Phyllis Haver
| Phyllis Haver | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born |
January 6, 1899 Douglass, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died |
November 19, 1960 (aged 61) Sharon, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1915–1930 |
| Spouse(s) | William Seeman (1929–1945) |
Phyllis Haver (January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American actress of the silent film era.
Early life
Phyllis Haver was born in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High. After graduating, she played piano to accompany the new silent films in local theaters.[1]
Career
Haver auditioned for comedy producer Mack Sennett on a whim. Sennett hired her as one of his original Sennett Bathing Beauties.[2] Within a few years, she appeared as a leading lady in two-reelers for Sennett Studios.
Later, while signed with DeMille-Pathé, Haver played the part of Roxie Hart in the first film adaptation of Chicago in 1927, opposite Hungarian film actor Victor Varconi. One reviewer called her performance "astoundingly fine," and added that Haver "makes this combination of tragedy and comedy a most entertaining piece of work."[3]
She performed in the comedy film The Battle of the Sexes (1928), directed by D. W. Griffith, and appeared with Lon Chaney in his last silent film, Thunder (1929).
Haver retired from the industry with two 'sound' films to her credit.
Personal life
In 1929, she married millionaire William Seeman with a service performed by New York Mayor James J. Walker [4] at the home of Rube Goldberg, the cartoonist. The couple divorced in 1945.
Death
Haver retired in Sharon, Connecticut. She died at age 61 from an overdose of barbiturates in 1960, a suspected suicide.[5] Haver left no survivors.
Selected filmography
- Whose Baby? (1917)
- The Sultan's Wife (1917)
- The Pullman Bride (1917)
- A Small Town Idol (1921)
- The Balloonatic (1923 short)
- Lilies of the Field (1924)
- The Fighting Coward (1924)
- Single Wives (1924)
- The Snob (1924)
- New Brooms (1925)
- Her Husband's Secret (1925)
- The Caveman (1926)
- Up in Mabel's Room (1926)
- Don Juan (Uncredited, 1926)
- 3 Bad Men (1926)
- Fig Leaves (1926)
- What Price Glory (1926)
- No Control (1927)
- The Way of All Flesh (1927)
- The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (1927)
- The Fighting Eagle (1927)
- Chicago (1927)
- The Battle of the Sexes (1928)
- Sal of Singapore (1928)
- Thunder (1929)
- The Office Scandal (1929)
- She Couldn't Say No (1930)
References
- Notes
- ↑ The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ↑ Phyllis Haver, Actress, dies UPI. The Pittsburgh Press - Nov 21, 1960
- ↑ Movie Review: Chicago Hall, Mordaunt. The New York Times, 1927. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
- ↑ Death Comes to Silent Star, Phyllis Haver AP. The Milwaukee Journal - Nov 21, 1960.
- ↑ Kansas Silent Film Star Phyllis Haver is Dead AP. Lawrence Journal-World - Nov 21, 1960
- Bibliography
- Associated Press (1960-11-21). "Ex-Actress Found Dead In Her Home; Phyllis Haver, Who Starred in Silent Films, Believed to Have Taken Her Life" (fee). The New York Times. p. 58. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phyllis Haver. |
- Phyllis Haver at the Internet Movie Database
- Phyllis Haver at Find a Grave
- Phyllis Haver at Virtual History