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- Gaynor Rowlands was born in London, England. Her parents were both from Wales, She started her career as a ballet dancer at the Empire Theatre in London. At the age of seventeen she joined the chorus line of George Edwardes' Gaiety Theatre. Then she toured India as a "Gaiety Girl" dancer. In 1903 she returned to the Gaiety Theatre to appear in The Toreador. The red-headed beauty quickly became one of the most popular musical comedy stars in England. Gaynor starred in numerous shows including The Orchid, The Spring Chicken, and My Lady Molly. She was known for her charming singing voice and her sparkling smile.
Her nickname was "The Nightingale of Wales". While on vacation in France she met novelist Gilbert Frankau. The two spent a lot of time together but always claimed their relationship was platonic. During the Summer of 1906 she suffered an appendicitis and had to have an operation. Unfortunately there were complications and her health quickly deteriorated. Tragically on July 18, 1906 she died from heart failure. Gaynor was only twenty-three years old. She was buried at East Finchley Cemetery and Crematorium East Finchley, England. - 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.- Writer
- Actor
Gladys Rankin was born on October 8, 1870 in New York City. Her father was actor Arthur McKee Rankin and her mother was actress Kitty Blanchard. She began acting on the stage when she was a child. One of her first starring roles was in The Runaway Wife. At the age of eighteen she married actor Sidney Drew. The couple costarred in the plays The Burglar and That Girl From Mexico. Their son, S. Rankin Drew, was born in 1891. Gladys and Sidney became a popular duo and they were first actors to perform drama in vaudeville. They also appeared together in the 1901 Broadway show Sweet And Twenty. She was usually billed as "Mrs. Sidney Drew". Her sister Doris Rankin married actor John Barrymore in 1904. Gladys was a talented author who wrote scripts using the pen name "George Cameron".
In 1908 her dramatic play Agnes was produced on Broadway. She made her film debut in the 1911 comedy The Red Devils. It was directed by Sidney and was based on one of their vaudeville sketches. Gladys wrote numerous short films including The Still Voice, A Sweet Deception, and The Line-Up. Sidney starred in all the films she wrote. Sadly in 1913 she was diagnosed with cancer. On January 9, 1914 she died from the disease at the age of forty-three. She was buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, Just six months after her death Sidney married actress Lucille McVey who would also billed as "Mrs. Sidney Drew". Gladys's son, S. Rankin Drew, became an actor but tragically he was killed during World War 1. She is the great-grand aunt of actress Drew Barrymore.- Actress
Constance Carper born Constance Edith Carper on January 1, 1900 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Alfred Carper, worked for a railroad company. She moved to New York City in 1917 and was quickly signed by Goldwyn Pictures. Constance had a bit parts in the movies Thais and Dodging A Million with Mabel Normand. The she joined the cast of the Ziegfeld Follies. In June of 1918 she checked into a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tragically on June 13 she was found unconscious in her room. On the way to the hospital she died from gas poisoning at the young age of eighteen. The police said it was either an accident or a suicide. According to her friends she had seemed worried before her death. A letter she wrote to a soldier serving in Belgium was found in her room. Her mother believed she had died accidentally after forgetting to turn off the gas. Constance was buried at Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Anna Held was born Helene Anna Held on March 8, 1872 (some sources say 1873) in Warsaw, Poland, the youngest of eleven children in a Jewish family. Her family moved to France, where her father died from alcoholism when she was twelve years old. She began her career singing in Europe. Her signature song was "Won't You Come And Play With Me." In 1894, she married Maximo Carrerra, a wealthy South American adventurer. Their daughter, Liane, was born the following year.
While performing in London in 1886 she met producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. He brought her to New York and the two began a passionate affair. Held quickly became one of Broadway's most popular stars. She starred in the hit shows A Parlor Match, Papa's Wife, and Miss Innocence. Audiences loved her voice and her risque performances. Her lavish stage shows were the inspiration for the Ziegfeld Follies. The press reported that she bathed in milk every day and had a rib removed to achieve her perfect hourglass figure (her waist was only eighteen inches).
Maximo Carrera, her estranged husband, died in 1908. Although she referred to Ziegfeld as her husband the two never legally married and he broke her heart with his infidelity. When she became pregnant he convinced her to have an abortion. The couple ended their relationship in 1909 after he fell in love with Lillian Lorraine. In 1916, Held made the feature length film Madame la Presidente (1916), playing Mademoiselle Gobette, for which she was paid $30,000. Later, she appeared in the Broadway musical Follow Me.
During WWI, she went to France to entertain the soldiers. She was diagnosed with cancer in early 1918. On August 12, 1918, aged 46, she died of multiple myeloma. She was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York. Florenz Ziegfeld was criticized in the press for not attending her funeral.- While filming a comedy in 1918, Lillian fell while leaping from one running automobile to another. She suffered severe internal injuries but was able to appear before the cameras again later on. However, during a later filming, the injuries sustained in the previous accident, caused her to become incapacitated and eventually caused her untimely death. Peacock died on a Sunday at her parent's home (1230 Westlake Avenue) near downtown Los Angeles, her funeral was held there two days later.
- Actress
Donna Drew was born Donna A. Anderson in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her British father, Walter Anderson, worked for the railroad. Donna attended Salt Like City high school. At the age of eighteen she married twenty-seven year old actor Arthur Moon. The couple worked together in several stage productions before moving to Los Angeles. She quickly landed several bit parts. In 1917 she was signed by Universal and appeared in the drama The Flame Of Youth. Then she starred in The Lair Of The Wolf and Madame Spy with Jack Mulhall. Her performances got rave reviews and she seemed destined for stardom.
Meanwhile her husband Arthur had also become a successful film actor. During the Summer of 1918 she and Arthur went on a vaudeville tour together. While performing in Helena, Montana they both contracted Spanish influenza. Tragically on October 17, 1918 Arthur passed away. Donna was so sick that she was not told about her husband's death. Just one week later, on October 24, she died from acute pneumonia caused by influenza. She was only twenty-one years old. Donna and Arthur were both buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her final film, The Ghost Girl, was released in 1919.- Betty Gray was born Lilly Pederson. Her father, Neils Pederson, was born in Denmark and her mother Amalia was born in Sweden. She was the youngest of six children, After high school she studied at the New York school of Applied Art. She worked as an artists model and posed for Harrison Fisher who used her as the model for his "Western Girl" pictures. Betty spent eight months performing in vaudeville and was offered a contract with Pathe Studios in 1912. She made her film debut in the comedy Gee! My Pants. The petite brunette quickly became one of Hollywood's busiest actresses.
She had leading roles in numerous films including The Country Boy, His Last Dollar, and The Beachcombers. In 1914 she married Elliot Hunt Pendleton Jr, the son of a wealthy lawyer. She signed with Vitagraph in 1915 and starred in the comedies A Madcap Adventure and The Timid Mr. Tootles. Betty also worked as a scenario writer. She and her husband moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he opened a garage. The couple returned to Manhattan in 1918 and Betty appeared in the propaganda film Why America Will Win. It would be her final movie. Tragically on April 20, 1919 she died from influenza. Betty was only twenty-six years old. She was buried at Cedar Lawn cemetery in Passaic, New Jersey. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Gaby Deslys was born Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire on November 4, 1881 in Marseille, France. Gaby was one of five children but sadly three of her siblings died when they were young. Although her mother encouraged her love of dancing her strict father did not. He sent her to a religious school called called the College of the Dames St. Maur. At the age of twenty she began her career dancing in Paris. Her curvy figure and flirtatious manner made her a hit with audiences. She performed at the Moulin Rouge in 1908. The following year she was introduced to the King of Portugal. They began a passionate affair and he gave her a $70,000 necklace. In 1911 she was signed by the Shubert Brothers and came to New York City. Gaby appeared in the hit musical Vera Violetta with Al Jolson. The show introduced the "Gaby Glide" which would become her theme song. Then she toured with the revue The Social Whirl and starred on Broadway The Honeymoon Express. She was known for her extravagant and often revealing costumes. At the peak of her fame she was earning $4000 a week.
Gaby became close friends with her dancing partner Harry Pilcer. The press reported they were married but it wasn't true because Harry was gay. Unfortunately her health began to decline after she had a throat operation in 1914. She was offered a contract by Famous Players and starred in the 1915 film My Triumph. Then she returned to Broadway to appear in Stop! Look! Listen!. Gaby purchased a lavish home in the South of France. It was decorated with paintings by Botticelli and a gilded hand carved bed. She started dating Gordon Selfridge, a wealthy London businessman. There were also rumors she worked as a French spy during World War 1. In 1918 she costarred with Harry Pilcer in the French film Infatuation. She contracted Spanish Influenza in the Fall of 1919. Doctors discovered a tumor in her throat that required several painful surgeries. Gaby refused to let surgeons cut the outside of her neck because she did not want a scar. Tragically on February 11, 1920 she died from a throat infection at the young age of thirty-eight. She was buried at Cimetière Saint-Pierre in Marseille, France.- 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.
- Evelyn Nelson was born Dorris Evelyn Nelson on November 13, 1899 in Chloride, Arizona. Her father was a miner and cattle owner. When she was a child her family moved to Los Angeles, California. She started her career at Bull's Eye films and appeared in the 1920 comedy Don't Park Here. Evelyn was signed by Vitagraph and costarred with Oliver Hardy in the comedies The Backyard and The Decorator. Then she was chosen to be Jack Hoxie's leading lady in the 1921 film Cyclone Bliss. She would make a series of westerns with Jack including The Crow's Nest, The Desert Bridegroom, and Two-Fisted Jefferson. Her older sister Pauline Nelson became an actress too. After her father died Evelyn moved into a modest apartment with her mother. She began a passionate affair with married actor Wallace Reid.
He ended the relationship because he was fearful it would ruin his career. Tragically in January of 1923 Wallace died of a drug overdose. Evelyn was devastated by his death. In June of 1923 she finished filming Desert Rider. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. On June 16, 1923 she committed suicide by turning on the gas in her apartment. She was only twenty-three years old. Evelyn left two suicide notes for her family. The first note said that she was "tired" and that she wanted "rest more than anything in the world". The other note said "I am just about gone and will soon be with my friend Wally." She was buried in an unmarked grave at Rosedale cemetery in Los Angeles. - Marjorie Ray was born in July of 1890 in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father, George Ray, was a farmer and she was one of eight children. When she was a teenager she went to New York City to become an actress. Marjorie joined comedian Dan Russell's popular show The Matinee Girls. She quickly fell in love with Dan, who was fifteen years older than her. They got married and their son, James Dunn, was born in December of 1909. Since Marjorie was busy working she left her son with her mother. Tragedy struck in May of 1910 when five month old James died from bronchitis and malnutrition. She spent the net several years performing in vaudeville with her husband. Both Marjorie and Dan were signed by L-KO productions in 1917. The couple costarred in the comedies Shot In The Excitement, The Battles Of Let Go, and Two Gun Trixie.
She was often billed as "Mrs. Dan Russell". Unfortunately by 1921 her film career and her marriage to Dan were over. Marjorie continued to perform on stage and spent time working in Mexico City. In 1923 she was joined the Colonial Theater stock company in San Diego. Sadly she had become addicted to morphine and opium. One night in July of 1924 she was unable to find a syringe and used a safety pin and eyedropper to get high. She contracted tetanus but continued to perform nightly even though she was sick. Tragically she died on July 22, 1924 at the young age of thirty-four. More than four hundred friends and fans attended her funeral. Marjorie was buried in Texas wearing her favorite stage dress. Her ex-husband Dan Russell died just eight months later following an ulcer operation. - Eva May was born Eva Maria Mandel on May 29, 1902 in Vienna, Austria. Her mother was actress Mia May and her father was producer and director Joe May. Eva made her film debut in her father's 1914 German film The Black Triangle. At the age of sixteen she married director Erik Lund. The couple worked together in numerous films including The Foolish Heart, Black Pearls, and The Bride Of The Incapacitated. She was directed by her father again in the 1920 drama The Legend Of Holly Simplicity,. The press called her "The German Mary Pickford". Unfortunately Eva developed a reputation for being difficult to work with. The young actress was also jealous of her mother's beauty and greater success. She divorced Erik in 1922 and married director Lothar Mendes. They split up a year later.
In 1923 she costarred with Lya De Putti in Die Fledermaus and with Conrad Veidt in Paganini. Her third marriage, to director Manfred Noa, only lasted a few months. Eva started dating producer Rudolf Sieber. When he left her for Marlene Dietrich she slashed her wrists. It was one of several suicide attempts she had made. Then she fell in love with director Fritz Mandl (who was also her second cousin). She was devastated when he refused to marry her. On September 10, 1924 the twenty-two year old committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. In her hand she clutched a photo of Fritz Mandl. Eva left a note that said "Fritz family object - always there is something to mar my happiness - Life is not worth living". Thousands of friends and fans attended her funeral in Vienna. She was cremated and her ashes were given to her parents. - Lucille Ricksen was born Ingeborg Erickson in Chicago, Illinois on August 22, 1910. She worked a child model and made her film debut at age 5. Her parents separated and her mother took her to Hollywood in 1920, and 10-year-old Lucille was offered a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and starred in a series of short films. She often had to work long hours but she always said she was having fun. In 1922 she starred opposite Marie Prevost in "The Married Flapper." The following year she was given a starring role in the drama "The Rendezvous"; although she was only 13, the studio lied that she was actually 16. The press called her "the youngest leading lady in movies". Lucille developed a close relationship with producer Sydney Chaplin (brother of Charlie Chaplin), who was 25 years her senior. She became one of Hollywood's busiest starlets and was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars.
In 1924 Ricksen made 10 films, including "Vanity's Price," "The Galloping Fish," and "The Valley Of The Wolf." Unfortunately, the 14-year-old started to suffer from exhaustion and malnutrition. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis and became bedfast. Her mother kept a bedside vigil, but the stress brought on a fatal heart attack. Following her mother's death, Lucille was looked after by family friends including actress Lois Wilson. During one of her conscious moments Lucille said "Mother wouldn't want me--die--Mother said--Wonderful future--Going to do big things--Won't die! I won't!" But on March 13, 1925, she passed away from complications of tuberculosis, still at only 14 years old. There were rumors that her death had actually been caused by a botched abortion. Lucille was cremated and she was buried with her mother at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California. Her final film, "The Denial," came out 10 days after her death. - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Dan Russell was born James Charles Dunn in England in 1875. His family moved to the United States when he was a child. He started his career in vaudeville with his wife Blanche O'Neill, He left her in for seventeen year old actress Marjorie Ray. They were married in 1909 and had a son, James E Dunn, that December. Tragically the baby died when he was five months old. Dan was hired by LK-O studios in 1915 and became a popular comedian. He made at least six films with his wife Marjorie Ray. Unfortunately by 1921 the couple had divorced. Dan died in March of 1925 following an ulcer operation in Texas.- Helen Carruthers was born in 1892 in San Antonio, Texas. She moved to Hollywood with her mother and was signed by Keystone Studios in 1913. Helen appeared in more than a dozen films with Charlies Chaplin including His Pre-Historic Past, The Property Man, and Laughing Gas. When Chaplin left Keystone for Essanay Studios he brought Helen with him. She also used the stage name Peggy Page. Helen made a few Westerns with Broncho Billy Anderson but by 1915 her film career was over. She went to Seattle, Washington to star in a vaudeville show. After the show closed to she went to Portland, Oregon and checked into the Multnomah hotel. On May 6, 1915 she attempted suicide by swallowing thirty Bichloride of Mercury tablets
In an interview she said "I was lonesome. I didn't have any sorrow or worries at all to cause me to try suicide. I am sorry now.". She quit show business and moved to New York City. Helen became a baroness in 1918 when she married Baron Zur Muehlen, a sugar merchant from Java. Tragically on July 7, 1925 she was killed when she fell from a seven story window in The Ritz Carlton Hotel. According to her friends she had opened a window because she was hot and then suddenly fell. The police ruled her death was an accident and concluded she may have fainted. Helen was only thirty-three years old. She was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. - Marguerite Marsh was born Marguerite Clarice Marsh on April 18, 1888 in Lawrence, Kansas. Marguerite was the oldest of seven children, After her father died her mother moved the family to Los Angeles, California. She briefly worked as a nurse before deciding to pursue a career on the stage. In 1907 she married Donald Loveridge and had a daughter named Leslie. Marguerite was signed by Biograph studios in 1911 and made her film debut in The Primal Call. The dark haired beauty had bit parts in numerous shorts including A Siren Of Impulse, The Leading Man, and Too Many Maids. For several years she used the stage name Marguerite Loveridge. Her marriage to Donald ended in 1913. Then she started dating comedian Fred Mace. Meanwhile her younger sister Mae Marsh had become a popular movie star. The two sisters worked together in the film Fields Of Honor.
Her romance with Fred ended in 1916 when she refused to marry him. Sadly he died just a few months later. Marguerite had leading roles in the dramas The Phantom Honeymoon and The Eternal Magdalene. She also appeared in the 1918 serial The Master Mystery with magician Harry Houdini. In her free time she enjoyed reading and studying astrology. Although she made more than eighty movies she never became as successful as her sister Mae. Her final film was the 1923 British drama The Lion's Mouse. She suffered a nervous breakdown during the Fall of 1925. Then she went to live with her mother in New York City. Tragically on December 8, 1925 she died from bronchial pneumonia. Marguerite was only thirty-seven years old. She was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. - Mary Thurman was born Mary Christiansen on April 27, 1895, in Richfield, Utah. She was one of seven children raised in the Mormon faith. Sadly her father passed away when she was nine. Mary attended the University of Utah and got a job as a teacher. In 1915 she took a trip to Hollywood. A talent scout saw her and she became one of the famous Mack Sennett bathing beauties. She also began appearing in Sennett's comedy shorts. Mary started out as an extra and quickly worked her way up to leading lady. Between 1916 and 1918 she made more than twenty films. Mary married her childhood sweetheart Victor E. Thurman but the couple divorced in 1919. Mary costarred with Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle in Leap Year and with William Desmond in The Prince And Betty.
Although she had become a popular comedienne she dreamed of being a serious actress. She signed with producer Allan Dwan who cast her in the 1920 drama In The Heart Of A Fool. Her performance got rave reviews. Allan would direct Mary in several more films including The Sin of Martha Queed and A Broken Doll. Off screen Mary and Allan fell in love and were engaged for a short time. In the fall 1925 she began work on the movie Down Upon The Suwanee River. While filming in Florida she came down with a serious case of pneumonia. She struggled with the illness for months and passed away on December 22, 1925. Mary was only thirty years old. Her mother and her best friend, actress Juanita Hansen, were by her side when she died. Mary was buried in Richfield City Cemetery in her hometown of Richfield, Utah. - Jean Stuart was born Margaret Elizabeth Leisenring on July 13, 1906 in Placerville, Californa. Her father, Dr. Luther Leisenring, was a prominent surgeon. She attended the University of California at Berkeley where she became a popular student. She was a member of the French club and the Little Theater company. During the Spring of 1926 The Campus Flirt starring Bebe Daniels was filmed at the college. Jean was chosen to be an extra in several scenes. Soon after she was offered a contract at Universal studios. Although her parents urged her to stay in school she decided to drop out and accept the offer. The beautiful brunette was described by producers as "the perfect college student type". She was cast in the film comedy series The Collegians directed by Wesley Ruggles. On November 23, 1926 she went horse riding with some friends when her horse's leg slipped on some wet pavement and she fell off. Tragically she died later that day from a cerebral hemorrhage. Jean was only twenty years old. She was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, California.
- Dorothy Smoller was born Dorothy Schmoeller on October 3, 1898 in Memphis, Tennessee. Dorothy was the youngest of four daughters. After her father was institutionalized for a mental illness her mother moved the family to St. Louis, Missouri. Later they moved to Long Beach, California. When she was a teenager Dorothy started dancing professionally in San Francisco. At the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition she caused a sensation with a performance of the Bacchanale. Then she spent two years touring South America with Anna Pavlova. She made her Broadway debut in the 1918 musical Head Over Heels. In 1919 she appeared in film Out Of The Fog and was on the cover of Vogue magazine. Dorothy danced in on Broadway in numerous shows including The Checkerboard, What's In A Name, and Up In The Clouds. Sadly she was diagnosed with a severe case of pulmonary Tuberculosis in 1923.
She had to put her career on hold for two years while she recuperated in at Cragmoor Sanitarium in Colorado Springs. While there she developed a close relationship with financier Benjamin Strong. Dorothy went to New York City in 1926 to make a screen test for Famous Players. They did not offer her a contract. Soon after she landed a small role in the Broadway musical Howdy King. During rehearsals he suffered a hemorrhage and was forced to quit the show. She quickly fell into a deep depression. Tragically on December 9, 1926 she committed suicide by drinking three ounces of shoe polish. Dorothy was only twenty-eight years old. In her hotel room she left a note for her mother and one for her dear friend Benjamin Strong. She wrote that her illness was "a chain of torture that pains all the time." Dorothy was cremated and her ashes were given to her mother. They were later interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. - Kay Laurel was born Ruth M. Leslie on June 28, 1890 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sadly her father George died when she was eight. She briefly worked as a telephone operator. Then she moved to New York City and became an artist's model. Kay started dating George Messinger, a merchant from San Francisco. When he broke up with her in 1913 she sued him for $25,000 for breach of promise. Florenz Ziegfeld discovered her in 1914 and offered her a role in the Ziegfeld Follies. The shapely brunette caused a sensation when she appeared as a semi-nude Aphrodite in the opening of the show. Kay quickly became famous for her perfect figure and her willingness to be nude on stage. Florenz Ziegfeld said she was "the embodiment of feminine beauty." At the height of her popularity she was earning $500 a week. She married producer Winfield Sheehan in 1916 and retired from the stage. They had a very rocky relationship and legally separated in 1918.
That Spring she returned to the Ziegfeld Follies. Kay made her film debut in the 1919 drama The Brand. Then she appeared in the films The Valley Of The Giants and Lonely Heart. Unfortunately she wasn't offered any other film roles. Kay starred in the Broadway shows Quarantine and Nocturne. She also performed vaudeville. In 1925 she moved to Europe and acted with a French stock company. She fell in love with Joseph Whiteside Boyle, a businessman, and moved to London, England. The couple wanted to get married but she was still legally married to Winifred Sheehan. She became pregnant in the Spring of 1926. Tragically on January 31, 1927 she died shortly after giving birth. When she was told it was a boy she spoke her last words "That is just what I wanted." Kay was only thirty-six years old. Her body was cremated in London. The press falsely reported that she had died from pneumonia. She left her entire $100,000 estate to her fiance who raised their son Joseph Kay Boyle. - Delilah Leitzell was known professionally as Delyle Alda. She was born Delilah Alda Leitzell on August 3, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Samuel Leitzell, was a house painter and decorator. Delyle studied music in Paris and London. The talented soprano began her career as a cabaret singer and vaudeville entertainer. She also appeared in the 1908 fantasy film The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays. On September 27, 1912 she married twenty-one year old Lyle M. Foster. He walked out on her in January 1916 but they remained legally married. She joined the Ziegfeld Follies in 1919 where she was billed as the "beautiful Prima Donna" of the Follies. Delyle divorced her husband and married actor William "Billy" Sheer in October of 1920. After two seasons with the Follies she left to star in the Broadway musical Blue Eyes.
Then she appeared in the shows Snapshots Of 1921 and George White's Scandals. She quit the Scandals when George White gave most of her songs to newcomer Winnie Lightner. Delyle invested a large sum of money in her husband's tailoring shop on Fifth Avenue. Movie star Rudolph Valentino became one of his clients. When the store failed in 1922 they were forced to file for bankruptcy. In 1925 she and Billy went on a vaudeville tour together. Tragically on August 27, 1927 she died from peritonitis in Chicago. She was only thirty-three years old. Delyle was cremated and her ashes were buried at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois. Her widow, Billy Sheer, died from pneumonia in 1933 at the age of forty-three. - Elfie Virginia Fay was born on January 11, 1879 in New York City. Her father was vaudeville star Hugh Faye. She began performing on stage at the age of fifteen. Elfie made her Broadway debut in February of 1900 starring in Mamselle 'Awkins. Over the next few years she appeared in the hit shows The Belle Of New York and The Southerners. Her habit of making odd facial expressions on stage made her a sensation. The vivacious red-head was nicknamed "The Belle Of Avenue A". She made headlines in 1902 when she got engaged to Sir Thomas Lipton, a wealthy British sportsman. Elfie was also engaged to Sir George Lionel Prescott, a British Lieutenant, and Ensign Leslie B. Anderson, a Naval officer. She said "A woman can fall in love as often as she encounters a man who is able by superior qualities of heart and mind to inspire such love." Elfie filed for bankruptcy in 1910 and spent the next several years performing in Europe and Asia.
In 1913 she married Eugene Rosenblatt in England. They divorced three years later. She returned to New York City and started performing in vaudeville. Elfie married Samuel Armstrong Benner, a steel executive, on December 21, 1920. Tragically he died just three months after their wedding. Although her husband was wealthy she only inherited $500 from his estate. She moved to California to live with her brother, actor Hugh Fay. Elfie made her film debut in the 1924 comedy A Movie Mad Maid. She also had small parts in Trouble Chaser, His Day Off, and A Perfect Day. Elfie was devastated when her brother died in 1926. During the summer of 1927 she entered a sanitarium suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. She died on September 16, 1927 at the age of forty-eight. Elfie was buried in an unmarked grave at Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale, California. - Valli Valli was born Marguerite Alice Knust on February 11, 1889 (some sources say 1882) in Berlin, Germany. She came from a prominent British family and was educated in Paris, France and London, England. At 12 she made her theater debut in a London production of "Gentle Ivy." Next she went to Berlin to star in the musical comedy "Morocco Bound." Her performances won rave reviews and she quickly became a popular star in Europe. She said "I don't care at all for laughter. My ambition is to develop the power to make people cry." The lovely actress went to New York City in 1905 to star on Broadway in "Veronique." Valli also starred in the Broadway shows "Kittey Grey" and "The Dollar Princess," then toured the United States with her vaudeville act.
In 1915 she made her film debut in the drama "The High Road." She was signed by B.A. Rolfe Photoplays and appeared in the films "The Woman Pays" and "Her Debt of Honor." Unfortunately, her film career failed and her contract was dropped. She married Louis Dreyfuss, the head of a musical-publishing house, in October 1917. She returned to Broadway in 1919 to star in "Miss Millions." The following year she moved back to England, where she continued to be a popular performer. Her two sisters, Ida Valli and Lulu Valli, also became actresses. During the summer of 1927 she became ill with consumption (tuberculosis). On November 4, 1927 she died at her Hampstead home at age 38. Her husband, who had been out of town, rushed home to be with her, but arrived a few minutes after she died. She was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in Hampstead, England. - Claire Alexander was born Clara Cecilia Alexander on January 6, 1897 in New York City. Her family moved to California when she was a teenager. Claire's father, Thomas Alexander, became a Technical director at MGM studios. In 1915 she won Hollywood's first bathing beauty contest and made her film debut in A Girl Of Yesterday with Mary Pickford. She was offered a contract at the David Horsley studios and became George Ovey's leading lady in the "Cub Comedies". The petite actress was just four feet, ten inches tall and wore children's sized shoes. She was always cast as an ingenue. Between 1916 and 1917 she appeared in more than fifty movies including The Ransom, Beach Nurse, and Jerry's Picnic.
Claire was so overworked that she had to be hospitalized for exhaustion. She married George "Duke" Zalibra, a cameraman, on December 12, 1917. After leaving Horsley studios she only made a few more films. Her final role was in the 1919 short Charlie The Hero directed by Alfred J. Goulding. Claire and her husband moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Duke was arrested for forgery in 1920 and spent several months in a Reno jail. Soon after she divorced him and returned to Los Angeles. In 1924 she married twenty-nine year old Richard Collins. Tragically on November 17, 1927 she died from double pneumonia. Claire was only thirty years old. She is buried at Calvary cemetery in Los Angeles, California. - Emma Carus a beautiful and highly well-known contralto singing star who was in the cast of the original Ziegfeld Follies, frequently sang in vaudeville and Broadway theatre's in many musical dramas, appearing in 'Rally Round the Flag' at the Union Square Theatre in 1897. She appeared in only one film as herself in a short with some of the most popular celebraties of the day such as George M. Cohan, James J. Corbett, Marie Dressler, Eddie Foy and Annie Oakley and many more made by the Vitagraph Film Company in 1910. In 1911, Carus is said to have been largely responsible for helping introduce and popularize Irving Berlin's first major hit song 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' in Chicago, it especially became identified with her. Carus returned for a fourth year on the interstate Vaudeville circuit in 1914, this time she was accompanied by a dance partner, Carl Randall, she had a new stock of songs that included 'an Irish Suffragette'. Also notable for songwriting herself which includes 'Would You Be Satisfied Sally...' and also 'In the War of Hearts and Eyes'.
- Diana Miller was born Ruth Diana Moreland on March 18, 1902 in Seattle, Washington. Her parents divorced and she was raised by her mother Ella Moreland. When she was a teenager Diana moved to Los Angeles and became friends with actor Wallace Reid. He helped her get a job at the the Famous Players-Laskey studio. After working as an extra for five years the studio fired her. She was signed by Fox in 1924 and cast in the drama Honor Among Men. Diana quickly became one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. In 1925 she appeared in nine films including The Hunted Woman, The Kiss Barrier, and The Fighting Heart with George O'Brien. The beautiful redhead was known for playing "heavy" roles and vamps.
She bought a charming home with large windows that looked out over Los Angeles. On November 26, 1925 Diana married director George Melford, who was twenty-five years older than her. Soon after she decided to quit acting and become a housewife. Her final film was the 1926 western The Cowboy and The Countess. Sadly in the Spring of 1927 she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She spent more than six months in the Pottenger Sanitarium in Monrovia, California. Tragically on December 18, 1927 she died from a pulmonary hemorrhage caused by the tuberculosis. Diana was only twenty-five years old. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. - Julia Bruns was born Julia Elizabeth Bruns on March 18, 1895 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, who was a caterer and musician, died when she was a child. Julia briefly worked as a cashier at a St. Louis hotel. At the age of sixteen she left home and started her career on the stage. Her big break came in 1913 when she was cast in the Broadway play The American Maid. Artist James Montgomery Flagg saw her in the show and asked her to pose for him. She quickly became a successful model and was called her "The Most Beautiful Girl In America". The talented young actress appeared in several movies including No Place For Father and At First Sight with Mae Murray. Julia went to London, England in 1915 and starred in play Business Before Pleasure. The she appeared in the Broadway shows The Squab Farm and The Blue Pearl. She traveled to Paris in 1919 where she made the film Quand On Aime. While there she began partying and experimenting with cocaine.
In 1920 she returned to Broadway in the show Beware Of Dogs. Julia bought a large house on Sutton Place in New York City and was engaged to a millionaire she called "Runny". She never went anywhere without her two beloved dogs. Unfortunately in 1925 she was arrested in Chicago after stealing $4,000 in jewelry. Soon after her fiance left her and she was forced to sell her home. She was able to stop using cocaine but now she was suffering from alcoholism. Julia, who wrote several articles about her addiction, said "One of the saddest things about drugs is that they enable you to escape from almost everything in life except the thought of death" By 1927 she was bankrupt and living with her boyfriend, James A. Brile, in a squalid rooming house. Things started looking up when a a theatrical agent agreed to finance a play for her. Tragically on December 24, 1927 she died from alcohol poisoning. She was only thirty-two years old. Only five friends attended her funeral in St. Louis. Julia was cremated and buried in an unmarked grave at Bellefontaine Cemetery in Saint Louis, Missouri. - Corinne Barker was born Gertrude Corinne Riely in Salem, Oregon. Her father, Charles Riely, was a prominent businessman, and her mother, Amelia Riely, taught elocution. Corinne was educated at the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Williamette University. When she was a teenager she began acting in local stage productions. She married William Barker in Portland in 1908; they divorced five years later. In 1914 she moved to New York City and planned to become an interior designer. Instead she was cast in a stage production of "The Squab Farm." Corinne appeared in several Broadway shows including "Shirley Kaye" and "On With The Dance." Then she spent two seasons as the leading lady in "Potash and Perlmutter." The beautiful brunette became known for her hourglass figure. She made her film debut in the 1918 mystery :Money Mad." Corinne costarred with Mabel Normand in "Peck's Bad Girl" and with Marion Davies in The Restless Sex.
On July 24, 1920, Corinne married Hobart Henley, who had directed her in "One Week Of Life." Unfortunately, her film career never really took off. Her final film was the 1921 romance "Enchantment." Then she started a new career designing clothes for the theater. She was the costume supervisor for the Broadway show "No, No, Nannette" and she designed all the clothes for Vincent Youmans' productions. By 1925 her marriage to Hobart was over. She had a brief romance with Robert L. Hague, a millionaire oilman. During the summer of 1928 she went on a vacation to Europe. Shortly after returning home she was hospitalized with a case of food poisoning. While in the hospital she developed peritonitis. Tragically on August 6, 1928 she died at the young age of 38. She was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. - Valentina Zimina was born on January 1, 1899 in Moscow, Russia. She was the daughter of a famous opera singer and claimed she was a countess. Valentina started performing on the stage when she was a child. Tragically her entire family was killed in 1917 during the Russian revolution. She married Major Jakovieff, an officer in the ambulance service, shortly before he was summoned to the front. Valentina spent three years serving in the Battalion for Women in Russia. She was briefly imprisoned in Siberia but managed to escape by bribing a guard. After reuniting with her husband they moved to the United States. She earned a living singing Russian songs in vaudeville.
In 1923 she made her film debut in Cecil B. Demille's epic The Ten Commandments. She had a featured role in the 1925 drama A Son of His Father. Her performance got rave reviews and her career in Hollywood seemed bright. She costarred with Lillian Gish in La Boheme and with Pola Negri in The Woman On Trial. Valentina divorced her husband and married publisher Elwood E. Hopkins in 1926. Tragically on December 3, 1928 she died on from influenza. She was only twenty-nine years old. Valentina was buried at Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles, California. - Sybil Carmen was born Carmen R. Attkisson on December 23, 1896 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Her father, Richard Attkisson, was a bookkeeper. She was raised in Pittsburgh and attended Bellefield Public school. She later moved to New York City to become a dancer. In 1915 she was discovered by composer Gene Buck. He introduced her to Florenz Ziegfeld who cast her as a balloon girl in the The Midnight Frolic. The petite dancer quickly became an audience favorite. She would spend more than two years performing with the show. Sybil made her film debut in the 1918 drama A Romance of the Underworld. She also starred in the Century Grove Midnight Revue. During the Summer of 1919 she suffered a nervous breakdown and spent six weeks recovering at her mother's house in Pennsylvania.
She married film executive Maurice S. Revnes on September 8, 1919. The following year she was a featured performer in The Ziegfeld Follies. Then she had a small role in the 1921 film Experience (she was billed as Sibyl Carmen). She and her husband had two children - Carmen in 1921 and Richard in 1923. Sybil decided to quit show business and became a full-time wife and mother. When Maurice was offered a job with Pathe Studios in 1926 the family moved to Paris, France. Tragically on April 14, 1929 she died suddenly from a heart attack. Some sources claim she died from pneumonia. She was only thirty-two years old. Her body was returned to the United States for burial. - Marietta Milner was born Maria Anna Paul Bieberhofer on December 8, 1894 in Linz, Austria. She grew up in Vienna where her father was a wealthy hotel owner. Sadly her family lost their entire fortune during World War One. She began her career performing on stage as Marietta Muller. At the age of thirty she made her film debut in the German drama Red Heels directed by Michael Curtiz. She starred in several more German films and became a popular European star. The beautiful brunette was nicknamed "Cleopatra of the Rhine". In 1927 was signed by Paramount and moved to Hollywood. She brought her two Schnauzers - Peter and Grell - with her. Marietta costarred with Warner Baxter in Drums Of The Desert and with Thomas Meighan in The City Gone Wild.
Her performances won rave reviews and her future seemed bright. Cameramen said her face was "photographically perfect". Unfortunately she started struggling with her weight. When Paramount told her she was too plump she went on a strict starvation diet. Marietta returned to Germany in 1928 to appear in the films Moderne Piraten and Adieu, Mascotte. In an interview she said "I just want to see the world. I am happy to do my movie work in Berlin." She married a well known business man from Klagenfurt, Austria. By the Spring of 1929 her health began to deteriorate and she contracted tuberculosis. Tragically on June 21, 1929 she died in Badenweiler, Germany. She was only thirty-four years old. Doctors said her extreme dieting had caused her death by making her vulnerable to the tuberculosis. - Myrna Darby was born on April 10, 1908 Connellsville, Pennsylvania. She attended business school and briefly worked as a stenographer. Myrna made her stage debut in a Pittsburgh production of Abie's Irish Rose. At the age of seventeen she moved to New York and won a beauty contest run by a newspaper. Florenz Ziegfeld saw Myrna and hired her to be in the Ziegfeld Follies. She starred in productions of Whoopee, Rio Rita, and Rosalie. Critics said she was the most beautiful woman ever to appear in the Follies. Myrna also posed nude and appeared in ads for Lucky Strike cigarettes. Unfortunately she struggled with her weight and she began exercising daily to stay thin. In 1927 Myrna fell in love with a married pianist named George A. Walsh. When George's wife found out about the affair she filed for divorce and accused Myrna of stealing her husband.
The story caused a scandal and some newspapers labeled Myrna a "home wrecker". She desperately wanted to marry George but instead he reconciled with his wife. During the Spring of 1929 Myrna became engaged to British millionaire. Sadly he broke her heart by marrying another woman. In July of 1929 Myrna was weakened by a severe sunburn. Over the next two months her health declined and she was hospitalized with a tonsil infection. Tragically Myrna died on September 26, 1929. She was just twenty-one years old. Her doctor said she had died from an inflammation of the heart caused by over-exercising. Myrna was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York. After her death it was revealed that an admirer named Larry Fay had paid all her hospital bills. - Sunshine Hart was born Lucia Adams on July 6, 1886, in Vevay, Indiana. She would later claim that her father was a minister on an Indian reservation and that an Indian nurse gave her the nickname "Sunshine". After high school she started acting in stock companies and spent many years working in vaudeville using the stage "Miss Sunshine". She married Charles W. Hart, a machinist, in 1910 and had a daughter named Leora. At the age of thirty Sunshine made her film debut in the 1916 comedy short A Scoundrel's Toll. She continued to work on the stage and appeared in several of Jack White's Mermaid comedies. Producer Mack Sennett gave her a part in his 1924 short film Scarem Much and offered her a long term contract. She would go on to star in more than two dozen of Sennett's comedies including Crazy To Act, Hoboken To Hollywood, and Smith's Baby.
Sunshine, who weighed more than 250 pounds, usually played funny mothers. She became a popular character actress and was often called a female Fatty Arbuckle. Despite her age and size she was always willing to do dangerous stunts if it got a laugh. She loved making films but she told an interviewer her main priority in life was raising her daughter. In 1927 she was cast as Mary Pickford's mother in My Best Girl. During filming she badly injured her foot when she fell doing an automobile stunt. Although she kept working she never fully recovered from this accident. She had a small role in the 1930 comedy Midnight Daddies. It would be her last film. Sunshine died on January 3, 1930 from heart failure. She was just forty-three years old. Sadly she had spent the last few weeks of her life bedridden. She was buried at Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles, California. - Dorothy Seastrom was born Dorothy Susan Seastrunk on March 17, 1903 in Dallas, Texas. Her father, Preston Seastrunk, was a bookkeeper. When she was a teenager she won a beauty contest and briefly lived in Chicago. Dorothy moved to Los Angeles and started dancing at Ambassador Hotel. She made her film debut in the 1923 western The Call Of The Canyon. Then she was Lloyd Hamilton's leading lady in the short films King Cotton and Hooked. Her taffy colored hair earned her the nickname "The Candy Kid". Producer Paul Bern gave her a small part in his film A Mannequin Of Paris. She also posed for sculptor Finn Hakon Frolich who said she was "the most beautiful girl in the world". On October 18, 1924 she married actor and director Francis Corby. The couple decided to keep their marriage a secret from the press.
While filming We Moderns in 1925 she was nearly disfigured when a broken light fell on her. Dorothy's big break came when she was offered a contract with First National. Unfortunately there was a weight clause which forced her to go on a starvation diet. The petite actress came down with tuberculosis in the Fall of 1925 and was sent to a sanitarium for six months. Newspapers falsely reported that she had a nervous breakdown. When she recovered she appeared in the comedy It Must Be Love. It would be her final film. Her health continued to decline and she decided to return home to Texas. In 1930 she contracted influenza that quickly developed into pneumonia. Tragically on January 31, 1930 she died at the young age of twenty-six. Dorothy was buried at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas. - Allyn King was born on February 1, 1899 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Tragically her father, Dr. Allyn King, was murdered in 1909. A few years later her mother moved them to New Haven, Connecticut. Allyn started performing in vaudeville when she was a teenager. In September of 1916 she became the headliner of the Ziegfeld Follies. She spent five seasons starring in the Follies where she earned five hundred dollars a week. Allyn was cast in the 1920 Broadway show Ladies Night. Over the next three years she starred in several more shows including Sun Showers and Moonlight. She was nicknamed "Broadway's Sweetest Girl". Allyn was obsessed with her weight because of a clause in her contract that said she would be fired if she gained ten pounds. She began starving herself and taking thyroid pills to maintain her boyish figure. In 1923 she made her film debut in The Fighting Blade. Unfortunately it would be her only movie role.
Allyn was romantically involved with Carl Wiedemann, a wealthy brewer from Kentucky. There were rumors they were engaged but the relationship ended when she refused to give up her career. By 1927 years of extreme dieting left her thirty pounds underweight and suffering from severe anemia. She entered a sanitarium to recover and remained there for almost two years. After being released Allyn started studying music and hoped to return to Broadway. Unfortunately she became very depressed when she gained weight. On March 29, 1930 she jumped out of a five-story apartment window. She survived the fall but died from her injuries on March 31. Allyn had committed suicide at the young age of thirty-one. She left a note saying she was unhappy about her failed career and recent weight gain. Allyn was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in New York City. - Cinematographer
- Writer
- Director
St. Elmo Boyce was born on August 16, 1899. He worked as a theater manager in El Paso, Texas before becoming a cinematographer. St. Elmo began working for Mack Sennett as a scenario writer in 1926. In 1928 he wrote the Hoot Gibson feature The Wild West Show. He eventually left Sennett to direct films. St. Elmo directed the Barney Google series and several of the Toots and Casper shorts starring Bud Duncan and Thelma Hill. He was engaged to Thelma Hill for several years. In February of 1930 he was arrested for drunk driving. On September 30, 1930 he committed suicide at age thirty-one. He was found in his home at 1617 N Gardner Street with an empty bottle of poison at his side. St. Elmo Boyce was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.- Diane Ellis was born Jeanne Diane Ellis on December 20, 1909 in Los Angeles, California. He father Walter Ellis was a butcher. After her mother died Diane was raised by her grandparents. She attended Virgil Junior High and Fairfax High School. The beautiful blonde got a job working as a secretary at the Film Research Bureau. A director saw her and offered her a role in the 1927 comedy Is Zat So? (she was billed as Dione Ellis). Then she appeared in the films Happiness Ahead and The Leatherneck. Her performances got good reviews and her future seemed bright. Diane was signed by Pathe Studios and costarred with Carole Lombard in High Voltage.
When Pathe decided not to renew her contract she went to New York City and appeared in the Broadway show Nine-Fifteen Review. She also had a supporting role in the 1930 comedy Laughter starring Nancy Carroll. Sadly it would be her final film. On October 15, 1930 Diane married Stephen C. Millet, a wealthy businessman, in Paris, France The couple decided to go on an extended honeymoon around the world. In early December they were in Madras, India when Diane came down with an infection. According to her grandmother she had an operation in Madras. Tragically she died on December 15, 1930 at the young age of twenty. She was cremated and her ashes were taken to Millet family estate in Milford, England. - Peggy Davis was born Mary Margaret Laird on December 31, 1899 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her father, James Laird, was a traveling salesman and her family moved around a lot. She started singing and dancing when she was a child. Peggy was discovered by actress Theda Bara who gave her a role in the film Under Two Flags. In November of 1918 she married Joseph Davis but the marriage was annulled because he had never divorced his first wife. She was offered a contract at Christie studios and appeared in several comedies. Then she joined the Ziegfeld Follies as a featured dancer. She was known in the theatrical world as "America's premier vampire". Peggy claimed she never drank or smoked cigarettes. On December 10, 1921 she married Joseph Donald Grafton, a Pennsylvania millionaire. She was shocked to learn he was a bigamist who had married another woman three weeks before he married her. Grafton was arrested for bigamy and their marriage was annulled.
She suffered a nervous breakdown in April of 1922 and entered a sanitarium. Peggy worked as a cabaret dancer and costarred in the 1923 film The Net. She was engaged to a stockbroker named Napoleon Worthington but broke it off because her mother didn't approve. In 1925 she married David Townsend, a wealthy wall street banker. The couple had a daughter named Margaret and moved to Paris, France. Peggy appeared to have a happy life but she suffered from mood swings. On the night of March 28, 1931 she wrote a note to her husband that said "I don't want to go back on the stage. I am tired of living and prefer to did. Look after my baby." Then she committed suicide by driving her car off a six hundred foot cliff. Peggy was only thirty-one years old. She was buried at Eze cemetery in France. Her husband David said she had no reason to kill her self and didn't believe her death was a suicide. - Adele Windsor was born Adele Wormser September 22, 1898 in Manhattan, New York. Her German father, Oscar Wormser, was a salesman. She started her career acting with a stock company in Washington D.C. Adele appeared in the shows Smilin' Thru, The Cat And The Canary, and Madeline Of The Movies. On December 1, 1923 she married actor Donald Gallaher in Boston The couple had known each other since they were children. She made her Broadway debut in the 1925 comedy Naughty Cinderella. Then she was given the lead role in the show I.O.U. One Woman. Her performance as a French flapper got rave reviews. In 1928 she starred in a play her husband wrote called Sh! The Octopus.
Adele was offered a supporting role in the 1929 movie The Girl From Havana. She also appeared in the films Frozen Justice and True To The Navy with Clara Bow. Her marriage to Donald ended in 1930. She took him to court several times claiming he had not paid his alimony. Adele visited her mother and stepfather in New York City in May of 1931. Tragically on May 26 she was involved in a serious car accident when her taxi cab collided with a fire truck. She was taken to Roosevelt hospital where she died form a fractured skull. Adele was only thirty-two years old. She was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, Queens. The cab driver who caused her fatal accident was arrested for reckless driving. - Cecile Arnold was born Cecile Laval Arnoux on July 9, 1891 in Louisville, Kentucky (some sources say New York). Her parents divorced when she was a child. After her mother remarried the family lived in Missouri and Texas. She started her career as a chorus girl and joined the Ziegfeld Follies. Cecile was signed by Mack Sennett's Keystone studios in 1913. The beautiful blonde played vamps in comedies like The Masquerader and Gussie's Day Of Rest. She made eleven films with Charlie Chaplin including Those Love Pangs, His Musical Career, and The Face On The Barroom Floor. During her career she used the stage names Peaches Arnold and Cecile Arley. In 1915 she appeared in a New York stage production of Robinson Crusoe with Al Jolson.
She married director Frank "Duke" Reynolds in 1918 and quit making movies. The couple divorced two years later. Cecile moved to Shanghai, China where she worked as a stenographer in a real estate office. She married David Toeg, a wealthy stockbroker, but their relationship was rocky. On March 25, 1925 she gave birth to a son named Robert in San Francisco. Her son may have been the result of an affair with Nicolai Merkuloff, a Russian merchant. Robert was raised by Cecile's family in Texas. She returned to China and divorced her husband. Tragically on June 18, 1931 she died from a heart ailment. She was just thirty-nine years old. Cecile was buried at Happy Valley Roman Catholic Cemetery in Hong Kong. - Bessie McCoy was born Elizabeth Genevieve McEvoy on May 17, 1884 in New York City. Her mother and stepfather were both successful vaudeville entertainers. During her childhood Bessie and her younger sister Helen performed as the McCoy Sisters. She appeared in numerous Broadway shows including The Spring Chicken and The Echo. In 1908 she sang "Yama Yama Man" in the musical Three Twins. The song became an international hit and made her a star. From then on she was called "The Yama Yama Girl". Bessie was known for her husky singing voice and her acrobatic dancing. The lovely redhead often performed in a clown costume. She had a small part in the 1909 film What's Your Hurry starring Mary Pickford. Florenz Ziegfeld was a big fan and hired her to perform in the 1911 Ziegfeld Follies.
Bessie fell madly in love with writer Richard Harding Davis. He was married and twenty years older than her. After divorcing his wife they were married on July 8, 1912. Their daughter Hope was born in 1915. She took a break from her career to raise Hope. Tragically Richard died in 1916 from a heart attack. In an interview she said "If our love story were ever written it would be the sweetest one ever told". She returned to Broadway to appear in Ziegfeld's musical Miss 1917. Then she performed in the Greenwich Village Follies. By the early 1920s she was retired and living in a Connecticut estate. Bessie took her daughter Hope on a trip to Bayonne, France in the Summer of 1931. While there she became sick with an intestinal ailment and had an emergency operation. Tragically she died on August 13, 1931 at the young age of forty-seven. She was cremated and her ashes were given to her daughter. - Regina Alice Doyle was born on September 2, 1907 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, John Doyle, was a fireman. She was educated at the Grenshaw Conservatory and began appearing in local theater productions. Regina was discovered by Carl Laemmle, the president of Universal Pictures, who attended one of her performances in Chicago. Mr. Laemmle told her if she wanted a career in the movies he would give her that chance. At the age of seventeen she moved to Los Angeles and signed a contract with Universal. She made her film debut in 1925 western Bashful Whirlwind. Regina married thirty-five year old Stewart Gilbert Cornelius, a real estate agent, on October 3, 1925. The couple had a daughter, Regina Joan, in 1926 but they divorced a year later.
She appeared in more than a dozen western shorts including The Lone Prairie, A Daring Dude, and The Scrapping Ranger. In 1928 she was given the lead opposite Edward Cobb in Beyond The Smoke. Regina seemed destined for stardom but in 1929 Universal dropped her contract. She never made another film. On September 29, 1931 she was driving on Highland Avenue in Hollywood when her car crashed into a freight train. She was thrown from the vehicle and died almost instantly. Regina was only twenty-four years old. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. Just a few days before Regina's death her mother had a premonition something terrible was going to happen. She warned her daughter to "Drive slowly". - Fritzi Fern was born Fritzi Fern Blower in Akron, Ohio. After her parents divorced she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and brother. Fritzi began her career as a child actress and made films for the Greyhound Motion Picture Company. In 1922 producer Harry Burns cast her in a series of shorts starring Little Napoleon. She spent the next several years dancing in vaudeville. Fritzi signed a contract with Universal Studios in 1928. Unfortunately the only movie she made at the studio was The Charlaton. She was supposed to costar with Reginald Denny in Clear In The Decks but she was replaced before filming began. In 1929 she appeared on stage in Earl Carroll's Revue. Fritzi had a small part in the 1932 Western serial The Last Frontier. It would be her last acting role. In the Fall of 1932 she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had surgery to remove it. Tragically she never recovered and died on September 20, 1932. Fritzi was only twenty-five years old.
- Anny Ahlers was born December 21, 1907 in Germany. Operetta singer, she began her career at the age of 4 in the circus. She later took up singing and dancing. Her first appearance was at the Volksoper in Hamburg. From there, as an operetta diva she moved down to Krefeldand Breslau. In 1928 Eric Charell got her to play in the operettas in Berlin. She played also in the original operetta by Paul Abraham, "Die Blume von Hawaii". (The Flower from Hawaii) She also made six films from 1928 to 1931 and got an engagement for an operetta in London because of her beautiful voice. In London her best friend was Sir Merrick Burrell. However, alcohol, drugs and Tuberculosis ended her life on March 14, 1933 in England.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dorothy Dell was born to Elbert and Lillan Goff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on January 30, 1915. She won the most beautiful baby in Hattiesburg beauty contest when she was thirteen months old. She lived in New Orleans from the age of ten. She attended the Sophie Wright High School for girls. Winning the Miss New Orleans title, when she was fifteen, she went on a Fanchon and Marco vaudeville tour for six months. She got a job with the Ziegfield Follies of 1931 when she arrived in New York City. She sang a solo, "Was I Drunk?", in the production. All of her films at Paramount were released in 1934. She died that year in an automobile accident on June 8, 1934, She had left an all-night party at an inn in Altadena and was going to Pasadena in the wee hours when the car left the highway, hit a telephone pole, bounced off a palm tree and hit a boulder. Miss Dell was killed instantly. Her date, Dr. Carl Wagner, who was driving, died several hours later.- Actress
Janet Currie was born on December 29, 1909 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her grandfather, Andrew Currie, had once been the Mayor of Shreveport. Janet attended Byrd high school and was crowned "Miss Shreveport" at the age of eighteen. While visiting New York City with her mother she auditioned for Earl Carroll's Sketchbook. The beautiful redhead was offered a part in the show. Then she appeared in the hit Broadway musical Once In A Lifetime. A talent scout saw her on stage and offered her a contract at MGM in 1930. She was supposed have a role in the film Sidewalks Of New York but producers said her Southern accent was too thick. Janet briefly worked as a stand-in for Nancy Carroll while she took elocution lessons.
In 1931 she appeared as a chorus girl in the musical Flying High. That same year she impulsively eloped with her childhood sweetheart Ben James. She decided to give up her acting career and the couple moved to Kansas City, Missouri. After just a year of marriage they separated and she returned to Hollywood. Janet landed a role in the Three Stooges comedy Meet The Baron. Soon after she began experiencing health problems and was diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis. In December of 1934 she underwent an operation but there were complications. Sadly she died on December 20, 1934 at the young age of twenty-four. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.- Ruan Lingyu was born Ruan Fenggen on April 26, 1910 in Shanghai, China. Her father died when she was a child and her mother worked as a maid to support them. When she was sixteen Ruan started acting as a way to earn money. She made her film debut in the 1927 Chinese language film A Married Couple In Name Only. Ruan fell in love with Zhang Damin, a gambler who had been disowned by his wealthy family. She would financially support him during their relationship. In 1930 she signed a contract with Lianhua Studios and starred in the film Spring Dream of an Old Capital. It was a huge hit and made her one of China's biggest stars. Her success continued with starring roles in Little Toys, Homecoming, and The Goddess. She was called "China's Greta Garbo". Ruan broke up with Zhang and started dating Tang Jishan, a married tea tycoon. He bought her a mansion in Shanghai and she became his mistress. Her ex-lover Zhang sued her in 1934 claiming she was his wife and owed him money.
The scandal made front page headlines and from then on then tabloid press became obsessed with her personal life. Unfortunately her relationship with Tang was rocky and he started abusing her. She was devastated when he threw her beloved dog out of a window. Ruan was cast in the 1935 drama New Women. It was based on the life of Ai Xia, an actress who had committed suicide. When New Women premiered in February of 1935 there was a backlash from journalists who objected to their negative portrayal. On March 8, 1935 Ruan committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates. She was just twenty-four years old. A note was found that said "Gossip is a fearful thing". More than one hundred thousand fans attended her funeral. Three female fans were so overcome with grief that they committed suicide during her funeral procession. She was buried at Fu Shou Yuan Cemetery in Shanghai. Two new "suicide" notes written by Ruan were found in 2001. In these notes she writes that Tang broke her heart and Zhang shamed her publicly. - Actress
Julia Graham was born in Sistersville, West Virginia. Her father, Harry Graham, worked for the state's road commission. From a very young age she dreamed of being a movie star. Julia starred in several local plays and sang in her church's choir. After graduating from high school in 1933 she started working in a library. When she had saved a little money she moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. Shortly after arriving a man pretending to be a casting agent assaulted her. She spent several months trying to find work but didn't get any acting roles. Julia became very depressed and in March of 1934 she attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Producer Earl Carroll heard about her suicide attempt and offered to give her a screen test. It was a success and she was given a bit part in the 1934 musical Murder At The Vanities.
She also appeared in the films Love In Bloom and The Crusades directed by Cecil B. Demille. Julia still struggled with depression and she attempted suicide a second time in the Fall of 1934. Then she began having an affair with Benjamin F. Reynolds, a married cameraman. On July 15, 1935 she was staying overnight at Benjamin's apartment. After he fell asleep she committed suicide by shooting herself in the head with his gun. She was only twenty years old. A note was found that said "Soon I shall die I can't live but I'm too confused." Julia was buried in her hometown of Sistersville, West Virginia.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jobyna Howland was born on March 31, 1880 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her father was a civil war veteran. Jobyna's family moved to Denver, Colorado where she studied acting. When she was a teenager she went to New York City and started modeling. The six foot tall redhead posed for Charles Dana Gibson's famous "Gibson Girl" sketches. In 1899 she was cast in the stage play Rupet Of Hentzau. Then she starred in the shows The Messenger Boy and Winsome Winnie. Jobyna wanted to play dramatic roles but her height and booming voice made her better suited for comedy. On October 2, 1900 she married novelist Arthur Stringer. The couple had a volatile relationship and separated several times before divorcing in 1914. Soon after she fell in love with playwright Zoe Akins and the two women moved in together in Los Angeles. At the age of thirty-eight she made her film debut in the 1918 drama Her Only Way.
She also appeared in The Way Of The Woman with Norma Talmadge and in the comedy Second Youth. Her brother, Olin Howard, became a successful actor too. Jobyna starred in the 1922 Broadway show The Texas Nightingale which was written by her girlfriend Zoe. Then she appeared in the hit musical Kid Boots with Eddie Cantor. During the 1930s she made several comedies with Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey including The Cuckoos, Dixiana, and Hook Line And Sinker. She and Zoe became known for hosting lavish dinner parties and for their frequent arguments. They remained close even after Zoe got married in 1932. Her final film was the 1934 comedy Ye Old Saw Mill. Jobyna returned to Broadway in January of 1936 to star in O Evening Star. The show flopped and closed after only five performances. Sadly on June 7, 1936 she died from heart disease at the age of fifty-six. She was buried at Forest Memorial Park in Glendale, California.