Silent Film Tragedies

[Wisconsin Mark]

I made myself a list of silent film tragedies - directors who died under mysterious circumstances, and actors under the age of 40 who died prematurely (some during the first few years of the sound era). What have I missed?

Directors

Thomas Ince (1882-1924) – Probable murder.
William Desmond Taylor (1872-1922) – Murder.

Actors

Renee Adoree (1898-1933) – Tuberculosis.
Elmer Booth (1882-1915) – Car crash.
Gladys Brockwell (1894-1929) – Car crash.
Einar Hanson (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Robert Harron (1893-1920) – Probable suicide.
Helen Howard (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Vera Kholodnaya (1893-1919) – Spanish flu.
Florence La Badie (1888-1917) – Car crash.
Barbara La Marr (1896-1926) – Drug addiction and alcoholism.
Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935) – Suicide.
Martha Mansfield (1899-1923) – Accidental burning.
Earl Metcalfe (1889-1928) – Fell out of plane.
James Murray (1901-1936) – Drowning (accidental?).
Mabel Normand (1892-1930) – Tuberculosis.
Jack Pickford (1896-1933) – Drug addiction, alcoholism, and syphilis.
Wallace Reid (1891-1923) – Drug addiction.
William Stowell (1885-1919) – Train crash.
Olive Thomas (1894-1920) – Probable suicide.
Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) – Peritonitis.

[drednm]

Alma Rubens and Marie Prevost?

[Wisconsin Mark]

I might add that I met Barbara La Marr's son Don Gallery in 2004 in Puerto Vallarta, when he was acting as a docent at Casa Kimberley, the home that Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor there. Don was absolutely charming, and spoke to me about his rearing by his mother's friend ZaSu Pitts and her husband Tom Gallery, who adopted him. He has been a fixture in Puerto Vallarta for many years, and has known everyone who was anyone in the classic American film industry; he mentioned his friendships with Danny and Anjelica Huston. Mr. Gallery would be nearing 90 now, and as far as I know he is still alive; at least, I have not heard anything to the contrary.

More about Don Gallery:

http://www.pvwg.com/about-us-2/

http://birdgirlinparadise.blogspot.mx/2 ... -song.html

http://www.puerto-vallarta-writers-grou ... erview.pdf

Casa Kimberley is no longer open as a museum, alas:

http://atrampabroad.com/the-decline-of- ... ta-mexico/

[Wisconsin Mark]

Alma Rubens and Marie Prevost?

Thank you so much! I will add those two (both depressing cases - the "wages of stardom" are nothing new).

[Jim Gettys]

Eric Campbell (1879-1917) - Car crash.

Jim Gettys

[Harold Aherne]

Francis Boggs (1870-1911) director; homicide
Harold Lockwood (1887/88-1918) influenza
Clarine Seymour (1898-1920) intestinal disorder
B. Reeves Eason Jr. (1914-1921) hit by truck
Florence Deshon (1893-1922) poisoning from gas jet
Lucille Ricksen (1910-1925) tuberculosis
Mary Thurman (1895-1925) pneumonia
Tom Forman (1893-1926) actor/director; suicide
Charles Emmett Mack (1900-1927) auto accident
Fred Thomson (1890-1928) tetanus
Otto Matieson (1893-1932) auto accident
Lawrence "Sunny Jim" McKeen (1924-1933) measles, blood poisoning

Off to listen to some happy music...

-HA

[Wisconsin Mark]

Eric Campbell (1879-1917) - Car crash.

Jim Gettys

I knew you would all turn up cases that I missed!

Jim Gettys, hmm...

[drednm]

Lilyan Tashman, complications from surgery

[Jim Gettys]

Max Linder (1883-1925) - Suicide.
Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) - Peritonitis.

Jim Gettys

[Wisconsin Mark]

Francis Boggs (1870-1911) director; homicide
Harold Lockwood (1887/88-1918) influenza
Clarine Seymour (1898-1920) intestinal disorder
B. Reeves Eason Jr. (1914-1921) hit by truck
Florence Deshon (1893-1922) poisoning from gas jet
Lucille Ricksen (1910-1925) tuberculosis
Mary Thurman (1895-1925) pneumonia
Tom Forman (1893-1926) actor/director; suicide
Charles Emmett Mack (1900-1927) auto accident
Fred Thomson (1890-1928) tetanus
Otto Matieson (1893-1932) auto accident
Lawrence "Sunny Jim" McKeen (1924-1933) measles, blood poisoning

Off to listen to some happy music...

-HA

Wow, I am impressed. There's a potential book in this...

The chapter on child star Lucille Ricksen could be particularly interesting.

While filming the Del Andrews directed comedy The Galloping Fish in 1924 opposite Sydney Chaplin and Louise Fazenda, Ricksen became ill. She had appeared in prominent roles in ten films that year...by early 1925, her condition worsened and she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. During her illness, her father disappeared...Ricksen's mother Ingeborg became distraught and kept a bed-side vigil over her daughter. In late February 1925, her mother succumbed to a fatal heart attack and collapsed on top of her bedridden daughter. Afterwards, she spent her days being taken care of by others from the movie colony, including actress Lois Wilson. Ricksen died two weeks after her mother's death, on March 13, 1925 at the age of fourteen. After her death, the media wrote that her illness was caused by working non-stop for twelve years under poor conditions. Her death was used as an example for parents not to exploit their children to the showcase its talent.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) - Peritonitis.

Max Linder (1883-1925) - Suicide.

We're filling up a morgue!

[poul]

Another All-American enquete, I see.

Best, Poul
Remembering Valdemar Psilander (1884-1917)!

[boblipton]

Michael Ankerich's Dangerous Curves and Hollywood Heels should appear in the bibliography.

Bob

[Wisconsin Mark]

Another All-American enquete, I see.

Best, Poul
Remembering Valdemar Psilander (1884-1917)!

International examples are most welcome! Notice that I had Ruan Lingyu and Vera Kholodnaya in the original list.

[drednm]

Here's a web site with some names and details:

http://www.silentsaregolden.com/tragicendsarticle.html" target="_blank

[Rick Lanham]

Dorothy Dell 1915-1934 road accident.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Michael Ankerich's Dangerous Curves and Hollywood Heels should appear in the bibliography.

Bob

That's a book I'll have to get hold of.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Dorothy Dell 1915-1934 road accident.

More of an "early sound" tragedy, as she didn't make any silents. But another car crash victim - those early automobiles were dangerous.

[NotSoSilent]

Here are two more. I only quickly scanned the posts, so I apologize if they were already mentioned:

Ramon Navarro - Murdered
Karl Dane - Suicide

Gee, fun discussion!

[Rick Lanham]

Dorothy Dell 1915-1934 road accident.

More of an "early sound" tragedy, as she didn't make any silents. But another car crash victim - those early automobiles were dangerous.

Oops, my mistake.

Rick

[Wisconsin Mark]

Here are two more. I only quickly scanned the posts, so I apologize if they were already mentioned:

Ramon Navarro - Murdered
Karl Dane - Suicide

Gee, fun discussion!

The Novarro case is bizarre and fascinating, but occurred a little too far outside the era to count as a silent film tragedy. Dane, however, is a good find. He was 47 at the time of death, but I've decided to ease up on the under-40 age rule, especially for career-related suicides.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Here's a web site with some names and details:

http://www.silentsaregolden.com/tragicendsarticle.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Picked up quite a few at this site, thanks!

The updated list as of this minute:

Directors

Francis Boggs (1870-1911) – Murder.
Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) – Peritonitis.
Thomas H. Ince (1882-1924) - Cause of death disputed; officially, heart attack (possibly related to overwork); rumors of murder.
Lynn Reynolds (1899-1927) - Suicide.
William Desmond Taylor (1872-1922) – Murder.

Actors

Art Acord (1890-1931) – Suicide.
Renee Adoree (1898-1933) – Tuberculosis.
Agnes Ayres (1898-1940) – Mental illness, cerebral hemorrhage.
Florence Barker (1891-1913) – Pneumonia.
True Boardman (1882-1918) – Spanish flu.
Elmer Booth (1882-1915) – Car crash.
Olive Borden (1906-1947) – Pneumonia.
Gladys Brockwell (1894-1929) – Car crash.
Eric Campbell (1879-1917) – Car crash.
June Caprice (1895-1936) – Cancer, heart attack.
Virginia Lee Corbin (1910-1942) – Tuberculosis.
William Courtleigh, Jr. (1892-1918) – Spanish flu.
Ward Crane (1890-1928) – Pneumonia.
Karl Dane (1886-1934) – Suicide.
Lya De Putti (1897-1931) – Pneumonia following accidental ingestion of chicken bone.
Florence Deshon (1893-1922) – Poisoning from gas jet; possible suicide.
Jeanne Eagels (1890-1929) – Drug overdose.
B. Reeves Eason, Jr. (1914-1921) – Hit by truck.
Vladmir Fogel (1902-1929) – Suicide.
Tom Forman (1895-1926) – Suicide.
John Gilbert (1899-1936) – Heart attack.
Einar Hanson (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Robert Harron (1893-1920) – Probable suicide.
Helen Howard (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Vera Kholodnaya (1893-1919) – Spanish flu.
Florence La Badie (1888-1917) – Car crash.
Barbara La Marr (1896-1926) – Drug addiction and alcoholism.
Max Linder (1883-1925) – Suicide.
Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935) – Suicide.
Harold Lockwood (1887-1918) – Spanish flu.
Fred Mace (1878-1917) – Stroke.
Charles Emmett Mack (1900-1927) – Car crash.
Martha Mansfield (1899-1923) – Accidental burning.
Otto Matieson (1893-1932) – Car crash.
Eva May (1902-1924) – Suicide.
Sunny Jim McKeen (1924-1933) – Measles, blood poisoning.
Earl Metcalfe (1889-1928) – Fell out of plane.
James Murray (1901-1936) – Drowning (accidental?).
Evelyn Nelson (1899-1923) – Suicide.
Mabel Normand (1892-1930) – Tuberculosis.
Jack Pickford (1896-1933) – Drug addiction, alcoholism, and syphilis.
Marie Prevost (1898-1937) – Alcoholism.
Valdemar Psilander (1884-1917) – Possible suicide.
Wallace Reid (1891-1923) – Drug addiction.
Lucille Ricksen (1910-1925) – Tuberculosis.
Alma Rubens (1897-1931) – Drug addiction.
Larry Semon (1889-1928) – Pneumonia, tuberculosis.
Clarine Seymour (1898-1920) – Strangulation of the intestines.
Jack Standing (1886-1917) – Pneumonia.
Emily Stevens (1882-1928) – Pneumonia.
William Stowell (1885-1919) – Train crash.
Lilyan Tashman (1896-1934) – Cancer, complications from surgery.
Olive Thomas (1894-1920) – Probable suicide.
Fred Thomson (1890-1928) – Tetanus.
Mary Thurman (1895-1925) – Pneumonia.
Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) – Peritonitis.
Helen Lee Worthing (1905-1948) – Suicide.

[Eric Cohen]

Lynn Reynolds. age 35, was Hoot Gibson's director at Universal. He just got promoted, but shot himself February 25th,1927.

[NotSoSilent]

The Novarro case is bizarre and fascinating, but occurred a little too far outside the era to count as a silent film tragedy. Dane, however, is a good find. He was 47 at the time of death, but I've decided to ease up on the under-40 age rule, especially for career-related suicides.

Yikes, I failed to read the criteria and just started thinking about silent film stars who faced tragic endings. Sorry about that.

[Wisconsin Mark]

The Novarro case is bizarre and fascinating, but occurred a little too far outside the era to count as a silent film tragedy. Dane, however, is a good find. He was 47 at the time of death, but I've decided to ease up on the under-40 age rule, especially for career-related suicides.

Yikes, I failed to read the criteria and just started thinking about silent film stars who faced tragic endings. Sorry about that.

No problem at all! The list would be very much longer if we included all the silent players whose lives went into decline - that's not a book, it's an encyclopedia.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Lynn Reynolds. age 35, was Hoot Gibson's director at Universal. He just got promoted, but shot himself February 25th,1927.

Interesting case. I remember that Bill James discusses in his Historical Baseball Abstract how nonplussed he was to discover just how many early ballplayers killed themselves. It seems to have been a highly "available" solution to life's problems (as it is today, alas, in Japan and Korea, where the suicide rates are off the charts).

[poul]

Here's a web site with some names and details:

http://www.silentsaregolden.com/tragicendsarticle.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Picked up quite a few at this site, thanks!

The updated list as of this minute:

Directors

Francis Boggs (1870-1911) – Murder.
Louis Feuillade (1873-1925) – Peritonitis.
Thomas Ince (1882-1924) – Probable murder.
Lynn Reynolds (1899-1927) - Suicide.
William Desmond Taylor (1872-1922) – Murder.

Actors

Art Acord (1890-1931) – Suicide.
Renee Adoree (1898-1933) – Tuberculosis.
Agnes Ayres (1898-1940) – Mental illness, cerebral hemorrhage.
Elmer Booth (1882-1915) – Car crash.
Olive Borden (1906-1947) – Pneumonia.
Gladys Brockwell (1894-1929) – Car crash.
Eric Campbell (1879-1917) – Car crash.
June Caprice (1895-1936) – Cancer, heart attack.
Virginia Lee Corbin (1910-1942) – Tuberculosis.
Karl Dane (1886-1934) – Suicide.
Lya De Putti (1897-1931) – Pneumonia following accidental ingestion of chicken bone.
Florence Deshon (1893-1922) – Poisoning from gas jet; possible suicide.
Jeanne Eagels (1890-1929) – Drug overdose.
B. Reeves Eason, Jr. (1914-1921) – Hit by truck.
Tom Forman (1895-1926) – Suicide.
John Gilbert (1899-1936) – Heart attack.
Einar Hanson (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Robert Harron (1893-1920) – Probable suicide.
Helen Howard (1899-1927) – Car crash.
Vera Kholodnaya (1893-1919) – Spanish flu.
Florence La Badie (1888-1917) – Car crash.
Barbara La Marr (1896-1926) – Drug addiction and alcoholism.
Max Linder (1883-1925) – Suicide.
Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935) – Suicide.
Harold Lockwood (1887-1918) – Spanish flu.
Fred Mace (1878-1917) – Stroke.
Charles Emmett Mack (1900-1927) – Car crash.
Martha Mansfield (1899-1923) – Accidental burning.
Otto Matieson (1893-1932) – Car crash.
Sunny Jim McKeen (1924-1933) – Measles, blood poisoning.
Earl Metcalfe (1889-1928) – Fell out of plane.
James Murray (1901-1936) – Drowning (accidental?).
Mabel Normand (1892-1930) – Tuberculosis.
Jack Pickford (1896-1933) – Drug addiction, alcoholism, and syphilis.
Marie Prevost (1898-1937) – Alcoholism.
Valdemar Psilander (1884-1917) – Suicide.
Wallace Reid (1891-1923) – Drug addiction.
Lucille Ricksen (1910-1925) – Tuberculosis.
Alma Rubens (1897-1931) – Drug addiction.
Larry Semon (1889-1928) – Pneumonia, tuberculosis.
Clarine Seymour (1898-1920) – Strangulation of the intestines.
William Stowell (1885-1919) – Train crash.
Lilyan Tashman (1896-1934) – Cancer, complications from surgery.
Olive Thomas (1894-1920) – Probable suicide.
Fred Thomson (1890-1928) – Tetanus.
Mary Thurman (1895-1925) – Pneumonia.
Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) – Peritonitis.
Helen Lee Worthing (1905-1948) – Suicide.

What is it with Psilander and suicide - there´s absolutely no proof of that.

Best, Poul

[Wisconsin Mark]

What is it with Psilander and suicide - there´s absolutely no proof of that.

Best, Poul

Not meaning to be controversial, here, but lots of web references say that. I'll change it to "Possible suicide."

http://cphpost.dk/news/denmarks-answer- ... .3658.html

The nature of Psilander’s demise is a matter of some controversy. For many, it is a forgone conclusion that the actor, despite enjoying unprecedented success at the global box office, had taken his own life. It might have had something to do with his recent split from his wife, or possibly a heated disagreement with Nordisk Film following Psilander’s request for a dramatic 150,000 kroner rise in his salary. That request was deemed to be unreasonable and promptly declined by managing director Ole Olsen. Psilander consequently left Nordisk Film and set about forming his own production studio, Psilander-Film.

Others insist that suicide was highly unlikely. Psilander’s death certificate indicates a cardiac arrest. In 1966, Edith Buemann, by that time twice remarried, claimed that at the time of his death, Psilander was taking prescription drugs that his doctor had warned would prove to be fatal should he consume them alongside alcohol − advice which, she claims, the actor had ignored. A more outrageous claim suggests he was shot by an obsessed Russian lover who, having travelled from St Petersburg to Valby, found her idol in the arms of another woman.

[Frederica]

What is it with Psilander and suicide - there´s absolutely no proof of that.

Best, Poul

Also Thomas Ince, not murder, not even probably.

[Wisconsin Mark]

Found a bunch more here, it will take a while to add them all. Excellent blog.

http://silenceisplatinum.blogspot.mx/