Marie provost biography

Canadian actress. (1896–1937)

Marie Prevost (born Mary Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896^[1] – January 21, 1937) was clean up Canadian-born film actress.

During ride out 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films.

Prevost began her career during probity silent film era. She was discovered by Mack Sennett who signed her to contract deed made her one of surmount "Bathing Beauties" in the fresh 1910s. Prevost appeared in piles of Sennett's short comedy pictures before moving on to feature-length films for Universal.

In 1922, she undiluted with Warner Bros. where turn thumbs down on career flourished as a salient lady. She was a pet of director Ernst Lubitsch who cast her in three neat as a new pin his comedy films: The Matrimony Circle (1924), Three Women (1924) and Kiss Me Again (1925).

After being let go encourage Warner Bros in early 1926, Prevost's career began to refuse and she was relegated close to secondary roles.

She was besides beset with personal problems, containing the death of her spread in 1926 and the damage of her marriage to somebody Kenneth Harlan in 1927, which fueled her depression. She began to abuse alcohol and bacchanalia eat, resulting in a permission gain that made it rigid for her to secure feigning jobs. By 1935, Prevost was only able to secure business parts in films.

She bound her last onscreen appearance captive 1936.

After years of crapulence, Prevost died of acute potomania at the age of 40 in January 1937. Prevost's domain was valued at $300 owing to she had squandered most make stronger her earnings. Her death prompted the Hollywood community to fabrication the Motion Picture & Depress Country House and Hospital.

Early life

Prevost was born in Sarnia, Ontario, to Hughina Marion (née Bickford) and Arthur "Teddy" Dunn. Her father worked as clever railway conductor. When she was an infant, Teddy Dunn was killed when gas seeped obstruction the St. Clair Tunnel. Hughina later married Frank Prevost countryside the family moved to Denver.

In 1900, Hughina gave dawn to another daughter, Marjorie, dubbed Peg. Marie's stepfather, who feigned as a miner and surveyor, frequently moved the family defeat the country following up dilemma various get-rich-quick schemes. After years in Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nevada; and Fresno, California, the finally settled in Los Angeles.

Hughina and Frank Prevost consequent divorced.^[2] Frank Prevost died problem September 1933 and bequeathed Marie $1.^[3]

While living in Los Angeles, Prevost attended Manual Arts Towering absurd School. By 1915, Prevost wealthy a job as a poet at a law firm which represented the Keystone Film Go with. While running an office assignment at the Keystone Studios, Prevost was asked to appear redraft a bit part for primacy film His Father's Footsteps.

Flesh-pedler Sennett, Keystone's owner, was studied by Prevost's performance and hurl word that he wanted be familiar with see Prevost in his duty. Prevost later recalled the dowry to Motion Picture World magazine: "I asked for Mr. Filmmaker and was ushered in fix away. He looked very authoritarian as I walked into her majesty office.

I was ready elect cry. Suddenly, he smiled. 'I want your signature today. Propose right here.' I suddenly current the paper he pushed play a part front of me was fine contract. I was to write down one of his Sennett Tint Beauties. Best of all Unrestrainable was to be paid $15 a week. I signed insolvent reading a word. Fifteen prize was a lot of money."^[4]

As her career was beginning in close proximity to rise, Prevost married socialite Orator Charles "Sonny" Gerke in June 1918.

The couple soon spaced, and Prevost kept news appeal to the marriage a secret.^[5]

Career

Early years

Initially cast in minor comedic roles as the sexy, innocent junior girl, she worked in frequent films for Sennett's studio. Secure 1919, Sennett cast Prevost trudge her first lead role engage Yankee Doodle in Berlin.

Authority film was a hit jaunt helped to solidify Prevost's job. She scored another success con the 1920 romantic film Love, Honor, and Behave, opposite Martyr O'Hara, another newcomer and Filmmaker protégé. By 1921, Prevost desired to move to another bungalow, later stating that she heraldry sinister Keystone because Sennett was inimitable interested in making money soar was unconcerned with creativity.

Administrator King Baggot helped secure added a contract with Universal transport $1,000 per week. Prevost was released from her contract touch Keystone, and she signed come together Universal in 1921.^[6]

At Universal, Author Thalberg took an interest form Prevost and became determined enhance make her a star.

Thalberg ensured that she received topping great deal of publicity station staged numerous events which plan her in the public give prominence to. After announcing that he locked away selected two films in which Prevost would star, The Window-pane Follies (1921) and Kissed (1922), Thalberg sent Prevost to Leporid Island where she burned prepare bathing suit to symbolize picture end of her bathing celestial being days.^[7]

Stardom

While at Universal, Prevost standstill was relegated to light comedies.

After her contract expired, Pennant L. Warner signed her be a two-year contract at $1,500 per week at Warner Bros. in 1922. During this prior, Prevost was dating actor Kenneth Harlan. Jack Warner also challenging signed Harlan to a agreement and cast the couple show the lead roles in Autocrat. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful spreadsheet Damned.

To publicize the ep, Warner announced that the incorporate would marry on the film's set. The publicity stunt afflicted, and thousands of fans drive gifts and letters to interpretation couple. In August 1923, Lad Gerke, Prevost's first husband filed for divorce. The Los Angeles Mirror got wind that Prevost still was married and ran a story with the act "Marie Prevost Will Be a-one Bigamist if She Marries Kenneth Harlan".

Warner was livid trail the negative publicity and Prevost's failure to disclose her pass with flying colours marriage despite the fact walk the publicity stunt was rulership idea.^[8]

In spite of the physically powerful publicity, Prevost's performance in The Beautiful and Damned brought good reviews.

Director Ernst Lubitsch chose her for a major duty opposite Adolphe Menjou in 1924's The Marriage Circle. Of accumulate performance as the beautiful femme fatale, Lubitsch said that she was one of the few players in Hollywood who knew extent to underplay comedy to work out the maximum effect.^[9] This suit, praised by The New Dynasty Times, resulted in Lubitsch get rid of maroon her in Three Women check 1924 and in Kiss Adopt Again the following year.

In early 1926, Warner Bros. contracted to not renew Prevost topmost Harlan's contracts (the two in silence married in 1924 after Prevost's divorce was finalized).^[10] Shortly funds she was dismissed by Decorous Bros., Prevost's mother Hughina acceptably in an automobile accident distort Lordsburg, New Mexico, on Feb 5, 1926.

Hughina had back number traveling to Palm Beach, Florida, with actress Vera Steadman standing Hollywood studio owner Al Author when their vehicle overturned. Hughina was crushed by the medium and died at the spot. Steadman and Christie sustained dangerous injuries, but survived.^[11]

Actress Phyllis Vacillate, who had been friends shrivel Prevost since her bathing handsomeness days, later stated in book interview that she believed blue blood the gentry loss of Prevost's and Harlan's contracts with Warner Bros.

caused problems in the marriage dowel was one of the causes of Prevost's alcoholism.^[10]

Decline

Devastated by nobleness loss of her only left parent, Prevost began drinking advertisement and developed an addiction be required to alcohol. Prevost tried to obtain past her personal torment tough burying herself in her walk off with, starring in numerous roles gorilla the temptingly beautiful seductress who in the end was again the honorable heroine.

Adding interrupt her depression was the squashy of her marriage to Kenneth Harlan – the two put asunder in 1927.

After seeing Prevost in The Beautiful and Damned, Howard Hughes cast her though the lead in The Racket (1928). Hughes and Prevost late had a brief affair. Astern the affair ended, Prevost was heartbroken which furthered her depression.^[12] Her role in The Racket proved to be Prevost's surname leading role.

Prevost's depression caused her to binge on menu resulting in significant weight clutch. Her career continued but she was relegated to secondary roles. In 1929, Cecil B. Filmmaker offered her a co-starring part in his final silent pick up The Godless Girl, starring Lina Basquette. In her 1990 life story, Basquette recalled that Prevost was not outwardly bitter about disappearance her leading lady status, stating "Aw, hell, that's the break away from it is." Prevost received usually good reviews for her impersonation in the film.

The later year, she signed a perform with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.^[13]

While at MGM, Prevost worked steadily but was offered only secondary parts. In 1930, she appeared in Paid, primary Joan Crawford. While Prevost's behave was secondary, she garnered fair to middling reviews. In 1931, she sham Academy Award winner Helen Hayes' loyal friend in The Insult of Madelon Claudet.

In 1932, she was one of significance three leads in the peel Three Wise Girls, starring Pants Harlow. By 1934, she challenging no work at all, suggest her financial situation deteriorated dramatically. The downward spiral became angry when her weight problems studied her into repeated crash fast to keep whatever bit value a movie studio offered.

Prevost made her last on fan appearance in a bit potential as a waitress in Ten Laps to Go (1936).

Personal life

Prevost was married twice extra both marriages ending in disband. Her first marriage was problem socialite Henry Charles "Sonny" Gerke in June 1918. The consensus was not known to position public until Gerke filed oblige divorce in August 1923 scandalous desertion.

Gerke claimed that picture marriage was kept a blush because Prevost feared it would damage her budding acting life's work. News of the marriage was revealed shortly after Jack Acclaim. Warner devised a publicity trick in which he claimed range Prevost and her The Lovely and Damned co-star Kenneth Harlan would marry on the film's set in real life.

Raise avoid negative publicity, Prevost plain-spoken not fight the divorce. Respect an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Prevost admitted saunter she and Gerke married bank account a whim and had disconnected shortly after marrying. She along with stated that she and Gerke had remained friendly and careful on occasion.^[14] Gerke's divorce solicit was granted in October 1923.^[15]

In October 1924, Prevost married aspect Kenneth Harlan.

The two marked in several films together, with The Beautiful and the Damned and Bobbed Hair. Prevost reprove Harlan separated in May 1927, and Prevost filed for split. Later that year, she was granted an interlocutory divorce. Subdue, the couple reconciled in June 1928.^[16] The reconciliation proved oratory bombast be brief and their separation was finalized in January 1929.^[17]

Death

Prevost died on January 21, 1937, at the age of 40, evidently from the combination carefulness acute alcoholism and malnutrition stemming from anorexia nervosa.^[18][19][20] Her entity was not discovered until Jan 23 after neighbors complained exhibit her dog's incessant barking.

Adroit houseboy found her body provision entering her room.^[21] Police windlass several empty liquor bottles elaborate the room along with clean promissory note to Joan Actress for $110.^[22]

Her funeral (which was paid for by Joan Crawford) at the Hollywood Memorial Burial ground was attended by Crawford, Politician Gable, Wallace Beery, Douglas Histrion Jr., Mack Sennett, and Barbara Stanwyck.^[23] Prevost's sister had absorption remains cremated and combined them with those of their make somebody be quiet, who had died in 1926.^[24]

In February 1937, it was revealed that Prevost's estate was treasured at $300.^[25] Prevost's fate trade in well as that of excess prompted the Hollywood community extremity create the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Haven to provide medical care diplomat employees of the television instruct motion picture industry.^[26]

On February 8, 1960, Prevost was honored tend to her contribution to the transit picture industry with a luminary on the Hollywood Walk dressing-down Fame at 6211 Hollywood Boulevard.^[27][19]

Filmography

In popular culture

• Prevost's death was featured in the book Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger.

  In depiction book, Anger claims Prevost's go after consumed her remains over depiction ensuing days to survive. Despite that, Anger's claims that Prevost's follow made "mincemeat out of dominion mistress"^[28] are false. While Prevost's pet dachshund Maxie did twinge her legs in an fundraiser to wake her, the accompany did not attempt to lay down your arms her body.^[29]

• Nick Lowe's song "Marie Provost" (sic) from the 1978 album Jesus of Cool trivialities her life and Anger's anecdote of her death.

  The aerate includes the lyric in goodness chorus "She was a winner/that became the doggie's dinner". Leadership song references the date July 29, which is now humble amongst Lowe's fans as 'Marie Prevost Day'.^[30]

• In 2019, novelist Laini Giles released Bathing Beauty, calligraphic novel that details Prevost's life.

See also

References

Works cited

External links