Buzz
The legends of Hollywood are often remembered for their incredible on-screen talent as much as for the sensational tales of their personal lives. Many are familiar with the loves, heartbreaks, and controversies surrounding stars like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. But what about the leading figures from the dawn of Hollywood—the silent film era? Though many of these names have faded into obscurity, their lives were filled with intrigue and scandal to rival their more famous successors. Silent films introduced some of the 20th century's greatest visionaries and rebels. Here are 10 unforgettable stars who once captivated the world but are now part of a cinematic era lost to time.
10. Annette Kellerman
As a child, Annette Kellerman took up swimming to manage a degenerative muscle disorder. By the time the condition eased, Kellerman had become so skilled at swimming that she rose to fame as a celebrated swimmer and diver in her home country of Australia. As an actress, she gained recognition for her roles in films that featured aquatic adventures. Today, Kellerman is remembered as the first movie star to appear nude on screen.
In Australia, she was known as 'The Diving Venus.' Kellerman first captured global attention when she became the first woman to attempt a swim across the English Channel, though she never succeeded despite three attempts. In 1907, she was famously arrested at a Boston beach for wearing a one-piece bathing suit. At that time, women’s swimsuits were bulky, awkward, and resembled dresses. Kellerman, however, dared to wear a sleek, form-fitting bodysuit, and thanks to the publicity surrounding her arrest, 'Annette Kellermans' (as the swimsuits came to be called) gained popularity and were eventually accepted by society. Naturally, Kellerman began selling the garments to the public.
The film in which Kellerman appeared nude is titled A Daughter of the Gods (1916). Unfortunately, no copies of the film survive, though still images of Kellerman in her role are still accessible. The movie was able to feature nudity because it was produced before the introduction of the Hays Code. The Code, a set of censorship guidelines, later forbade cinematic depictions of nudity, as well as drug use, miscegenation, and 'white slavery.'
Like many silent film stars, Kellerman struggled to adapt to the era of sound films, also known as 'talkies.' After leaving the film industry, she opened a health food store in Long Beach, California. She also became a popular lecturer on health and fitness, and she wrote several books. One of her works for children is titled Fairy Tales of the South Seas. With her vibrant personality, she lived a long life, passing away in 1975 at the age of 89.
9. Sessue Hayakawa
Sessue Hayakawa made history as the first Asian actor to rise to fame as a matinee idol. At one point, he became one of the highest-paid actors in the film industry, commanding co-star status alongside legends like Charlie Chaplin and William S. Hart.
Born into an aristocratic family in Chiba, Japan, Hayakawa was initially set on a career in the navy. His dreams were shattered, however, when a dare from a classmate led him to dive into a lagoon, resulting in a ruptured eardrum and disqualifying him from naval service. Distraught by his family's disappointment, especially that of his father, a provincial governor, Hayakawa attempted hara-kiri. His life was spared when his dog alerted the household servants to the scene.
After reconciling with his family, Hayakawa moved to the University of Chicago in 1912, where he studied political economy. Despite facing racism and being physically smaller, weighing only 60 kilograms (132 lb), he earned a place on the university's football team. Hayakawa used judo to overpower larger opponents, and since martial arts were largely unknown in the West at the time, many believed he had 'occult powers.'
Hayakawa eventually made his way to Los Angeles, where he got involved with a theater company in the Little Tokyo district. One of their plays, The Typhoon, caught the attention of a local producer, who turned it into a film featuring the same cast. The film became a hit, and the roles that followed solidified Hayakawa’s reputation as a movie star. He drove a gold-plated Pierre-Arrow and became famous for hosting extravagant parties at his 32-room mansion in LA.
The rise of talkie films negatively impacted Hayakawa’s career. After spending much of the 1930s and 1940s in France, he made a comeback in 1949 with Tokyo Joe, starring alongside Humphrey Bogart. Over 30 years after his peak, his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) earned him an Oscar nomination.
8. William Haines
In the 1920s, William Haines (or “Billy” to his friends) was one of MGM’s top box-office draws. Naturally, studio head Louis B. Mayer became deeply concerned when Haines was arrested one night at a YMCA, accused of engaging in lewd acts with a sailor he had met earlier that day. The studio worked to keep the scandal out of the public eye, but for Mayer, it was the last straw. Mayer had long pressured Haines to suppress rumors about his sexuality by entering into a fake marriage with a woman. These types of unions were known as “lavender marriages” during a time before gay rights. Haines refused, as he was openly gay (within the limits of the era) and in a committed relationship with a man named James Shields. After the YMCA incident, Haines’s contract was abruptly terminated.
Haines and Shields went on to quietly rebuild their lives, with Haines becoming a successful interior designer. The William Haines design firm is still operating today. However, in 1936, their lives were again disrupted by homophobia when a neighbor falsely accused Shields of molesting his young son. Soon, a mob confronted Haines and Shields outside their home in Manhattan Beach, California, an area known for racist activity at the time, likely involving white supremacists. The two men were brutally beaten, and despite the unfounded nature of the accusations against Shields, the men who assaulted them were never held accountable.
Shortly after Haines passed away from cancer in 1973, Shields took his own life, leaving behind a note that expressed a broken heart.
7. Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence may not be a household name today, but in her time, she was known as 'The First Movie Star.' In the early days of cinema, actors were not credited, as producers feared that fame would lead to actors demanding higher pay. However, stardom proved to be an undeniable force. Audiences inevitably gravitated toward their favorite performers, with Lawrence at the forefront. The charming Canadian-American actress with the dimpled chin became globally adored as 'The Biograph Girl,' after the studio that released her films.
In 1908, Lawrence and her husband, fellow actor Harry Solter, left Biograph and signed with Independent Moving Pictures. This was the moment Lawrence's name was finally revealed to the public, making her the first star to be promoted with a full-fledged publicity campaign. Her new studio head orchestrated a daring stunt by spreading a false rumor that The Biograph Girl had died in a car crash. Weeks later, an advertisement appeared, showing the beloved actress alive and well. Fans rejoiced, and it was even reported that they tore Lawrence’s clothes off in the street. However, that was also part of the staged story.
Lawrence’s personal life was marred by hardship. In 1914, she was seriously injured in a fire on set, leaving scars that hindered her career. Her first husband, Harry Solter, passed away in 1920, and her second marriage to a wealthy cosmetics businessman ended after 10 years. During their divorce proceedings, Lawrence testified, 'He told me that I did not keep myself as pretty as I used to.' Her third marriage, to an abusive man, lasted only five months. Though she tried to revive her career, by the 1930s, she was relegated to uncredited roles in talkies. The woman once hailed as the first movie star had become a forgotten figure.
On December 28, 1938, Lawrence, suffering from an incurable illness, took her own life by ingesting arsenic-based ant paste. Her exact birth date is unclear; she was between 48 and 52 years old at the time of her death.
6. Maurice Costello
While Florence Lawrence holds the title of the first movie star, Maurice Costello earned the distinction of being the first movie heartthrob. A brief stint at Thomas Edison’s film studio marked the start of his career, and despite his Italian-sounding surname, Costello's heritage was Irish. He was reportedly the first star to receive fan mail, with admirers addressing him as simply 'Dimples' since they had no idea who he was.
Costello was also likely the first movie star to embrace the role of a prima donna. In the early days of filmmaking, it was expected that everyone on set, including actors, would assist in building and painting sets. Costello, however, refused to adhere to this tradition, possibly because of his previous experience as a successful stage actor. Was this defiance the reason trailers were introduced on set?
In a turn of fate, whether due to karmic consequences for his arrogance or simply bad luck, Costello’s later years were marked by hardship. By 1939, with his film career far behind him, he found himself suing his daughters, Helene and Dolores, for financial help. Although both were successful actresses, Helene, at least, was likely unable to assist, given her own well-known personal struggles. (We will discuss her shortly.) As a final note, Dolores was married to John Barrymore, which makes Maurice Costello the great-grandfather of Drew Barrymore, with whom he shares a birthday on February 22nd.
5. John Gilbert
John Gilbert may not have been the most prominent matinee idol of the silent film era, but he came close. Female audiences especially were captivated by the dashing 'Great Lover.' Imagine their collective heartbreak when Gilbert was claimed by the legendary screen goddess Greta Garbo. The two became the most talked-about couple of their time, so deeply in love that, on set, they would often continue their romantic scenes even after the director called for a break, much to the awkwardness of the cast and crew.
Some attribute Gilbert's swift fall from grace in the era of talkies to studio politics, while others argue that audiences simply disliked his voice. Garbo’s husky contralto and Swedish accent only added to her allure, but Gilbert’s voice was considered too high-pitched and too proper. Matters worsened when Garbo became increasingly distant in their relationship. According to legend, their romance ended when Garbo failed to show up for their planned wedding. However, some insist the tale of Garbo leaving Gilbert at the altar is a fabrication. The truth remains elusive, as Gilbert, who battled alcoholism, died of a heart attack in 1936, and Garbo withdrew from the public eye in the early 1940s, never giving another interview.
4. Helene Costello
Helene Costello (shown on the left in the image above) was an early example of a familiar Hollywood story: the celebrity child who couldn’t live up to expectations. As children, both she and her sister Dolores (shown on the right in the image above) appeared in films alongside their father, Maurice Costello. As adults, the Costello sisters managed to establish their own silent film careers, although unfortunately, Helene couldn’t adapt to the talkie era. Despite her striking beauty, her voice was deemed inadequate for sound films.
Costello was married and divorced four times by the time she turned 40. During the proceedings of her second divorce, one newspaper reported that her husband, while accusing her of alcoholism, presented a series of expensive, snappy books to challenge her literary tastes. Her fourth marriage concluded with a high-profile custody battle that she had to abandon due to financial struggles. Years of personal challenges seemed to intensify Costello's troubles, and at 50, she checked into a mental facility for addiction treatment. Sadly, she passed away just two days later from what appeared to be pneumonia. It was said that fewer than a dozen people attended her funeral.
As Maurice Costello is Drew Barrymore’s great-grandfather, that makes Helene Drew’s grand-aunt. Fortunately, Drew, who once faced many personal challenges, managed to overcome them and turn her life around, unlike her famous ancestor.
3. Theda Bara
Theda Bara, born Theodosia Goodman, took her stage name from an anagram of 'Arab Death.' As a young woman in Cincinnati, she became drawn to the occult (a lifestyle that might align with today's 'goth' culture), and fittingly, she rose to fame as Hollywood's first 'vamp' icon—a femme fatale who drained the life from her ill-fated male suitors. In her prime, Bara was undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in cinema. A New York institute for the deaf and mute even awarded her the title 'most expressive actress.' She is perhaps best remembered for the often misquoted line, 'Kiss me, my fool.'
Unfortunately for Bara, the vamp image, stretched thin over numerous roles, soon became a tired gimmick. To feed the public's growing obsession with their young star, the studio concocted sensational stories about her—her habits, heritage, and even her supposed birthplace (rumored to be beneath the Sphinx in Egypt). She was made to wear a veil in public, and her interviews were held in dim, incense-filled rooms. Tired of being typecast, Bara attempted a career shift to the theater, but it was a disaster, and critics tore apart her performance. She also struggled to make the transition to sound films. In her later years, Bara became renowned for hosting extravagant dinner parties.
Most of Bara's films have been lost to time, including Cleopatra, her most successful project. However, a few brief seconds of her performance in this role remain. The surviving footage is haunting, capturing the star in full vamp mode, writhing before the camera in a costume that might still be considered daring even by today's standards (skip to 0:44 in the video above to see for yourself).
2. Lupe Velez
Lupe Velez was one of the first Latina actresses to rise to prominence in Hollywood, often cast in roles that emphasized her fiery 'Mexican spitfire' persona. It was said that her father had been a Mexican army general and her mother an opera singer. However, these stories were likely concocted by the studio. Regardless, Lupe Velez didn’t require an embellished backstory to become one of the most lively and magnetic personalities of her era.
Today, we are often cautioned against the 'fiery Latina' stereotype. Nonetheless, there's no denying that Velez was a woman of intense emotions: She loved passionately and fought fiercely. Many of her lovers were among the biggest male stars of her time. Errol Flynn recounted how, before making love, she would pray to the Catholic icons adorning her bedroom. However, Velez’s biographer counters that 'Flynn’s storytelling and embellishment of the truth was legendary.' Gary Cooper was rumored to have been on the verge of proposing to her, but he ended the relationship at the request of his disapproving mother. In a fit of rage, Velez reportedly shot at him while he was boarding a train, though it’s unclear if she intended to hit him. Velez did eventually marry Johnny Weissmuller, best known for playing the original Tarzan, who left his first wife to be with her. It's said that when Weissmuller donned his Tarzan loincloth, the makeup crew had to cover up scratches and love bites on his chest.
Velez was among the few big stars who successfully transitioned to talkies. Despite this, her life ended tragically. After divorcing Weissmuller, she entered a relationship with actor Harold Raymond and was heartbroken when he refused to marry her after she became pregnant. In 1944, Velez took her own life at the age of 36.
1. Art Acord
Art Acord (short for Arthemus, not Arthur) was one of Hollywood’s earliest cowboy legends, appearing in over 100 Westerns during the silent film era. Born in 1890 in either Oklahoma or Utah, Acord came into the world at the tail end of the Old West. Before rising to fame as a film star, he was a stage performer and a champion steer wrestler, having once worked alongside Buffalo Bill Cody. While Acord was a gentle man when sober, he was known for being a brawling drunk. He and his close friend, fellow cowboy star Hoot Gibson, would often engage in drunken fights without reason, only to reconcile once the alcohol wore off. When the US entered World War I, Acord enlisted and fought abroad, receiving the distinguished Croix de Guerre for his bravery.
Despite his muscular build, Acord had a surprisingly high voice, which made him unsuitable for the era of talkies. After enduring three marriages, he left Hollywood in the late 1920s to take his cowboy persona on the road in Mexico. When his money ran out, he took up work as a miner. A long-time alcoholic and struggling with depression, Acord tragically took his own life with arsenic in 1931 at the age of 40.
