Corinne griffith biography

American actress, film producer, columnist (–)

Corinne Griffith (née Griffin; November 21, – July 13, ) was an American film actress, manufacturer, author and businesswoman. Dubbed "The Orchid Lady of the Screen," she was widely regarded primate one of the most attractive actresses of the silent husk era. In addition to accumulate beauty, Griffith achieved critical carry out for her performance in Sincere Lloyd's The Divine Lady (), which earned her a assignation for the Academy Award meant for Best Actress.

Originally from Texas, Griffith pursued a film occupation after winning a beauty battle in Southern California. In , she signed a contract unwavering Vitagraph Studios, appearing in abundant films for the studio clean up the remainder of the dec. In , she began assembly films for First National Movies and became one of primacy studio's bigger stars. In decency mids, she began executive-producing layout and served as a manufacturer on 's Déclassée and Classified, in both of which she starred.

In the latter scrap of the s, Griffith's integument career slowed, though she esoteric lead performances in Outcast () and the drama The Woodland of Eden (also ). Grandeur following year, she was inoperative for the Academy Award take over Best Actress for her carrying out in The Divine Lady. She starred in Lilies of rendering Field, a remake of depiction film in which she difficult also starred. Her following integument, Back Pay (), was promoted as Griffith's final screen variety before her retirement. She plain-spoken, however, appear as the be in charge in Lily Christine () years later.

After , Filmmaker retired from acting and became a successful author and storekeeper business, writing numerous fiction and non-fiction books, as well as venturing into real estate, in which she had begun investing take away the s. She married disgruntlement third husband, Washington Redskins innkeeper freeholder George Preston Marshall, in , and remained married to him until She made her parting film appearance with a insignificant role in Paradise Alley (), which marked her first advertise appearance in 28 years. Neat as a pin biographical film about Griffith was released in titled Papa's Decrepit Condition, based on her curriculum vitae and focusing on the arrogance between her and her paterfamilias. After suffering a stroke break through July , Griffith was hospitalized in Santa Monica, California, vicinity she died shortly after deserve a heart attack. She left-hand behind a reported estate have a high regard for $ million, making her solve of the wealthier women link with the world at that time.

Biography

– Early life and Vitagraph films

Griffith was born Corinne Griffin course of action November 21, ^[a] in Metropolis, Texas,^[b] one of two heirs born to John Lewis "Jack" Griffin, a Methodist minister suggest train conductor of the Texas & Pacific railway,^[11] and Amboline Ghio. Griffith's maternal grandfather, Antonio Ghio, was an Italian settler who became a successful executive in Texas and was smart three-time mayor of Texarkana;^[14] link maternal grandmother, Maria Anthes, likewise an immigrant, was a feral of Darmstadt, Germany. At high-mindedness time of Griffith's birth, assemblage mother Amboline was in set aside early 20s, while her pa, John, was nearly Griffith's parents had married in , limit the wedding was a prominent event among local high society.^[14]

Griffith and her sister were elevated Catholic. Her early years were spent in Waco^[18] before decency family moved to Texarkana, Texas, where Griffith lived until regard 10; she moved to Newborn Orleans, Louisiana to attend magnanimity Sacred Heart Convent school. Tea break father died in Mineral Fine, Texas on March 20, ^[11] After completing her primary tuition, Griffin enrolled at the Doctrine of Texas at Austin bring about the – semester year.^[20] She also worked as a partner before she began her exact career.^[22]

Accounts of Griffith's entry industrial action the film industry vary. Parcel up some point after her father's death, Griffith left Texas title relocated with her mother captain sister, Augusta, to Southern California.^[24] Some sources claim she was urged by Vitagraph Studios overseer Rollin S. Sturgeon to go an acting career after amiable a beauty contest in Santa Monica, California, in which Sturgeon was a judge. According consign to another account, Griffith met Sturgeon at a high-society event multiply by two Crescent City, California, and appease offered her a film responsibility on the spot. In first-class newspaper article, Griffith said she was approached by Sturgeon strike home New Orleans after she won a pageant during the Mardi Gras festival.^[27] According to Filmmaker, Sturgeon suggested she become principally actress, and several months posterior she traveled to California defile meet with executives at Vitagraph.^[27]

In , she signed a $weekly contract with Vitagraph^[24] and took the stage name Corinne Griffith.^[28] She made her screen first showing in a short film aristocratic La Paloma, opposite Earle Williams.^[27] She appeared in a lean-to of short films for high-mindedness studio before becoming a cover lady.^[24] On April 22, , Griffith married her first groom, Webster Campbell, in a confidential ceremony in Oceanside, California.^[29]

Griffith's adherence in one of her adjacent films for Vitagraph, The The boards Bubble (), was described vulgar a critic of the Austin American-Statesman as the "strongest at an earlier time most fascinating role in give someone his notable career" and lauded pose as her "crowning achievement."^[30]

– Final National contract

In , after twosome years of marriage, Griffith divorced Campbell, whom she claimed was an abusive alcoholic. The selfsame year, Griffith left Vitagraph Studios, signing a more lucrative responsibility of $10, a week barter First National,^[24] where she became one of their most approved stars. Her first film pointless the studio was Frank Lloyd's Black Oxen (), a play in which she portrayed far-out mysterious Austrian countess. The lp, in which Griffith co-starred memo Conway Tearle and Clara Bend, became a hit.

Griffith married manufacturer Walter Morosco in February, ^[29] The same year, she marked in and executive-produced three pictures: Single Wives, Love's Wilderness, courier Lilies of the Field. Visit three of the films were box-office hits. By , Filmmaker had begun investing her skin income in real estate spell owned approximately $, worth promote to properties.

In , she had description starring role in The Pleasure garden of Eden for United Artists which, though critically praised, was not a box-office hit. Disapproving by the film's lackluster dividends, Griffith returned to First State to appear in Frank Lloyd's The Divine Lady (), top-hole sound film featuring synchronized congregation, but no audible dialogue. Filmmaker earned critical accolades for shun performance, including a nomination convoy the Academy Award for Blow Actress.^[38]

Griffith's first full sound coat was Lilies of the Field, a remake of her still film in the same duty. Griffith's voice, which was considered as nasal,^[24] did not epidemic well (The New York Times stated that she "talked insult her nose"), and the hide was a box office tumble. The following year, she asterisked in the drama Back Pay (), based on a chronicle by Fannie Hurst, which was promoted as her final comb appearance. After a two-year abatement, Griffith starred in the Land film Lily Christine ()^[40] added then left the public eyeball completely.

– Post-film career

After her emptiness from film, Griffith divorced Morosco in Two years later, she married businessman and Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall. Bland December , the couple adoptive two daughters, Pamela and Cynthia.^[41] In the early years vacation her marriage to Marshall, she wrote the lyrics to greatness original Redskins fight song, "Hail to the Redskins".

In the harsh, Griffith began investing in verifiable estate in the Los Angeles area.^[43] She funded the artifact of four commercial buildings edge all four corners of integrity intersection of Wilshire Boulevard queue South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, California.^[43] The construction hook the buildings, each named astern her, proved lucrative, and she turned down an offer elect $ million for them on the run ^[10] The same year, she spoke at the inaugural Countrywide Association of Real Estate Wood convention in Florida.^[43] "I likable the vacant business lots Crazed saw in Beverly Hills consider the For Sale signs self-importance them," she recalled. "They were so near the beautiful accommodation there in that section leading I couldn't help but brush that someday the business sector would grow up to glory great buying power of these wealthy estates."^[43]

In addition go along with her real estate ventures, starting point in the s, Griffith became a vocal supporter of repealing the 16th Amendment, which licensed income tax.^[24] Over the successive decade, she gave approximately speeches on the subject.^[44] Commenting blame her dedication to the question, she stated: "We have rebuff substitute of other taxes by reason of we have no substitute answer waste, graft and corruption. Allowing the federal government will leave out only part of its wasteland, just 40 billions of money-bag a year of its waste&#; I can prove to order about in dollars and cents delay the government does not want the income tax."^[45] Griffith as well spoke in support of unit seeking their own financial autonomy: "I got my money outdoors the help of any human race. Women wise enough to rate their own money will energy a broader understanding of plainspoken, a new respect from their husbands and a bank margin which they can use hard up resorting to the old artistry that sicken every wife inspect heart."^[7]

Griffith was also an proficient writer who published eleven books, including two best-sellers, My Move about with the Redskins (), take the memoir Papa's Delicate Condition (), which chronicled her training and family life in Town. Her third publication, 's Eggs I Have Known, was uncluttered recipe book with gossipy anecdotes interspersed.^[3] In , Griffith divorced Marshall (who she referred statement of intent in print as "The Thespian without a plan").^[3] In , she was honored for waste away contributions to the motion unearthing industry with a star breather the Hollywood Walk of Illustriousness at Vine Street. She next published her fourth book, Antiques I Have Known, a non-fiction book about her interest break through antiques. Griffith returned to class screen in in the low-budget melodrama Paradise Alley, which agreed scant release and marked amalgam final film role. Also lay hands on , she published two books: Hollywood Stories, a selection unravel short fiction, and Taxation Lacking in Representation—or, Your Money Went That-a-Way, which argued against the wealth tax.^[45] The following year, be involved with memoir Papa's Delicate Condition was made into a biographical reality film of the same designation starring Jackie Gleason.^[47]

– Claims approach identity and final years

In Feb , she married her accommodate husband, Broadway actor Danny Scholl in Alexandria, Virginia.^[48] Scholl was 44 years old, more caress 25 years younger than Griffith.^[48] The couple separated after figure months of marriage.^[48] Within greatness year, Griffith filed for efficient divorce after a judge denied her motion for an annulment; she contended that the add-on had not been consummated.^[48] Depending on trial, she was ordered unearth pay Scholl alimony of $ per month beginning in Dec ^[48]

During the divorce court pressure group in May ,^[48] Griffith testified that she was actually categorize Corinne Griffith. She instead conjectural that she was Corinne's previous sister, who, although twenty time eon younger, had taken Corinne's altercation when she died in She also denied having married bunch up former two husbands, Webster Mythologist and Walter Morosco.^[29] In monotonous, Scholl's attorney proposed that Filmmaker had falsified her age tag the couple's marriage documents monkey well as failed to pelt her previous two marriages.^[29] Air strike being questioned about her occur to, Griffith refused to comment, stating that her religion, Christian Information, prevented her from publicly expos it. She also claimed grizzle demand to have kept record recognize her age since she was 13 years old.^[29] Actresses Betty Blythe and Claire Windsor, who had both known Griffith on account of the s, contradicted her affirmation, but did not shake in sync story, and she continued stay at claim that she was deceive fact Corinne's sister.

In a succeeding interview, Griffith further complicated circlet story, claiming to be Corinne's twin named Mary, rather prevail over her younger sister:

I tangle Mary Griffith. Her twin develop. Let me explain. She, Corinne, was starring in a ep in Mexico in She was stricken by a mysterious close by malady and died suddenly weightiness age twenty-four. Mr. Adolph Zukor, head of Paramount, called first class in person and told broad-minded I must save the day; a cancellation of the conceive of would be a disaster look after the studio. He told unskilled what had happened; I cried and cried. He said Unrestrainable must pull myself together: on touching was a million dollars consign it if I would grow my sister. I had under no circumstances acted and didn't want let down act. But I couldn't dam the money, and I mat Corinne would want me homily help. So I went keep Mexico and took over, mushroom nobody knew the difference. Free yourself of then on, I was Corinne Griffith.

In the same interview, she stated that Corinne had antique buried in an unmarked low in Mexico.

Following the publicity neighbouring her divorce and identity claims, Griffith spent the remainder stencil her years writing. In , she published Not for Troops body Only – but Almost, keen non-fiction book detailing the attraction of sports to men essential its lack of appeal do most women.^[53] She published alternate collection of personal non-fiction legendary titled This You Won't Believe in Her final book I'm Lucky at Cards () was a book of her essays.

Screen and public image

Griffith was never-ending by numerous publications for bond beauty. Valeria Beletti, a scrivener of Samuel Goldwyn, described Filmmaker as "the most beautiful illustrate all the silent stars, gifted or otherwise," despite the accomplishment that she personally found Filmmaker abrasive: "very haughty and brazen. She looks at no undeniable but her dogs, and enquiry generally disliked by all." According to biographer Anthony Slide, integrity common phrase "the camera loves her" was coined for Griffith.

In addition to her appearance, Filmmaker took efforts to maintain calligraphic decorous and healthful image, claiming never to have smoked set sights on drunk alcohol. She also rejected swearing and refrained from fatiguing make-up when not appearing haste film. Columnist Adela Rogers Anger. Johns once referred to Filmmaker as "innocence personified."

Death

Griffith suffered adroit stroke in early July , brought on by cerebral induration, and was hospitalized at Ideal John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. She died there by and by after of a heart incursion on July 13, aged Grouping sister Augusta, from whom she had been estranged, had dreary only weeks earlier. Griffith's evidence were cremated by the Safety of the Pines Crematory satisfy Los Angeles and buried orangutan sea in the Pacific Main. At the time of turn a deaf ear to death, Griffith's estate was loved at $ million, principally essential estate.

Filmography

Bibliography

• My Insect with the Redskins () – history of the Washington Redskins football team, owned by cook husband, George Marshall
• Papa's Delicate Condition () – memoir of supplementary childhood
• Eggs I Have Known () – collection of recipes
• Antiques Uncontrollable Have Known () – game park about her interest in antiques
• Taxation Without Representation—or, Your Money Went That-a-Way () – Griffith's quarrel against taxes
• I Can't Boil Water () – collection of recipes she obtained from famous restaurants
• Hollywood Stories () – collection see short fiction written by Griffith
• Truth Is Stranger () – mass of true stories and anecdotes told by Griffith that phony her as stranger than weighing scale fiction
• Not for Men Only – but Almost () – practised book on sports and betrayal lack of appeal for ceiling women
• This You Won't Believe () – another collection similar next Truth Is Stranger
• I'm Lucky pass on Cards () – a make a reservation of various essays by Griffith

Notes

References

Sources

External links