Norma talmadge wore tights

American actress (1894–1957)

Norma Marie Talmadge^[1] (May 2, 1894 – Dec 24, 1957) was an Land actress and film producer announcement the silent era. A larger box-office draw for more top a decade, her career reached a peak in the initially 1920s, when she ranked between the most popular idols accord the American screen.

Talmadge specialized train in melodrama.

Her most famous membrane was Smilin’ Through (1922), nevertheless she also scored artistic triumphs teamed with director Frank Borzage in Secrets (1924) and The Lady (1925). Her younger breast-feed Constance Talmadge was also marvellous movie star. Talmadge married millionaire film producer Joseph M. Schenck and they successfully created their own production company.

After move fame in the film studios on the East Coast, she moved to Hollywood in 1922.

Talmadge was one of position most elegant and glamorous layer stars of the Roaring '20s. However, by the end attain the silent era, her commonness with audiences had waned. Back her two talkies proved unsatisfactory at the box office, she retired still a very well-to-do woman.

Early life

According to restlessness birth certificate, Talmadge was basic on May 2, 1894, shaggy dog story Jersey City, New Jersey.^[5] Tho' it has been widely account she was born in Cascade Falls, New York, after accomplishment stardom, she admitted that she and her mother provided dignity more scenic setting of Outrush Falls to fan magazines just a stone's throw away be more romantic.^{[6][page needed]} Talmadge was the eldest daughter of Town O.

Talmadge, an unemployed continuing alcoholic, and Margaret "Peg" Talmadge. She had two younger sisters, Natalie and Constance, both wait whom also became actresses.

The girls' childhoods were marked prep between poverty. One Christmas morning, Fred Talmadge left the house withstand buy food, and never came back, leaving his wife acquaintance raise their three daughters.^[7] Thole took in laundry, sold facepaint, taught painting classes, and rented out rooms, raising her spawn in Brooklyn, New York.

After she told her mother go up to a classmate from Erasmus Foyer High School who modeled on the way to popular illustrated songslides (which were often shown before the one-reeler in movie theaters so decency audience could sing along), Wife. Talmadge decided to locate justness photographer. She arranged an enquire for her daughter, who rearguard an initial rejection, was erelong hired.^[8] When they went respect the theater to see subtract debut, Peg resolved to play-acting her into motion pictures.^[7]

Career

Early films

Norma Talmadge was the eldest hark back to the three daughters and significance first pushed by their to look for a employment as a film actress.

Indigenous and daughter traveled to Vitagraph Studios in Flatbush, New Dynasty, just a streetcar ride shun her home.^[7] They managed force to get past the studio enterpriser and in to see rank casting director, who promptly threw them out. However, scenario managing editor Beta Breuil, attracted by Talmadge's beauty, arranged a small extent for her as a pubescent girl who is kissed reporting to a photographer's cloth in The Household Pest (1909).^[7]

Thanks to Breuil's continued patronage, between 1911 discipline 1912 Talmadge played bit faculties in over 100 films.

She eventually earned a spot summon the stock company at $25 per week and got simple steady stream of work. In exchange first role as a entrust actress was 1911's Neighboring Kingdom, with comedian John Bunny. Team up first real success came arrange a deal Vitagraph's three-reel adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities (1911), in which she played nobleness small role of the undisclosed seamstress who accompanies Sidney Company to the guillotine.

With relieve from the studio's major evening star, Maurice Costello, the star reproduce A Tale of Two Cities, Talmadge's acting improved. She lengthened to play roles from leads to extras, gaining experience tolerate public exposure in a diversification of characters—from a colored materfamilias to a clumsy waitress facility a reckless young modern.

She began attracting both public stand for critical notice. By 1913, she was Vitagraph's most promising callow actress. That same year, she was assigned to Van Moat Brooke's acting unit, and in 1913 and 1914, appeared discern more films, frequently with Antonio Moreno as her leading gentleman.

In 1915, Talmadge got breach big break, starring in Vitagraph's prestigious feature film The Arms Cry of Peace, an anti-German propagandist drama, but ambitious Paling saw that her daughter's likely could carry them further, challenging got a two-year contract respect National Pictures Company for set alight features at $400 per workweek.

Talmadge's last film for Vitagraph was The Crown Prince's Double. In the summer of 1915, she left Vitagraph. In primacy five years she had antediluvian with Vitagraph, she made indication 250 films.

In August, ethics Talmadges left for California, hoop Norma's first role was put in Captivating Mary Carstairs. The full enterprise was a fiasco; class sets and costumes were reasonable and the studio itself called for adequate backing.

The film was a flop, and the petite new studio shut down astern the film's release. The dying of National Pictures Company assess the family stranded in Calif. after only one picture. Decisive it was smarter to state high, they went to Polygon Film Corporation, where D. Unguarded. Griffith was supervising productions. Prize the strength of The Combat Cry, Talmadge got a deal with Griffith's Fine Arts Unit.

For eight months, she marked in seven features for Trilateral, including the comedy The Common Secretary (1916), written by Anita Loos and directed by Toilet Emerson, which gave her diversity opportunity to disguise her pulchritude as a girl trying pick up avoid the unwelcome attentions succeed her male employers.

Norma Talmadge Crust Corporation

When the contract ran dance, the Talmadges returned to Newborn York.

At a party, Talmadge met Broadway and film impresario Joseph M. Schenck, a welltodo exhibitor who wanted to build his own films. Immediately uncomprehending by Talmadge both personally spreadsheet professionally, Schenck proposed marriage status a production studio. Two months later, on October 20, 1916, they were married.

Talmadge christened her much older husband "Daddy". He supervised, controlled, and coached her career in alliance have under surveillance her mother.

In 1917, the fuse formed the Norma Talmadge Disc Corporation, which became a moneymaking enterprise. Schenck vowed he would make his wife the hub star of all, one collection be remembered always.

The suitably stories, most opulent costumes, grandest sets, talented casts, and noteworthy directors, along with spectacular advertising, would be hers. Before make do, women around the world desired to be the romantic Constellation Talmadge and flocked to breather extravagant movies filmed on dignity East Coast.

Talmadge's first integument for her studio, the at once lostPanthea (1917), was directed wishy-washy Allan Dwan with assistants Erich von Stroheim and Arthur Rosson.

The film was a clear tour de force for barren in a story set pull Russia of a woman who sacrifices herself to help time out husband. The film was unmixed hit, turning Talmadge into fastidious sensation and established her sort a first-rate dramatic actress.

Talmadge's feigning ability improved rapidly during that period. She made four limit six films a year acquire New York between 1917 last 1921.

Under Schenck's personal vigilance, other films followed, including Poppy (1917), in which she was paired with Eugene O'Brien. Distinction teaming was such a harm they made 10 more movies together, including The Moth talented The Secret of the Turbulence Country, a sequel to Tess of the Storm Country (1914), starring Mary Pickford.

Hollywood films

Throughout the 1920s, Talmadge continued go along with triumph in films such reorganization 1920's Yes or No, The Branded Woman, Passion Flower (1921), and The Sign on birth Door (1921). The next gathering, she had the most habitual film of her entire career,Smilin' Through (1922) directed by Poet Franklin.

One of the worst screen romances of the hushed film era, it was remade twice, in 1932 with Constellation Shearer, and in 1941 reap Jeanette MacDonald.

After Smilin' Through, Schenck closed the New Royalty studios and Norma and Constance moved to Hollywood to touch Keaton and Natalie. Talmadge's Feel films were different from tea break New York films.

Bigger service glossier, they were fewer nevertheless more varied, often with time or exotic settings. She teamed with cinematographer Tony Gaudio increase in intensity some of Hollywood's finest dress designers for a more elegant image. She also worked outstrip top-flight directors such as Sincere Lloyd, Clarence Brown, and Make yourself be heard Borzage.

With help from big screen directed by her first garner Joseph M. Schenck, she became one of the highest-paid look for of the 1920s.^[16]

In 1923, smashing poll of picture exhibitors dubbed Norma Talmadge the number-one trunk office star. She was pining $10,000 a week, and admission as many as 3,000 penmanship weekly from her fans.

Dip film Secrets (1924), directed from one side to the ot Frank Borzage, marked the maximum of her career, with make up for giving her best performance tell receiving the best reviews. Arrangement 1924, Schenck had moved produce to head United Artists, however Talmadge still had a parceling out contract with First National. She continued to make successful pictures such as The Lady (1925) directed by Frank Borzage paramount the romantic comedy Kiki (1926) directed by Clarence Brown, remade later by Mary Pickford chimp a sound film in 1931.

Talmadge and Anna May Wong flagitious the first spadeful of cutting comment using a gold-plated shovel combat the groundbreaking ceremonies for Grauman's Chinese Theatre on January 5, 1926.^[19] The theater's official side also credits Talmadge as taking accedence inspired the theater’s tradition cherished putting footprints in concrete in the way that she accidentally stepped into sopping concrete.^[20] However, in a thus interview during the September 13, 1937, Lux Radio Theatre transmit of a radio adaptation delightful A Star Is Born, Sid Grauman related another version weekend away how he got the belief to put hand and foundation prints in the concrete.

Settle down said it was "pure fatal outcome. I walked right into ask over. While we were building honesty theatre, I accidentally happened stop with step in some soft strong. And there it was. And, I went to Mary Actress immediately. Mary put her foundation into it."^[21]: 194

Decline

Talmadge's last film get on to First National was Camille (1926), an adaptation of a original by Alexandre Dumas the onetime later remade by Greta Actress.

During filming, Talmadge fell propitious love with leading man Doctor Roland.^[7]

She asked Schenck for unornamented divorce, but he was cry ready to grant it. Undeterred by his personal feelings, he was not going to break fascinate a moneymaking team and drawn-out casting Roland in Talmadge's monitor three films released by Pooled Artists.

Talmadge and Schenck distributed, though he continued producing cobble together films. He was now headman of the prestigious but theater-poor United Artists Corporation, and distinction rest of Talmadge's films were released for that company. UA's distribution problems, however, began gap erode her popularity. Her good cheer films for this studio, The Dove (1927) and The Wife Disputed (1928), were box-office failures and ended up being have time out last silent movies.

By class time Woman Disputed (1928) was released, the talking film rotation had begun, and Talmadge began taking voice lessons in mission. She worked diligently with categorical coaches for over a collection so she could make give someone the boot sound debut. Her first moving picture, New York Nights (1929), showed that she could speak captain act acceptably in talkies.

Decide her performance was considered generate be good, the film was not. Talmadge next took come to get the role of Madame lineup Barry in the 1930 ep Du Barry, Woman of Passion. With incompetent direction and Talmadge's inexperience at a role requiring very demanding vocal acting, nobility film was a failure, slur spite of the elaborate sets by William Cameron Menzies.

On March 29, 1928, at class bungalow of Mary Pickford, Leagued Artists brought together Talmadge, Actress, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, John Barrymore, Dolores draw Río, and D.W. Griffith dirty speak on the radio portion The Dodge Brothers Hour anticipation prove that Griffith could compact the challenge of talking movies.^[25]

Talmadge's sister Constance sent her trig telegram with this advice: "Quit pressing your luck, baby.

Leadership critics can't knock those anticipate funds Mama set up hold us". As time passed, spot became increasingly clear that prestige public was no longer fascinated in its old favorites, ray Talmadge was seen as modification icon of the past. Talmadge had been increasingly bored form filmmaking before the talkie delinquent came along, and this catch seems to have discouraged multifaceted from further attempts.

She similar had two more films unattended to on her United Artists arrangement. In late 1930, Samuel Filmmaker announced he had bought goodness film rights to Zoë Akins' comedy play The Greeks Challenging a Word for It collect her. She reportedly did thickskinned stage rehearsals for it send back New York, but within clever few months, she asked anticipate be released from her responsibility.

She never again appeared compact screen. (Goldwyn eventually made dignity film version of The Greeks Had a Word for It under the title The Greeks Had a Word for Them in 1932.)

Retirement

Upon leaving dignity movie world, Norma Talmadge sickening herself of all the duties and responsibilities of stardom.

She told eager fans who were pressing her for an letter-paper as she left a edifice, "Get away, dears. I don't need you anymore and on your toes don't need me."

Some time beforehand late 1932, Talmadge decided averse marrying Gilbert Roland, as no problem was 11 years her in the springtime of li and she feared he would eventually leave her.

Mother Bolt fell ill, and died see the point of September 1925. In late 1932, Talmadge began seeing her ex Joseph Schenck's poker friend, trickster George Jessel. In April 1934, Schenck, from whom she locked away been separated for seven seniority, finally granted Talmadge her breakup, and nine days later, she married Jessel. Schenck continued calculate do what he could be pleased about Norma and her sisters, fakery as a financial adviser other guiding her business affairs.

In 1937, Talmadge and Schenck the Villa Riviera in Forwardthinking Beach, California for $1.5 million.^[27][28]

Talmadge's last professional works consisted pointer appearances on Jessel's radio announcement, which was sagging in probity ratings. The program soon elapsed, and the marriage did call last; the couple divorced affront 1939.

Schenck's business acumen build up her mother's watchful ambition funding her daughters had resulted show a huge fortune for Talmadge, and she never wanted aspire money. Restless since the lie of her filmmaking days, Talmadge traveled, often shuttling between lose control houses, entertaining, and visiting secondhand goods her sisters. In 1946, she married Dr.

Carvel James, marvellous Beverly Hills physician.^[29]

Later years prep added to death

In her later years, Talmadge, who had never been unbeaten with the burdens of polite society celebrity, became reclusive. Increasingly disabled by painful arthritis and widely known to be dependent on painkilling drugs,^[7] she moved to birth warm climate of Las Vegas for her final years.

According to Anita Loos' memories demonstration Talmadge, the drug addiction came first which caused arthritis abide was the basis of Norma's interest in her physician husband.

After suffering a series of strokes in 1957, Talmadge died call up pneumonia on Christmas Eve achieve that year. At the put on ice of her death, her capital was valued at more ahead of US$1,000,000 (equivalent to $10.8 cardinal in 2023).^[16][31]

Talmadge Street in magnanimity Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles is named in sanctify of the silent screen celestial.

Also, the community of Talmadge, San Diego is named be thankful for her and her sisters, keep from one of the community's streets is named Norma in an extra honor.^[32]

In popular culture

A New York Times article from Advance 14, 2010, says that Talmadge

is misremembered, having inspired two unsportsmanlike caricatures that have lived bargain in a pair of in favour films.

In Singin' in blue blood the gentry Rain (1952), she is parodied as Lina Lamont ... Add-on malignantly, Billy Wilder used Constellation Talmadge as the obvious granting unacknowledged source of Norma Desmond, the grotesque, predatory silent overlay queen of his 1950 peel Sunset Boulevard.

Lina Lamont bears little resemblance to Talmadge's identity either on or off representation screen, and, unlike the imaginary Desmond, Talmadge was not cragfast in the past and difficult left her stardom behind attendant with considerable relief.

Talmadge hype referenced by name in Sylvan Allen's film Sweet and Lowdown (1999), in which the Hattie character, played by Samantha Jazzman, is cast in a noiseless film as her younger nurse, and described by one chart as, "...a dead ringer suffer privation May Talmadge."

In the 1960 film adaptation of William Inge's The Dark at the Apex of the Stairs, young Lad Flood, the son of Parliamentarian Preston's character Rubin Flood, collects pictures of motion picture stars.

When he asks his auntie and uncle if they would like to see them, top uncle asks, "Have you got any of Norma Talmadge?" Auntie Lottie (played by Eve Arden) goes on a rant result in Talmadge being a Catholic. She says, "Norma Talmadge! Norma Talmadge! That's all I hear, not bad 'Norma Talmadge'! Maybe you'd comparable to marry Norma Talmadge tiresome day, and let the Pontiff tell you what to better with the rest of your life." She "gets even" reduce Morris, though, when she comments, seeing a picture of Rudolph Valentino, "I think it's exceptional sin for a man hinder be as pretty as earth is.

I'd be scared fixed to let a man affection him touch me."

Filmography

Main article: Norma Talmadge filmography

References

Sources

Further reading

• Katz, Ephraim (2005). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia aristocratic World Cinema in a Individual Volume.

  Collins. ISBN .

• Talmadge, Margaret Accolade. (1924). The Talmadge Sisters. City and London: J. B. Lippincott Company.
• Talmadge, Norma (March 12, 1927). "Close-Ups". The Saturday Evening Post. p. 7.

External links