), 3 Bad Men (1926) and The False Alarm (1926). She was married to Dr. E. Bertrand Woolfan and Allen Wynes Alexander. She died on 21 February 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.1899 - 1996, (97).
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The daughter of an opera star turned actress, Gladys Hulette began her career as a three-year old on the stage. On Broadway from 1906, she played juvenile leads in "The Kreutzer Sonata" and "A Doll's House". She was also Tyltyl in "The Blue Bird". A genuine pioneer of the movies, Gladys first starred on screen in Carl Laemmle's one-reel IMP production of Hiawatha (1909). During the 1910's and 20's, she appeared variously in films with Edison, Biograph, Thanhouser, Vitagraph, Astra and First National. In 1917, she was voted most popular actress by students of New York University. In truth, Gladys was a true all-rounder, who took on just about anything from high drama to slapstick farce. She even starred as the titular heroine in the comedy Prudence, the Pirate (1916). In private life, Gladys was fond of flowers, a voracious reader of books, including classic literature and a painter in oils, whose works occasionally found their way into major exhibitions. Long after leaving the Hollywood scene, she found work as a ticket seller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.1896 - 1991, (95).- The daughter of actress Billie Brockwell, Brockwell first appeared on the stage at the age of three. She made her screen debut in Philadelphia for the Lubin Company in 1913, later working with D.W. Griffith. Joining Fox Studios, Brockwell was one of the busiest actresses in town and easily made the transition to sound films. Married to director Robert Broadwell, she was also married for a brief period to Harry Edwards, former husband of actress Louise Glaum. On June 27, Brockwell was a passenger in a car with her boyfriend, advertising man Thomas Stanley Brennan, when the car plunged over a 75 foot embankment in Calabasas. Brockwell was pinned under the car and sustained compound fractures to her jaw, a fractured skull and several other serious injuries Brennan was seriously hurt and survived his injuries. While hospitalized, Brockwell received four blood transfusions and died from peritonitis which developed as a result of her several injuries. Brennan stated that dust and cinders blew into his eyes causing him to lose control of the vehicle, he was exonerated of blame by the coroner's jury.1894 - 1929. (34).
- Eileen Sedgwick came from a theatrical family. Her parents were both stage actors, her brother Edward Sedgwick went on to become a respected comedy director and her sister Josie Sedgwick became a film actress. The entire family toured the vaudeville circuit as "The Five Sedgwicks," and it wasn't long before a pretty girl like Eileen was noticed by Hollywood. She is thought to have debuted in films around 1914, and worked her way up to minor stardom by 1918, when a fortuitous accident happened: the female star of the Universal serial The Lure of the Circus (1918) took ill, and Eileen was tapped to take her place and finish the serial. It proved to be a big hit, and over the next 10 years Eileen would perform in a dozen serials. By 1928, though, she apparently tired of the serial grind, and began using the name Greta Yoltz in an effort to have casting directors for non-serial films hire her. She made a few films under that name, but soon reverted to her real name. She retired from the screen with the advent of sound.
- Henrietta Crosman was born on 2 September 1861 in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Charlie Chan's Secret (1935), The Right to Live (1935) and The Royal Family of Broadway (1930). She was married to Maurice Campbell and Sedley Brown. She died on 31 October 1944 in Pelham Manor, New York, USA.1861 - 1944, 83.
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Leah Baird first made a name for herself in summer stock and traveling stock companies. After playing several leads in the William F. Brady troupe opposite Douglas Fairbanks Vitagraph signed her to a contract. Her peak years in film were from 1916-1918 at which time she was a very popular player. However, her career had faded by 1925, and she retired to concentrate on scriptwriting. Later in life, she became a bit part player.- Actress
- Writer
Dorothy Winnifred Brown was born at the home of her parents, Pauline Caroline Boesen Brown and John Brown on May 17, 1889 at 320 Willow Avenue in Hoboken, New Jersey. John Brown died while she was an infant and Leonard Gibson became her stepfather four years later. She had two siblings but both died in infancy. Later, Pauline and Dorothy moved to Manhattan.
In 1909 Dorothy met George Battier Jr. They were soon married, but the marriage was short-lived. Soon, she became an actress for Eclair Studios, making one-reelers. In 1912, she finished The Easter Bonnet (1912) and traveled to Europe. By April she was ready to return. On April 10, 1912, she and her mother boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England. They occupied a cabin on E-Deck. When the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on the 14th, she described it as "a long sickening crunch". She and her mother boarded the first lifeboat to leave with friends William Sloper and Fredrick Seward. She later appeared in the film, Saved from the Titanic (1912), a one-reel quickie. It was to be her last. She soon quit the business and married Jules Brulatour. This marriage was also short, lasting only two years.
In 1928 Dorothy left with her mother for Europe, never to see the States again. She lived in Italy and France. During World War II she was suspected of spying for the Nazis, but this is unsubstantiated. She died in Paris on February 17, 1946, found by a hotel maid.- Billie West was born on 5 August 1891 in Kentucky, USA. She was an actress, known for The Wolf Man (1915), A Man's Prerogative (1915) and Should She Obey? (1917). She was married to Frank Bennett. She died on 7 June 1967 in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA.
- Isabel Rea was born on 13 February 1889 in Coxsackie, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Gwendolin (1914), Behind the Mask (1915) and Arline's Chauffeur (1915). She died on 14 September 1961 in Coxsackie, New York, USA.1889 -
78 credits, 1910-1917. - Actress
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Louise Glaum was born on 10 September 1888 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Sex (1920), Sweetheart of the Doomed (1917) and The Three Musketeers (1916). She was married to Zachary M. Harris and Harry J. Edwards. She died on 25 November 1970 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Silent-era star Claire Windsor was born Clara Viola Cronk in Cawker City, Kansas, the daughter of Ella and G.E. Cronk. She was educated at Broadway High School in Seattle, Washington, and Washburn Preperatory Academy in Topeka, Kansas. She studied voice and piano at Cohn's Conservatory of Music in Seattle. Claire began her film career as an extra on the Famous Players-Lasky lot, and was signed to stock by director Allan Dwan to work at First National Pictures. She was then signed by writer/director Lois Weber to the lead role in What Do Men Want? (1921), at which time she changed her name to Claire Windsor (on the advice of writer Frances Marion). She toured with Al Jolson in his stage show in 1933.
- Adrienne Kroell was born on 13 December 1892 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Royal Box (1914), Subterfuge (1912) and The Pink Opera Cloak (1913). She died on 2 October 1949 in Evanston, Illinois, USA.
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Corinne Griffith was a popular star of the silent movies. She started her film career at Vitagraph in 1916 and later moved to First National, where she became one of that studio's biggest stars. At the height of her popularity she was known as the "Orchid Lady of the Screen." Black Oxen (1923) was one of her most popular films. In 1925 she made Déclassé (1925), which featured a young extra named Clark Gable.
Corinne received an Academy Award nomination for her work in The Divine Lady (1928), but sound did not embrace her in the same way that the silent films had. Music was a popular device used in many early sound movies, but she quickly proved that she was not cut out to be a singer, and the fact that her acting style remained rooted in the wooden pre-sound days didn't help matters. Her last Hollywood film was released in 1930. After appearing in an English film in 1932, she retired. She appeared in one final film, Paradise Alley (1962), a low-budget Hugo Haas potboiler.- Virginia got her start with a Milwaukee stock company and also did some film work with Essanay Studios in 1917 Chicago. Back in the theater, it would be 3 more years before she was brought out to Hollywood to act as leading lady to Bert Lytell. Virginia would continue to appear in films throughout the decade and she would be an established star at Universal by the mid 20's. The bulk of her films would be between 1924 and 1927. While she had no trouble adjusting to sound in The Isle of Lost Ships (1929), which she made at First National, her big salary and declining appeal both conspired to end her film career. Unable to find a suitable studio, she would make her last film The Last Zeppelin (1930) at Tiffany Studios. In 1931, she married Charles Farrell and retired from the screen to live in Beverly Hills before moving to Palm Springs.
- June Caprice was born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts on November 19, 1895. Her parents, Anna and Peter Lawson, were both born in Norway. June was educated at the Boston Conservatory of Music and began her acting career on the stage. At age 16 the blue-eyed blonde won a Mary Pickford lookalike contest and was then discovered by producer William Fox, who offered her a contract and promised to make her one of Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1916 she made her film debut in "Caprice Of The Mountains." She had starring roles in more than a dozen films at Fox including "A Small Town Girl", "Child Of The Wild", and "Every Girl's Dream", almost always cast as a innocent ingenue. The petite actress was just five feet two inches tall and weighed 105 pounds. She appeared on numerous magazine covers and by 1918 was getting more fan mail than any other actress at the studio. During World War I she volunteered as a nurses aid.
After leaving Fox in 1919 she starred in the dramas "Rogue and Romance" and "The Love Cheat." She also modeled for Coca Cola calendars. In 1920 June married Harry F. Millarde, who had directed her in several films; soon after she decided to quit acting. Her final role was in the 1921 serial "The Sky Ranger." She gave birth to daughter June Elizabeth on June 29, 1922, and for the next decade she devoted herself to being a wife and mother. Tragically, in 1931 her husband Harry died from a heart attack, and she and her daughter moved in with her parents in Los Angeles. Then in her late thirties she was diagnosed with cancer; her health quickly deteriorated and she died on November 9, 1936 at only 40 years old. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Her 14-year-old daughter June Elizabeth Millarde was raised by her grandparents; she later changed her name to Toni Seven and became a model and actress. - Actress
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Born in Boston to Evangeline Tomlinson and John Sinclair Macpherson. Jeanie Macperson was educated at Madame de Facq's school in Paris, the Kenwood Institute in Chicago and took dancing lessons from Theodore Kosloff. Her stage experience began when she got the lead in a school play and was awarded a gold medal by the Chicago Musical College. She made her professional debut in the musical show, "Havana", then had a part in William C. de Mille's "Strongheart", which was going out on the road. During her years as an actress Jeanie worked with Florence Lawrence and Mary Pickford. She later was given her own unit at Universal and wrote and directed as well as acted in two-reelers. After leaving Universal, she was signed by Cecil B. DeMille as a writer. According to the 1938-39 Motion Picture Almanac, she is also credited as having collaborated on Cleopatra (1934) (Paramount) and adapted "Lafitte the Pirate" (basis for The Buccaneer (1938) from Paramount). She went to Rome for direction and story supervision for ERA Productions, Vittorio Mussolini's company.1886 - 1946, 60.- Anita King was born on 14 August 1884 in Michigan City, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Anton the Terrible (1916), The Girl of the Golden West (1915) and The Heir to the Hoorah (1916). She was married to Thomas Morrison McKenna, James Stuart McKnight and Timothy McKenna. She died on 10 June 1963 in Hollywood, California, USA.1884 - 1963, 78.
- Belle Bennett's parents were William and Mary Bendon (stage name Bennett). They appeared in "Billy Bennett's Big Shows" which were traveling shows appearing in tents and local 'opera' houses. The shows presented vaudeville acts and melodramas. Belle was headlining in her teens before moving on to stage and film in her twenties. Dozens of advertisements and articles appeared in the local paper "The Mille Lacs Co. Times." None refer to a circus but to the above mentioned 'shows'.
- Actress
Hazel Dawn was born on 23 March 1890 in Ogden, Utah, USA. She was an actress, known for Niobe (1915), My Lady Incog. (1916) and One of Our Girls (1914). She was married to Charles Edward Gruwell (mining engineer). She died on 28 August 1988 in New York City, New York, USA.- Edna Purviance began working as a stenographer in San Francisco. Charles Chaplin invited her to join him at Essanay Studio in 1915, the year of her film debut in Chaplin's His Night Out. Over the next seven years she appeared as his leading lady in over 20 Chaplin films made by Essanay, Mutual, and First National, including the classics The Tramp (1915), The Immigrant (1917), Easy Street (1917), The Kid (1921), and The Idle Class (1921). As a repayment for years of work with him, Chaplin intended real stardom for her with A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923). The movie was a commercial failure though it advanced the career of Adolphe Menjou. She remained on Chaplin's payroll until her death, her last two appearances being non-speaking extra parts in his Monsieur Verdoux (1947) and Limelight (1952).
- Barbara Tennant was born in London, England in 1892. Barbara is one of those actresses that is very hard to find anything on. Research brings up so very little. We do know that Barbara started life on the stage, but changed to films when she was 20. Her first movie was The Holy City (1912) in 1912. The parts she had weren't big ones by any means, but it was more than some aspiring actresses were getting. Barbara was 35 when she made Hidden Aces (1927) in 1927. Afterwards she made no others. It's as though she dropped off the face of the earth because no one seems to know what happened to her or what she had done since her film career.1892 - 1982, 89.
- Hope Landin was born on 3 May 1893 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She was an actress, known for I Remember Mama (1948), Scaramouche (1952) and New York Confidential (1955). She died on 22 February 1973 in Hollywood, California, USA.1893-1973, 79.
- Edna Goodrich was born on 22 December 1883 in Logansport, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Who Loved Him Best? (1918), Armstrong's Wife (1915) and Queen X (1917). She was married to Nat C. Goodwin. She died on 26 May 1971 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Edna Emerson was born on 7 December 1899 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Crimson Shoals (1919) and Berlin Via America (1918). She was married to Donald W. Fether. She died on 4 November 1979 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Canadian-born Grace Darmond first caught the acting bug while appearing in a school play, and as luck would have it was spotted there by the owner of the Selig Film Co., who put her under contract. She appeared in her first film in 1913 at 16 years of age, and by her 20th birthday was a star at Vitagraph. She left that studio for Paramount, but apparently she was a small fish in a big pond, as she didn't stay there very long. She started appearing in low-budget serials for independent companies, a sure sign of a career in decline, and by the late 1920s was making cheap quickies for independent producers for the states-rights market. She seemed to have finally read the writing on the wall, and her last known credit is in 1927, when she apparently left the industry.- Writer
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Lagerlöf made her debut in 1891 with The Gösta Berling saga, a story about her own region, Värmland and her home, the country manor Mårbacka. With her novel she starts the wave of romantic nationalist literature in Sweden of the 1890s. Her novel Jerusalem (1901-02) is about religious emigrants from Sweden to Palestine. She is the author of Sweden's most read novel, The Adventures of Nils Holgerssons (1906), a story about a boy traveling across Sweden on the back of a goose. Her stories often evolve around folklore and supernatural events. One of the peaks in her career was her novel The Emperor of Portugal (1914). In 1907 she got a honorary degree at the University of Uppsala, in 1909 she got the Nobel Prize and 1914 she became a member of the Swedish Academy. Her home Mårbacka is now a museum visited by thousands of tourists every year.- Actress
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Louella Parsons was born on 6 August 1881 in Freeport, Illinois, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Hollywood Hotel (1937), Without Reservations (1946) and Starlift (1951). She was married to Dr. Henry Watson Martin, John McCaffrey Jr. and John Demont Parsons. She died on 9 December 1972 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Stunning silent screen actress Martha Mansfield was a musical comedy star in New York City by the time she entered films in 1916 for Max Linder. Before long she advanced to second leads in features, including the role of Millicent Carew in the John Barrymore starrer Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), which to this day remains her best known. The promising beauty was signed by Fox Studios in 1923 and began work on a new picture The Warrens of Virginia (1924). Nearing the completion of the film, Martha had just finished a scene and was returning to her automobile when her dress caught fire from a carelessly strewn match. Engulfed in flames, co-star Wilfred Lytell managed to throw his coat around her and extinguish the fire, but it was too late. She died the next day of severe burns at age 24.
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Born Irene Luther on October 13, 1891, silent-screen femme Irene Rich came from a once well-to-do family in Buffalo, New York. Her father had a reversal of fortune while she was quite young and the family subsequently had to move to California. Following her education, Irene pursued a career as a realtor. She had already married twice by the time she decided to become an actress and, by the "ripe old age" of 27, had begun working as a movie extra.
Success came quickly for Irene and her first part of real substance was in The Girl in His House (1918). She continued on as a poised, resourceful co-star and became a particular favorite of Will Rogers, who used her in Water, Water, Everywhere (1920), The Strange Boarder (1920), Jes' Call Me Jim (1920), Boys Will Be Boys (1921) and The Ropin' Fool (1922). Her array of leading men ran the gamut -- from Harry Carey in Desperate Trails (1921) to Lon Chaney in The Trap (1922) to John Barrymore in Beau Brummel (1924) to movie mutt Strongheart the Dog in Brawn of the North (1922).
Irene's true screen persona, however, arrived in the form of tearjerkers, nobly portraying the ever-suffering, well-coiffed "doormat" in her own plush, domestic dramas. Somewhat reminiscent in both looks, style and demeanor of Irene Dunne, she became a favorite in women's pictures throughout the 1920s, one of her best known roles being in Lady Windermere's Fan (1925).
With age Irene moved into more motherly roles, and by the coming of sound she was playing Will Rogers' pushy wife in a few of his social comedies, including So This Is London (1930) and Down to Earth (1932). At around the same time Irene enjoyed a spectacular new career on radio. In 1933 she began her nationwide anthology program entitled "Dear John" (also called "The Irene Rich Show"), which lasted over a decade. Her leading man on that show for many of those years was Gale Gordon, who later played Lucille Ball's apoplectic boss and nemesis on 1960s TV.
Irene also enjoyed some success on stage in such productions as "Seven Keys to Baldpate" (1935), which starred George M. Cohan. Eventually she left it all, marrying a fourth time to businessman George Henry Clifford in 1950, and settling in comfortable retirement. She died at age 96 quietly of heart failure and was survived by two daughters, one of whom, Frances Rich, was an actress briefly on the 1930s stage and screen before becoming a noted sculptor.- Houston-born-and-bred Florence Vidor was one of the great beauties of early Hollywood. But while her photogenic looks went a long way, audiences would not get to enjoy or really experience her voice as she abruptly left the silver screen after her first disastrous attempt at a talking picture.
Born Florence Arto on July 23, 1895, she was the daughter of realtor John F. Arto and his wife Ida. Educated in both public and finishing schools, she was also a student at the Convent of the Sacred Heart for a time. Her fate was sealed after a happenstance but eventful first meeting of two aspiring filmmakers: future directors Edward Sedgwick and King Vidor. Vidor, a freelance photographer, cast Florence in his very first 2-reel picture although she had no real designs on being an actress. The two became a romantic item, married in 1915, and welcomed one child together, Suzanne Vidor Parry, in 1919.
King set his sites on Hollywood and the couple made the big move, financing their trip by filming travelogue for the Ford Motor Company. The couple settled in Santa Monica and soon found employment at Vitagraph Studios. Florence knew actress Corinne Griffith from her days in Houston and was introduced around the sets. The studio, quite taken by her exquisite beauty, quickly signed her to a contract, starting with some minor roles in such comedy shorts as The Yellow Girl (1916) and Curfew at Simpton Center (1916). Meanwhile, husband King sought work as a scriptwriter and occasional movie extra.
Florence first turned heads portraying tragic seamstress "Mimi" in A Tale of Two Cities (1917). Audiences took notice and the beautiful brunette was immediately promoted to leading-lady status opposite such established stars as Sessue Hayakawa and chic "drag" performer Julian Eltinge. She and Hayakawa made several pictures together, including Hashimura Togo (1917), The Secret Game (1917), and The White Man's Law (1918), among others. With the popular Eltinge, who often outdressed his leading ladies, the actress graced the comedies The Countess Charming (1917) and The Widow's Might (1918). Within a short time she was starring in quality pictures for both William C. de Mille and his brother Cecil B. DeMille, but still preferred to work for her husband King, who had by this time established himself as a formidable director after opening his own studio in 1919.
A mature, opulent presence, Florence became a huge star under her husband's guidance, operating under the banners of King Vidor Productions and Florence Vidor Productions. With such silent classics as The Other Half (1919), Poor Relations (1919), The Family Honor (1920), The Jack-Knife Man (1920), Real Adventure (1922), Dusk to Dawn (1922), and Conquering the Woman (1922), Florence came to the forefront. Her best-regarded film of that period was King's comedy-drama Alice Adams (1923), remade successfully a decade later by Katharine Hepburn.
King and Florence divorced in 1924 and Florence went on to appear for other well-known directors, notably Ernst Lubitsch, in such glossy pictures as The Marriage Circle (1924) and The Patriot (1928). She also portrayed famous female Revolutionary War character Barbara Frietchie in Barbara Frietchie (1924), but she earned most of her kudos specializing in sophisticated comedy. She was well represented in that genre with Marry Me (1925), The Grand Duchess and the Waiter (1926), and The Magnificent Flirt (1928). Her stylish humor coupled with a charming sensitivity put her squarely on top throughout most of the 1920s opposite such other well-tailored charmers as Adolphe Menjou, Clive Brook, and William Powell.
Florence's first major talking film would also be her last. The unhappy experience and end-result of working on Chinatown Nights (1929), which used highly experimental sound equipment, was enough to convince her to leave films altogether. By that time Florence had married a second time, to famed violinist Jascha Heifetz, and preferred to raise a family. The couple had two children. Following their divorce in 1946, Florence continued to remain completely out of the limelight. She later moved to Pacific Palisades, California and stayed there for the rest of her life. She succumbed to heart failure in 1977 at age 82. - Pina Menichelli was born on 10 January 1890 in Castroreale, Sicily, Italy. She was an actress, known for La dama de Chez Maxim's (1923), Il fuoco (la favilla - la vampa - la cenere) (1916) and The Rival Actresses (1913). She died on 29 August 1984 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
- Although Dutch-born silent screen femme fatale Jetta Goudal (pronounced Zhett-eh Goo-doll) may be pretty much forgotten today, she was, in her glorious Hollywood heyday, a star rivaling that of Gloria Swanson and fellow vamps Barbara La Marr and Nita Naldi. The daughter of a Jewish orthodox diamond cutter in Amsterdam, she began her career on stage in Europe, traveling with various theater companies. Arriving in America (New York City) following the WWI armistice (1918), Juliette (Julie) Henriette Goudeket purposely disguised her Dutch and Jewish ancestry and her age, passing herself off as "Jetta Goudal," a Parisienne born in Versailles in 1901 and the daughter of a lawyer.
She first appeared on Broadway in the drama "The Hero" in March of 1921; that September she returned with the melodrama "The Elton Charm". Eventually testing for film. She attracted immediate attention with her first two small film roles and caught the eye of legendary producer/director Cecil B. DeMille. He hired her for what turned out to be some of her (and his) greatest critical successes, including her emotional roles in The Coming of Amos (1925), The Road to Yesterday (1925), White Gold (1927) and The Forbidden Woman (1927). Unfortunately, the exotic allure and element of mystery that made Goudal so popular on-screen came with a price. She was an unrepentant theatrical "grand dame" and possessed a fierce temper well known to the film community.
Her extreme difficulty on the set led to DeMille breaking her contract, which in turn led Goudal to file a landmark lawsuit against him. She charged him with breach of contract, while he claimed her diva-like tirades over every detail of production, from costumes and scenery to mere entrances, caused a multitude of delays and severe financial setbacks for the studio. Goudal, however, won the suit--one reason being that neither DeMille nor the studio could furnish financial records to back up their claims that she cost them untold thousands of dollars--and it set a precedent regarding actors' rights vs. studios' rights. The damage to her career and reputation, however, was sealed and she never recaptured her former glory. Moreover, with the arrival of sound her very thick French accent left her with limited offers.
Goudal married art director Harold Grieve in 1930 and retired from the screen permanently three years later. Along with her husband, she went into interior design and faded from the Hollywood scene. They had no children. Plagued by health problems (heart condition) in the 1960s, she suffered a serious fall in 1973 which left her an invalid. She died in 1985 and was interred in a private room at the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of the Angels, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Her devoted husband was interred next to her upon his death in 1993. - Clarine Seymour born to Albert and Florence Seymour in Brooklyn, New York in 1898. Her father ran a ribbon manufacturing business, in 1917 her father became so ill that he had no choice but to close his successful business and so Clarine secured work through the Thanhouser Film Company, which was located in New Rochelle, as a result of her work through that company , she obtained work through Pathe in a Pearl White serial and also in 1917 she appeared opposite Mollie King in 'Mystery of the Double Cross', followed in Toto the Clown comedies for the Robin Film Co and also appeared in many Al Christie comedies, she excepted an offer from D.W. Griffith who directed her in 'The Girl Who Stayed at Home' (1919) and 'True Heart Susie' (1919) opposite Lillian Gish and in Scarlet Days (1919). In 1920 Clarine became famous after starring in 'The Idol Dancer' the public loved her, shortly after that film's release she signed a four year contract, her next role was 'Way Down East' However, half way through production Clarine suddenly died unexpectedly from an intestinal ailment following an operation at Misericordia Hospital in New York at the age of 21. Mary Hay took over her role and the film was a box office success.1898 - 1920, 21.
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Jan Duggan was born on 6 November 1881 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for The Old Fashioned Way (1934), Wagon Wheels (1934) and Midnight Intruder (1938). She died on 10 March 1977 in Anaheim, California, USA.1881 - 1977, (95).- Dorothy Dalton was a silent film star who worked her way up from a stock company to a movie career. She made her film debut in 1914 in Pierre of the Plains (1914), co-starring Edgar Selwyn, and appeared in Charles E. Blaney's Across the Pacific (1914) that same year. Producer-director Thomas H. Ince convinced her to leave the stage for the movies, and she made The Disciple (1915) and The Three Musketeers (1916) for him, working for Kay-Bee Pictures and the New York Motion Picture Co. (distributed by Triangle Distributing Corp.). In 1916 and '17 she starred in 15 more movies at Kay-Bee/New York Picture/Triangle, nine of them for Ince. Her co-stars at the studio included William S. Hart, Jean Hersholt, William Conklin and the young John Gilbert.
After appearing in Ten of Diamonds (1917) for Triangle Films, she left the studio to join Ince's Thomas H. Ince Corp., which released through Paramount. Her debut for the Ince company was The Price Mark (1917), followed by Love Letters (1917), both of which co-starred William Conklin. She stayed with Ince's company through L'apache (1919), which was co-produced by Ince's company and Famous-Players Lasky, and _Black is White (1920)_ (qav), a sole production of Thomas H. Ince Corp., released through Famous-Players and Paramount. She also made _The Dark Mirror (1920)_ for Famous-Players, a production supervised by Ince. Altogether they collaborated on 31 pictures between 1915-20.
Dalton was always a top-billed star. working with the best talent and hot properties such as Guilty of Love (1920), based on Avery Hopwood's 1909 Broadway play "This Woman and This Man"; Cecil B. DeMille's Fool's Paradise (1921) and Moran of the Lady Letty (1922), in which she co-starred with Rudolph Valentino; and Victor Fleming's Law of the Lawless (1923). She made all of her remaining films for Famous-Players-Lasky and Paramount, except for her penultimate film, The Lone Wolf (1924), in which she co-starred with Tyrone Power Sr. (the film was produced by John McKeown and distributed by Associated Exhibitors.)
Once married to actor Lew Cody, the divorced Dalton married theatrical impresario Arthur Hammerstein--the uncle of Oscar Hammerstein II--and retired from the screen. Her last film was The Moral Sinner (1924), directed by Thomas M. Ince's younger brother Ralph Ince. She was married to Hammerstein for over 30 years, through his death in 1955.
Dorothy Dalton Hammerstein died at the age of 78. - Another in the parade of glamorous Ziegfeld Girls who briefly laid claim to fame and fortune in Hollywood, was Rubye De Remer. The great Flo himself dubbed her "the most beautiful blonde since Venus". Ravishing Rubye won a New York beauty contest in May 1916 and afterwards modeled for the renowned illustrator Harrison Fisher. The story goes, that a friend persuaded her to try her luck on the stage. After a spell with a theatrical troupe in Dayton, Ohio, she returned to the Big Apple and successfully auditioned for the Follies. Rubye was featured in "Midnight Frolic" in 1918, then had a season dancing and speaking dialogue in the Weber and Fields revue "Back Again".
In between her stage commitments, she also sidelined in movies and had ambitions of becoming 'a serious actress'. Rotogravure images of her in top U.S. fashion magazines lured women to beauty products. Between 1917 and 1923, Rubye starred in twenty-two pictures for various studios, including Fox, Goldwyn, World Film and J. Stuart Blackton's independent company. One of her first features, the fruity melodrama The Auction Block (1917), in which she played a country girl to be 'auctioned off' by her evil parents, actually turned out to be a significant critical and box-office hit. This could hardly be said about many of her subsequent outings, in which her presence required decorative qualities and the modeling of extravagant gowns and priceless jewellery, but not acting ability. Rubye came to lament her situation in a 1919 article in the Washington Post entitled "Beauty Often a Handicap". Whether she could have become a 'serious actress' or not is debatable, but she was certainly destined not to be taken seriously, at least by producers.
Rubye's screen career thus ended after just six years. She vanished into relative obscurity for thirteen years. Then she made an unsuccessful attempt to get back into films. She looked lovely as ever, but her comeback in The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) was in too small a role to make any headlines. With the death of her second husband, the coal magnate Benjamin Throop, Rubye retired to 'Sunkist', her mansion at the highest point of the Hollywood Hills and quietly faded from public consciousness.1892 - 1984, (92). - Actress
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Pioneer silver screen star Kathlyn Williams is primarily known as the spry blonde of the very first Hollywood cliffhanger, The Adventures of Kathlyn (1913), in which her real first name was used in the title. This accomplishment has resulted in many reference works mistakenly referring to her as an adventurous Pearl White-type silent serial queen. While Kathlyn did, in fact, go on to perform in a few other adventure-type pictures, including westerns, she was actually quite gentile and dignified in nature and primarily graced heavier drama on the screen. Having once been dubbed the Sarah Bernhardt of the screen, she never did appear in another serial.
She was born in Butte, Montana, on May 31, 1879 (most sources incorrectly list 1888) of Norwegian and Welsh descent, Kathlyn was born to Joseph E. and Mary C. Williams. With early interest and experience as a vocal recitalist, she eventually attended the Sargent School of Acting and studied at Wesleyan University (1899). Following stage experience in local stock and touring companies (from 1902) she began to develop a solid name for herself in such plays as "When We Were Twenty One". Her early career was generously sponsored by Sen. W.A. Clarke after Kathlyn's family lost their fortunes. She eventually went to Hollywood while performing with the Belasco Stock Company and began making films as early as 1908 with D.W. Griffith at the Biograph Studio.
A popular star at the Selig Polyscope Company in 1910 (she was at first publicized as "The Selig Girl"), she appeared in assorted jungle adventures for the studio as well as a number of westerns opposite cowboy star Tom Mix. She made history, however, with the very first serial adventure, which contained a number of wild animals, and it saved the faltering studio from bankruptcy. She proceeded to remain a popular item after being handed the lead in the Selig epic The Spoilers (1914), playing her signature role of Cherry Marlotte.
Once the Selig Studio folded, Kathlyn signed with Paramount Pictures following her marriage to Paramount executive Charles F. Eyton in 1916 (a former actor, he later became the studio's General Manager), and while there appeared as the star of several early dramas for both Cecil B. DeMille and his brother William C. de Mille, including The Whispering Chorus (1918), We Can't Have Everything (1918), The Tree of Knowledge (1920) and Conrad in Quest of His Youth (1920). Her numerous co-stars included veteran matinée idols (Thomas Meighan, Theodore Roberts, Tyrone Power Sr.), young established stars (Wallace Reid) and western heroes (Roy Stewart.
Kathlyn's fair, spunky, coquettish looks grew suddenly grim and matronly by the early 1920s and she moved swiftly into stately dramatic efforts, backing up such celebrity femmes of the day as May McAvoy, Betty Compson, Anita Page, Greta Garbo and even Joan Crawford before the advent of sound. She retired from films in 1935 after only a handful of talkies and, though comebacks were bantered about from time to time in the gossip mill, nothing came of it. A tragic car accident in 1949 resulted in the loss of a leg, ending any chances whatsoever of revitalizing her career. She was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of her life.
Married and divorced three times, her only child, Victor Hugo Kainer, from her first marriage to import/export businessman Otto Kainer, was born in 1905 but died a young teenager after developing influenza and succumbing to septic poisoning in 1922. After a brief marriage to actor Frank R. Allen, she married Eyton. That marriage ended in 1931.
Due to the loss of her leg, Kathlyn became a wheelchair-bound invalid in the last decade of her life. She succumbed to massive heart attack in her Hollywood apartment on September 23, 1960, at age 81. She was cremated and her ashes interred in the Deodora Hall, South Columbarium in the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.- Vilma Bánky appeared in Hungarian, Austrian and French movies between 1920 and 1925, the year in which Samuel Goldwyn signed her, in Budapest, to a Hollywood contract. In Hollywood she was billed as the "The Hungarian Rhapsody". In the mid and late 1920s she was Goldwyn's biggest money maker, especially playing with Ronald Colman. Her best-known works were with Rudolph Valentino: daughter of a Russian aristocrat in The Eagle (1925) and an Arab dancer in The Son of the Sheik (1926). Her first talking movie was This Is Heaven (1929). She toured the U.S. in "Cherries Are Ripe" with her husband Rod La Rocque in 1930-1 and, the next year, went with him to Germany to make her last film.
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Seena Owen was born in Spokane, WA, on Nov. 14, 1894. Her first film was A Yankee from the West (1915) under the name of Signe Auen, when she was 21. The following year she appeared (as "Attarea") in D.W. Griffith's epic Intolerance (1916). In 1919 she played Barbara Riggs in the well-received A Fugitive from Matrimony (1919). This very adept actress appeared in several quality films during her career. After Officer Thirteen (1932) she retired from the silver screen in 1933.
On August 15, 1966, Seena died in Hollywood, CA, at age 72.- Actress
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Stacia Napierkowska was born on 16 December 1886 in Paris, France. She was an actress and director, known for Missing Husbands (1921), Les vampires (1915) and The Marriage of Psyche and Cupid (1913). She died on 11 May 1945 in Paris, France.- Actress
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Barbara La Marr was born in Yakima, Washington, on July 28, 1896, as Reatha Watson. Her childhood was mostly uneventful, mainly because Yakima--today a medium-sized city with a population of over 50, 000-wasn't exactly a beehive of activity. Her parents eventually moved to the Los Angeles area, where she began to explore the show business lifestyle in whatever form she could. Barbara loved the L.A. way of living and was forced to grow up fast. She was still Reatha at the time, but her arrest for dancing in burlesque while still a teen caused her to change her name to Barbara La Marr to avoid being associated with her past. Her passion was dancing and writing, but the powers-that-be in the movie industry thought she was meant for other things--her dazzling beauty captured the imagination of all who came across her path. Moving to New York, she was ultimately lured into the film world, her first picture being Harriet and the Piper (1920). She was still going by her married name of Barbara Deely (already working to shed her fourth husband) and was being dubbed "The Girl Who Is Too Beautiful." The next year she appeared in The Three Musketeers (1921) and Desperate Trails (1921). That same year, her role as Claudine Dupree in The Nut (1921) sent Barbara into super-stardom. Hordes of fans flocked to theaters to see this beautiful actress in movies such as Arabian Love (1922), Trifling Women (1922), Domestic Relations (1922) and The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) whose beauty kept them enthralled. In 1923, she kept up her frenzied filming pace with such pictures as Poor Men's Wives (1923), The Brass Bottle (1923) and Souls for Sale (1923). The public adored her, as evidenced by the volumes of fan mail she received, but Barbara was more interested in the late-night partying she was involved with. The combination of alcohol and drugs was, clearly, beginning to wear her down. She made four films in 1924 and three in 1925. Her last picture was The Girl from Montmartre (1926). On February 2, 1926, Barbara died of tuberculosis in Altadena, California. Her demise was, no doubt, brought about by her constant late-night partying. She had lived a lifetime and had made 30 films, but was only 29 when she died.- Virginia True Boardman was born on 23 May 1889 in Fort Davis, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for A Blind Bargain (1922), The Road to Ruin (1934) and The Lady Lies (1929). She was married to True Boardman. She died on 10 June 1971 in Hollywood, California, USA.1889 - 1971, (82).
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Gertrude Lawrence was born on 4 July 1898 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Mimi (1935), Rembrandt (1936) and The Glass Menagerie (1950). She was married to Richard Aldrich and Francis Gordon-Howley. She died on 6 September 1952 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actress
Brunette, buxom matinee idol Betty Blythe capitalised on the 'roaring 20's' infatuation with exotic screen sirens to achieve a brief period of stardom. She was, notoriously, one of the first actresses to ever appear nude (or in various stages of undress) on screen. It wasn't that Betty couldn't act, as well; in fact, she had studied art in Paris and at USC and had appeared on stage in a number of traditional plays like "So Long Letty" in both London and New York. In 1918, she joined a roommate on a visit to the Vitagraph Studio in Brooklyn and found immediate employment when one of the directors needed a leading lady. Two years later, she wound up in Hollywood, was signed by Fox Studios as a replacement for Theda Bara and became the protégée of J. Gordon Edwards (grandfather of Blake Edwards of 'Pink Panther' fame. She was eventually cast as the star of one of the most lavishly produced films of the decade, The Queen of Sheba (1921), directed, of course, by Edwards. Betty later recalled that she was given 28 costumes to wear, all of which would have fit comfortably into a shoe box. Alas, only a few stills of the movie survive, a fate shared by most of her other silent films.
Betty's career was put on hold when Edwards quarreled with Fox and left the studio. For a while, she freelanced, playing leads in films for lesser studios. She did have a couple of hits in England with Chu-Chin-Chow (1923) and She (1925), in addition to doing theatrical work, which helped her to smoothly make the transition from silent to talking pictures. By that time, however, public tastes had changed and Betty had aged sufficiently to be classified as a character actress. To her credit, she persisted and appeared in support in many an A-grade production, her swan song being a small role in the ballroom scene of My Fair Lady (1964).- Kathryn Carver was born on 24 August 1899 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Serenade (1927), Outcast (1928) and No Defense (1929). She was married to Paul Vincent Hall, Adolphe Menjou and Ira L. Hill. She died on 17 July 1947 in Elmhurst, Long Island, New York, USA.
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Popular star in Hollywood for two decades through 1936, Marie Prevost began as a Mack Sennett "Bathing Beauty" in 1917, later starring in dozens of light comedies. But not long into the sound era, she encountered problems with her burgeoning weight, to the jeopardy of her career. Her self-remedy resulted ultimately in her starving to death.
Marie Prevost was born Mary Bickford Dunn in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on November 8, 1898. She broke into films when she was 18 years old in Unto Those Who Sin (1916). Finding work in films was difficult in the early days, just as it is today. Marie found herself doing odd jobs until 1917, when she made another film, Secrets of a Beauty Parlor (1917). After filming was completed, Marie found herself unemployed again and went back to scraping around for a living. She kept going to casting calls, but it wasn't until 1919 when she landed a role in Uncle Tom Without a Cabin (1919). Finally, in 1921, movie moguls discovered her talent and began casting her in a number of roles. She appeared in four films that year and an additional six in 1922. Marie seemed to be on a roll. She stayed busy through the balance of the 1920s in a number of films, mostly comedies. As a matter of fact, she would continue making films until 1933, when her appeal began to fade. She made no films in 1934 and precious few after that. With the advent of sound her thick New England accent didn't lend itself well to the "demon microphone", despite her beauty. Her depression about her career--or lack of it--drove her to alcohol, and she died on January 23, 1937, in Hollywood, of a combination of alcoholism and malnutrition, virtually broke and living in a dilapidated apartment. She never saw the release, in 1938, of her final film appearance: Ten Laps to Go (1936). She was 38 years old.- Jean Acker was born in 1893 on a farm in Trenton, NJ, and was named Harriet. Her father was part Cherokee and her mother was Irish, and they had separated when she was young. Jean attended school at St. Mary's Seminary in Springfield, NJ. Her acting career began in vaudeville and stock-company drama before she moved in front of the cameras.
In 1919 she came to California and negotiated a $200-a-week contract with a movie studio based on the strength of her relationship with her lover, the famed star Alla Nazimova. Within a few months she started another relationship with a younger, less established actress, Grace Darmond. In the midst of this love triangle she met the struggling actor Rudolph Valentino at a party, and they became friends. After a two-month courtship, he asked her to marry him and she accepted. On November 6, 1919, they married, and on their wedding night she locked him out. She wept, claiming she made a mistake and later departed to Grace Darmond's apartment. Valentino tried to reconcile with her but to no avail, and the marriage ended in divorce two years later when Valentino was a major star and Acker's star was waning.
Newspapers had a field day when Valentino was charged with bigamy, as he hadn't waited long enough to marry his second wife, talented set and costume designer Natacha Rambova. Acker sued for the legal right to call herself "Mrs. Rudolph Valentino," and Valentino remained angry at her for several years. However, they rekindled their friendship a few months before his death in 1926. She was one of the last people who saw him alive, and she attended his funeral with her mother. Soon after he died, she wrote and published a popular song about him, "We Will Meet at the End of the Trail."
She played bit parts in films, usually uncredited, until the early 1950s. She and her companion Chloe Carter owned a Beverly Hills building where Patricia Neal lived for several years. She died in 1978 at the age of 85. She and her companion Carter are now buried side by side in Holy Cross Cemetery, Los Angeles, California. - Christine Mayo was born on 25 December 1883 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman (1917), Fair and Warmer (1919) and The House of Mirth (1918). She died on 9 January 1961 in New York City, New York, USA.
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Diana Karenne was born in 1888 in Kiev, Russian Empire [now Ukraine]. She was an actress and director, known for Redenzione (1919), Marie Antoinette - Das Leben einer Königin (1922) and Rasputins Liebesabenteuer (1928). She died on 14 October 1940 in Aachen, Germany.1888 - 1940, (52).
Russian Empire. Germany.- Actress
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Anita Stewart was born on 7 February 1895 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for A Midnight Romance (1919), Her Kingdom of Dreams (1919) and The Lodge in the Wilderness (1926). She was married to George Peabody Converse and Rudolph Cameron. She died on 4 May 1961 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.1895 - 1961, (66).- Actress
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Fern Andre's show-business career started as an aerialist with a troupe that toured the U.S. and Europe. In Vienna she became a student of famed director/teacher Max Reinhardt and appeared in several of his plays and films. She soon settled in Berlin, where she starred in several productions for UFA Studios, some of which she also produced and directed. She also appeared in British and French films. In the sound era she returned to the United States, but after making only two films, she retired.- Helen Marten is known for Corruption (1917), The Idol of the Stage (1916) and According to Law (1916).credits, 1911-1917.
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Viola Dana (real name Virginia Flugrath) was born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 26, 1897. She was the middle sister of three sisters (the other two were Edna Flugrath and Shirley Mason). She made her film debut in 1914 in Molly the Drummer Boy (1914). The following year she received top billing playing "Gladiola Bain" in Gladiola (1915). She was in top demand as evidenced by securing another lead in The Innocence of Ruth (1916). She continued to turn in great performances, particularly as Katie O'Doone in Bred in Old Kentucky (1926). Viola's final silver screen role was in 1929's One Splendid Hour (1929). The last the general public saw her was in a documentary about 'Buster Keaton' called Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow (1987).
Viola died on July 3, 1987, at age 90.- A former stage actress, Dorothy Phillips was married to actor/director/producer Allen Holubar. They were known as two of the screen's most prominent players--her the star, he the director/producer. Dorothy was well known in Hollywood as one of the most warm-hearted, approachable stars in the business. After the advent of sound, however, her career faded and she could be seen in a handful of films as an extra. Although a major star in her time and one of the best loved of that era, her passing was barely mentioned, other than in local papers.
- Madge was born as Margaret Philpott in Texas. She got her start in theater working with a stock company in Denver. Put under a personal contract by a Broadway producer, Madge got her big break when she replaced Helen Hayes in the Broadway play "Dear Brutus". Her success as a stage actress led to her being signed by Fox Pictures. After appearing in a number of movies in the early 20's, Madge was best remembered for her performances in 'Lorna Doone (1922)' and 'The Iron Horse (1924)'. A strong will contrasted the screen image of innocence and led to disagreements over roles by the late 20's. Madge had been cast in a number of movies each year and was in Fox's first dialogue feature 'Mother Knows Best (1928)'. But her refusal to work in the film 'The Trial of Mary Dugan', which was bought expressly for her, led to her contract with Fox being terminated. It would be 3 years until she returned to the screen in the cult favorite 'White Zombie (1932)' with Bela Lugosi, but her career was not going anywhere as Madge was just one of those old silent stars. For the next few years, she appeared in a small number of low budget films and by 1936 her film career was over. In 1943, she would again appear in the headlines when she shot her lover, millionaire A. Stanford Murphy after he jilted her to marry another woman. She did marry two other men, Carlos Bellamy, whose last name she kept, and then to Logan F. Metcalf. Both marriages ended in divorce. She has no children.
- Adele Sandrock was born on 19 August 1863 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for Helen of Troy (1924), Op hoop van zegen (1924) and Die Försterchristl (1931). She died on 30 August 1937 in Berlin, Germany.1863 - 1937, 74. Netherlands. Germany.
- Alice Belcher was born on 12 April 1880 in New York, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Mistaken Orders (1926), Second Hand Rose (1922) and Pals First (1926). She was married to Harold Christie. She died on 9 May 1939 in Hollywood, California, USA.1880 - 1939, (59).
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Adrienne D'Ambricourt was born on 2 June 1878 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for The Eagle and the Hawk (1933), Paris Underground (1945) and The Cat and the Fiddle (1934). She died on 6 December 1957 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.1878 - 1957, (79).- Actress
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Cecil Cunningham was born on 2 August 1880 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for The Awful Truth (1937), Playboy of Paris (1930) and Daughter of Shanghai (1937). She was married to Jean C. Havez. She died on 17 April 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA.1888 - 1959, (70).- Actress
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Forever embraced as the mumbling, bumbling Aunt Clara on the Bewitched (1964) television series, endearing character actress Marion Lorne had a five-decade-long career on the stage before ever becoming a familiar TV household name.
Born Marion Lorne MacDougall on August 12, 1883 (other sources list 1885 and 1888), she grew up in her native Pennsylvania, the daughter of Scottish and English immigrants. Trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, she appeared in stock shows, and was on the Broadway boards by 1905. She married English playwright Walter C. Hackett and performed in many of his plays throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including "Hyde Park Corner" and "The Gay Adventure". They at one point settled in England where they co-founded the Whitehall Theater. It was there that Marion began to sharpen and patent her fidgety comedy eccentrics in such plays as "Pansy's Arabian Knight," "Sorry You've Been Troubled," "Espionage" and "London After Dark". Upon Hackett's death in 1944, she returned to the States and again, after a brief retirement, became a hit in such tailor-made stage shows as "Harvey".
Marion made a definitive impression via her movie debut at age 60+ in Alfred Hitchcock's immortal suspenser Strangers on a Train (1951) as murderer Robert Walker's clueless, smothering mother. Surprisingly Hollywood used her only a couple more times on film after that auspicious beginning -- a grievously sad waste of a supremely talented comedienne. Marion wisely turned to TV instead and proved a dithery delight in such sitcoms as Mister Peepers (1952) and Sally (1957), gaining quirky status as well as part of the comedy ensemble on The Garry Moore Show (1958).
It was, however, her role as Elizabeth Montgomery's befuddled, muttering, doorknob-collecting witch-aunt on Bewitched (1964) -- whether bouncing into walls or conjuring up some unintended piece of witchcraft -- that put a lasting sheen on her long career. For that role she deservedly won an Emmy trophy for "Best Supporting Actress" -- albeit posthumously. Montgomery accepted her award. Sadly, Marion succumbed to a heart attack on May 9, 1968, just ten days before the actual ceremony. Elizabeth Montgomery gave a touching acceptance speech on her behalf.1883 - 1968, (84).- Missouri-born Jane Darwell was born Patti Woodard, the daughter of William Robert Woodard, president of the Louisville Southern Railroad, and Ellen (Booth) Woodard, in Palmyra, Missouri, where she grew up on a ranch . She nursed ambitions to be an opera singer, but put it off because of her father's disapproval (she eventually changed her name to Darwell from the family name of Woodard so as not to "sully" the family name). Making her stage debut at age 33, she was almost 40 when she made her first film, a silent, in 1913.
She easily made the transition from silents to talkies, and specialized in playing kindly, grandmotherly types. Her most famous role was as Ma Joad, the glue that held the Joad family together, in the classic The Grapes of Wrath (1940), for which she won the Academy Award. She was, however, memorably cast against type in The Ox-Bow Incident (1942), as the shrewish, cackling Ma Grier, a lynch mob leader, and again in Caged (1950), as the unsympathetic prison matron in charge of the isolation ward.
She made over 200 films. Her last, Mary Poppins (1964), was made at the express request of Walt Disney; she had retired and was living at the Motion Picture Country Home and Disney came out personally to ask her to appear in the film, after which she went back into retirement. She died in 1967 after suffering a stroke and a heart attack, and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. - Actress
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Delightful character actress who held her own against such acting heavyweights as Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Tyrone Power, Barbara Stanwyck, and Sydney Greenstreet. Often cast by studio heads as comic relief thanks to her thick Irish accent and rubber-faced expressions, most notably in Universal's horror classics, Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and The Invisible Man (1933). Her final role was as the devoted housekeeper in Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution (1957), a role she originated on stage. Her hilarious testimony during the trial is one of the film's highlights.- Actress
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When Estelle saw the girl on a white horse at the circus, she then decided that she wanted to be an actress. And she was from the age of 5, to the disapproval of her father. Her mother had her train with the Liverpool Repertory Company, and Estelle performed in many plays and many roles in the West End. In 1916, she made her debut on Broadway and worked with a number of acclaimed stage actors. Estelle spent the rest of the 'teens and '20s working in plays on both sides of the Atlantic. Being an actor in the theater, Estelle was not about to be one of those who acted in flicks and held out for a very long time. In fact, besides a small role in a few English films in the early 1930s, her real debut was Quality Street (1937), a picture that she undertook when she was in her 50s. Anyway, that was enough as it would be almost two decades before she would return to the big screen. She appeared on the stage in the plays "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Ten Little Indians," and "The Importance of Being Earnest." But, in 1955, Estelle did return to the movies as Leslie Caron's "fairy godmother" in The Glass Slipper (1955). Estelle would spend the next 10 years appearing in films, often cast as eccentric, frail old ladies, some of whom could be deadly. Not to be left out, Estelle also would work on Television, doing guest spots in a number of shows. At 84, Estelle played a woman who was enamored by crooked Zero Mostel in the comedy The Producers (1967). Her last film would be the detective spoof Murder by Death (1976). When Estelle was asked, on the occasion of her 100th birthday, how she felt to have lived so long, she replied, "How rude of you to remind me!".- Actress
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Her father was a butcher. In 1913 she met and married matinée idol DeWolf Hopper Sr. and in 1915 they moved to Hollywood, where both began active film careers. He became a star with Triangle Company, she began in vamp parts and turned to supporting roles. After her divorce she appeared in dozens of films, becoming known as "Queen of the Quickies". In 1936 she started a gossipy radio show and two years later commenced a 28-year stint as a newspaper gossip columnist, rival of Louella Parsons. In her last films she mostly played herself, a tribute to her influence in Hollywood. Her son became famous as investigator Paul Drake in the Perry Mason (1957) series.- As a stage actress Edna Holland appeared in several Broadway productions throughout her career, often under the direction of Broadway impresario David Belasco. Some of her Broadway shows were "The Mandarin," "Post Road" with Lucile Watson, "Dear Old Darling" and "Lorelei." She also appeared in silent movies but in 1920 returned to the stage.1895 - 1982, (86).
- Elsie Albert was born on 20 November 1888 in North Caldwell, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Welcome Children (1921), Snow White and The Sleeping Beauty (1913). She was married to Harold Clarke Mathews. She died on 7 October 1981 in Oregon, USA.
- Vittoria Lepanto was born on 15 February 1885 in Saracinesco, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Camille (1909), Lucrezia Borgia (1910) and Othello (1909). She died on 3 May 1965 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
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Abigail (Gail) Kane was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1885. Another actress who had a brief fling with stardom, Gail made her film debut in 1913, when she was 28, in the film Arizona (1913). Between 1913 and 1918, Gail posted a whopping 20 movies. Films on her resume included The Pit (1914), The Scarlet Oath (1916), As Man Made Her (1917), and The Daredevil (1918). Afterward her career slowed greatly. She appeared in no films between 1918 and 1920. In 1921, she returned as Gloria Travers in Idle Hands (1921). By the time she was 42, Gail had a hard time landing good roles, and finished her career in Convoy (1927) in 1927. She was 81 years old when she died of natural causes in Augusta, Maine on February 17, 1966 after appearing in 24 pictures.- Kathleen Clifford was born on 16 February 1887 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Richard the Lion-Hearted (1923), When the Clouds Roll by (1919) and Who Is Number One? (1917). She was married to Miomir Peter Illitch (banker). She died on 28 December 1962 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Mabel Trunnelle was born in Dwight, Illinois on November 8, 1879. A stage actress from the East Coast, Mabel was 32 when she appeared on the silver screen. In 1911 she was in A MODERN CINDERELLA, IN THE DAYS OF CHIVALRY, and THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER, the latter being the most notable. Her last film was in 1923's THE LOVE TRAP. At 44 she went back to the stage. On April 29, 1981, Mabel died in Glendale, California at the age of 101.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Tunstal Ijames, born Kentucky, was part of a Vaudeville sister act "Tempest and Sunshine". She and her sister were in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1907. She is credited on Broadway, the Palace Theater, Silent Films, music composer and lyricist (The Peanut Vendor)and is also credited for introducting Cuban music to the US.1894 - 1963, (68).- The real-life Baroness DeWitz, Valkyrien played bit parts at Great Northern in Copenhagen in 1912 before signing with US producer David Horsley. She later switched to the Thanhouser company who featured her in exotic melodramas partially filmed in Jacksonville, Florida. William Fox lured her over to his company with promises of star-billing and heavy promotion. Unfortunately, Fox failed to deliver and Valkyrien sued him to the tune of $25,000. The outcome of the suit is lost to history but Valkyrien was through as a star. She played supporting roles opposite Clara Kimball Young and was featured in several very low-budget independent films. Leaving films in favor of the Ziegfeld Follies, Valkyrien showed up in Hollywood in 1927 with hopes of resuming her screen career. That didn't happen and she retired permanently.1895 - 1956, (61).
Iceland. USA. - Huguette Duflos was born on 24 August 1887 in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, Limousin, France. She was an actress, known for Les mystères de Paris (1922), Le procès de Mary Dugan (1931) and Maman Colibri (1937). She was married to Raphaël Duflos. She died on 12 April 1982 in Paris, France.
- Making her film debut as an extra in 1917, Leatrice Joy soon graduated to playing opposite comics Billy West and Oliver Hardy. Director Cecil B. DeMille took her under his wing and starred her in several of his films. Often playing career girls dressed in mannish suits, or sophisticated society girls, she is generally credited with starting the bobbed-hair craze in the 1920s. She retired shortly after the advent of sound, but made occasional appearances in small supporting roles over the years.
- Claire Mersereau was born on 20 September 1894 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for When It Strikes Home (1915), Right Off the Bat (1915) and The Avalanche (1915). She died on 26 June 1982 in San Diego, California, USA.
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- Writer
Mitchell began her career in 1909 playing stock in Portland. Working in films, she appeared a number of times with Western star William S. Hart playing a leading role in those films. She then appeared in "Diamond from the Sky" in 1916, which proved to be a disaster for everyone concerned; with only four chapters completed, it was the shortest serial in history. After that, her roles became smaller; she appeared in a handful of films through the mid-1930s, and in several bit parts during the early 1950s. During her retirement she managed an apartment building in Los Angeles, and it was in her apartment that a disgruntled houseboy strangled and killed the former actress.- Actress
- Writer
Gertrude McCoy was born on 30 June 1890 in Sugar Valley, Georgia, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Nelson (1926), Through Turbulent Waters (1915) and The Blue Bird (1918). She was married to Duncan McRae. She died on 17 July 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Dolores Cassinelli was born on 4 July 1888 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for Jamestown (1923), Christopher Columbus (1923) and The Right to Lie (1919). She died on 26 April 1984 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
- Actress
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- Additional Crew
Actress/dramatic teacher Maude Fealy, the daughter of actress Margaret Fealy, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 3, 1881. Maude made her acting debut at three years of age in one of her mother's productions, "Faust". She was quite successful over the next few years, appearing in productions all over the US and Canada. In 1901 she toured England and was rumored to be engaged to actor William Gillette, but she denied the story and there was never any marriage. In 1907 she married a young Englishman, Louis Sherwin, who was a drama critic for a Denver newspaper. However, her parents were dead set against the marriage and took every opportunity to break it up. They eventually succeeded, and the couple divorced in 1909. Later that year she married an actor, James Durkin, who was more acceptable to her parents. The couple later formed the Fealy-Durkin Stock Co., a traveling acting troupe.
She agreed to make films with the Thanhouser Co. in 1911, and appeared in a few films in between her stage work. In 1913 she signed a three-year contract with the studio, appearing in such films as Moths (1913) and The Legend of Provence (1913). Her husband was hired by Thanhouser as a director. However, both she and Durkin left the company in 1914, before her contract ended, and they returned to the stage. In 1916 she appeared in The Immortal Flame (1916) for low-budget Ivan Films. In December of that year she signed with Jesse Lasky Picture Co., and stayed with them for a year. She then returned to the stage, starting her own stock company in Denver, Colorado, and touring the US in various productions well into the 1920s.
In the 1930s she returned to Hollywood and resumed her friendship with director Cecil B. DeMille, with whom she had worked when De Mille was a stage actor. He, in turn, gave her parts in many of his films. She stayed in Hollywood until the early 1940s, when she returned to Denver and began an acting school. Later she returned to Hollywood and opened an acting school there (Nanette Fabray was one of her students). She still made occasional appearances in films, mainly those of her friend De Mille (The Ten Commandments (1956) was one of them).
In 1957 she finally retired and moved back to Denver, but still kept her hand in the theater, appearing in the occasional play and lecturing at a local college.
She died on November 8, 1971, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, where she had been getting treatment for arteriosclerosis. Her funeral and burial expenses were paid by her longtime friend, Cecil B. De Mille. When he died in 1959, he left a provision in his will for her funeral expenses when they were needed.- Actress
- Writer
Florence Barker was born on November 22, 1891 in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Norman Barker, was a farmer and she had four siblings. When she was a teenager she began acting with stock companies. She fell in love with actor Joe De Grasse, who was 18 years her senior; they moved in together and he helped guide her career. In 1908 she made her film debut in D.W. Griffith's "An Awful Moment." Over the next three years she appeared in more than 50 films, including "The Course of True Love," "The Diamond Star," and "The Newlyweds" with Mary Pickford. She became one of the first American actresses to make films in Europe. About acting she said "I love the work and would advise any actress to make a try for the pictures. The work is arduous to be sure. No one ever attained success unless it was accomplished by close and concerted application." The talented young actress was signed by Powers Players in 1912. She was given leading roles in the comedies "Her Yesterday" and "The Petticoat Detective." Her performances got good reviews and her future seemed bright. She also wrote the script for her 1912 comedy "Priscilla's Comedy." While visiting her mother in early 1913 she became ill. Tragically, on February 15, 1913 she died from pneumonia at only 21 years old. She was cremated and her ashes were buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.1891 - 1913, (21).
71 credits, 1908-1912.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Famed singer and author Geraldine Farrar was educated in public schools and then became a music student of Mrs. J.H. Long, Trabadello, Emma Thursby, Lilli Lehman and Graziani. Her 1901 debut was at the Royal Opera House in Berlin, in the role of Marguerite in "Faust". From 1906-22 she was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. During World War II she was active in the Red Cross and the AWVS, and also made many lecture tours. She wrote two autobiographies. Joining ASCAP in 1936, her songwriting credits include "Ecstasy of Spring", "Here Beauty Dwells", "The Tryst", "The Alder Tree", "The Mirage", "Oh, Thou Field of Waving Corn", "Morning", "The Fountain", "The Dream", and "Love Comes and Goes" (all based on the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff), "The Whole World Knows", "Dear Homeland", "Fair Rosemarin" (all based on Fritz Kreisler themes") and "Tears" (based on a theme by Modest Mussorgsky).- Violet Mersereau was born on 2 October 1892 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Together (1918), The Shepherd King (1923) and Nero (1922). She died on 12 November 1975 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
- Edith Johnson's combination of luck and beauty ensured her a Hollywood career. The luck occurred because of her growing up in Rochester, New York, the home of the Eastman Kodak Co. Her beauty resulted in her being appointed by Kodak as "The Kodak Girl," with her face appearing in virtually all of the newspapers and magazines of the day in Kodak advertisements, leading her to be called "the most photographed girl in the world"--and all before she finished college. Her celebrity resulted in her being offered a film contract by the Selig Co., which she accepted as soon as she graduated from Vassar. Her first few films were with actor William Duncan, whom she eventually married, and after several more films for Selig, she jumped ship to Universal in 1916. Her two-year stay there ended when she moved to Vitagraph. She began making serials with her husband, who both starred in and directed them, for Vitagraph and then Universal again. The films were enormously successful, but Duncan and Johnson chafed under the heavy-handed administration at Universal, and they retired after their last film for the studio, 1924's "Wolves of the North." They had a vaudeville act together for a while, then settled down to the task of raising their family. Duncan took on several film roles later in life, most notably as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick "Buck Peters", but his wife had no desire to return to films, and didn't. She outlived her husband by eight years, and died in 1969.
- Marie Majerová was born on 1 February 1882 in Úvaly, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]. She was a writer, known for Virginity (1937), Výstraha (1953) and Kde reky mají slunce (1961). She died on 16 January 1967 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.1882 - 1967, (84).
Czech Republic. - Actress
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Mabel Normand was one of the comedy greats of early film. In an era when women are deemed 'not funny enough' it seems film history has forgotten her contributions. Her films debuted the Keystone Cops, Charlie Chaplin's tramp and the pie in the face gag. She co-starred with both Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in a series of shorts. She was a star in the first Keystone Comedy as well as the first feature film comedy. She was the only comedian to work with Charles Chaplin , Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mack Sennett, D.W. Griffith, Harold Lloyd, Mary Pickford, Hal Roach, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Fred Mace, Fred Sterling and John Bunny (she and Buster Keaton never had a chance to work together but they were friends.)
Born in Staten Island, New York to Claude and Mary Normand. Normand started out as an artist model for Charles Dana Gibson (creator of the Gibson girl). Friends suggested she try out for the new medium of film and she did, working as an extra in Kalem and Biograph shorts. With Biograph's move to California she went to work for Vitagraph where she made a series of comedic shorts as 'Betty', one co-starring the first comedy film star John Bunny.
Eventually Normand returned to Biograph where she began working with Mack Sennett on comedic shorts that would eventually turn into Keystone Comedies. Normand and Sennett were lovers, close friends and close co-workers. All of Sennett's early ideas seemed to revolve around Normand. His creation of Keystone was contingent on Normand joining him; and though he would underpay her as he underpaid everyone he worked with, he insisted Normand have credit and say in the company. When Normand eventually left Keystone for Goldwyn, Sennett left soon after.
By 1912 Normand was writing her own films and by 1914 she was directing her films. By this point she was a major star, continually topping fan polls by new movie magazines. While the discovery of Charlie Chaplin varies from telling to telling, everyone involved agreed Sennett would not have hired (or kept him on) had it not been for Normand. Chaplin's second short for the company was Normand's "Mabel's Strange Predicament" which she starred and directed in. This was the first film Chaplin created his iconic tramp character for.
Chaplin and Normand had a comedic chemistry and would go on to team in a series of shorts until Chaplin left Keystone in 1915. As Chaplin's star rose many fan magazines began to call Normand a 'female Chaplin'. Normand and Chaplin had similar subtle mannerisms and the influence Normand had on Chaplin can not be understated. Before Chaplin left Keystone, they starred, alongside Marie Dressler, in "Tillie's Punctured Romance" the first full length comedy film.
With the loss of Chaplin, Normand and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle began to team together in a series of shorts (though they had acted together before). This series was also popular and the pair continued acting together until they both left Keystone for better pay.
Sennett and Normand became engaged around this time, though the engagement ended when Sennett was caught cheating on Normand. Friends report she suffered a severe head injury when Sennett's fling threw a vase at Normand's head. Those who knew Normand all believed Sennett was the love of her life; and she his. However they would never reconcile romantically. Sennett did convince Normand to create her own production company "Mabel Normand Film Company" to make her own features. The first project was "Mickey" and Sennett's handling of her business affairs resulted in the film not being released until 1918 (or having a definite version).
Normand dissolved the company and signed with Goldwyn where she went on to make comedy features. These movies would be more akin to sitcoms: they were shorter than a lot of features, but still features. Many are lost though several have turned up in the past 10 years.
Normand once again signed with Sennett to make features and this would result in her final feature films. However this would be a rocky venture. Normand's health was hit or miss (she had been diagnosed with tuberculosis when she was 10) and seemed to be worse than better. She also was drinking heavily. In 1922 her friend William Desmond Taylor was murdered. This case would become 'the case of the century' and became a media circus, it is still unsolved. Though Normand was cleared (she had been seen leaving his house with him waving goodbye to her; she was likely the last person to see him alive), the association left an unwelcome tarnish on her soon after the scandalous death of her friend Olive Thomas, and the unfair trial of Roscoe Arbuckle.
Normand continued working, making The Extra Girl. Soon after its release in 1923 she was again near another crime (a butler was shot at a party she attended; though he survived.) Soon after Normand took a break from film.
By 1926 Normand was ready for a comeback. She signed with Hal Roach to make comedy shorts. These were well received and by 1928 she had signed with the William Morris Agency to make talkies. However she did not realize how sick she was and her health soon interrupted these plans.
Over the years Normand's tuberculosis has turned into rumors of a drug addiction. This started during the Taylor scandal when it was claimed that maybe he had been killed for interrupting a drug ring, and maybe Normand was part of it. While not prominent during her life it has become more commonly believed as time has passed despite no evidence. Normand's family, estate and personal nurse were all adamant she had never used any drugs. Sadly this rumor has become common place in Hollywood lore.
Normand's drinking increased as did her partying. During one party she decided to marry longtime friend Lew Cody at 2am. She instantly regretted the marriage and they continued living separately. As Normand's health decreased and she was committed to a sanitarium (akin to a hospital/hospice in modern terms) by 1929. She died in 1930 from tuberculosis.- Isabel Randolph was born on 4 December 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Missing Corpse (1945), The Shanghai Story (1954) and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). She died on 11 January 1973 in Burbank, California, USA.
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Maude George a character performer and few starring roles was often seen as a aristocratic lady in many silent drama films most often with the Universal Film Company from 1915 later she occasionally was seen working for the Vitagraph Film Company and also Goldwyn she never appeared in talkies. married actor Arthur Forde. died in California.1888 - 1963, 75- Lyda Borelli was born on 22 March 1884 in Rivarolo Ligure, Genoa, Liguria, Italy. She was an actress, known for Malombra (1917), Satan's Rhapsody (1917) and Love Everlasting (1914). She was married to Vittorio Cini di Monselice. She died on 1 June 1959 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
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- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene Castle and her husband Vernon Castle (born Vernon Blyth) were the best known ballroom dancers of the early 20th C. Beginning about 1914 they operated several clubs and studios in the NYC area, toured the country dancing, and were able to charge as much as a thousand dollars an hour for lessons. They appeared in an Irving Berlin musical ("Watch Your Step") and in the film "The Whirl Of Life" as themselves. Irene appeared in a number of films alone, notably the WWI drama "Patria". Vernon (as a military flying instructor) was killed in an airplane accident shortly before the war's end. Irene later married Robert Treman, an Ithaca NY businessman who stole her money and lost it on the stock market. In 1923 she married Frederic McLaughlin, a man sixteen years older than her. She married him for his money, divorcing him when he proved to be possessive and physically violent. Her fourth and final husband was George Enzinger an advertising executive from Chicago. She spent the later years of her life championing animal rights.