Eleanor Boardman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Boardman in 1923 | |
| Born | Olive Eleanor Boardman (1898-08-19)August 19, 1898 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 1991(1991-12-12) (aged 93) |
| Other names | Eleanor Vidor Eleanor d'Arrast |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1922–1935 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Olive Eleanor Boardman (August 19, 1898 – December 12, 1991) was an American film actress of thesilent era.
Olive Eleanor Boardman was born on August 19, 1898, the youngest child of George W. Boardman and Janice Merriam "Jennie" Stockman Boardman. She had two older sisters named Merriam and Esther.[1][2] In 1920, she was working as a contractor.[3]
Educated inPhiladelphia,[4] Boardman originally acted on stage, but she lost her voice while starring inThe National Anthem. She then entered a nationwide contest for new actors and actresses for silent films. She was chosen from among 1,000 competitors byGoldwyn Pictures as their "New Face of 1922". Her initial screen test was unsuccessful, but a second test resulted in a contract.[5] After several successful supporting roles, she played the lead inSouls for Sale in 1923. That same year, Boardman's growing popularity was reflected by her inclusion on the list ofWAMPAS Baby Stars.[citation needed]
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She appeared in more than 30 films during her career, including director King Vidor'sThe Crowd (1928). Her performance in that film is widely recognized as one of the outstanding performances in American silent film. In 1932, after some success in sound films, she parted ways with MGM. Her final film wasThe Three Cornered Hat, which was made in Spain in 1935. After that production, she retired from acting and retreated from Hollywood. Her last appearances were in an interview filmed forKevin Brownlow andDavid Gill's British documentary seriesHollywood (1980) and the series MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992).[citation needed]
Boardman was married to film directorKing Vidor,[5]: 111 with whom she had two daughters, Antonia and Belinda. They married in 1926 and were divorced on April 11, 1933.[6] Fellow actorsJohn Gilbert andGreta Garbo had allegedly planned a double wedding with them, but Garbo broke the plans at the last minute.[5]: 111
On May 23, 1929, a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charged Boardman with evading income tax payments in 1925, 1926, and 1927. Simultaneously, an information filed in federal court accused Vidor of income tax evasion in 1925 and 1926. J. Marjorie Berger, an income tax counselor in Hollywood, had earlier been indicted on charges of preparing a false income tax return for the couple for 1925.[7]
Boardman's second husband wasHarry d'Abbadie d'Arrast,[8] to whom she was married from 1940. She divided her time between the United States and their chateau in the Pyrenees Mountains. After her husband's death in 1968, she permanently relocated to the United States, where she settled into Montecito, California, living in a house she designed.
Boardman died in her sleep at herSanta Barbara, California, home on December 12, 1991, at the age of 93.[9] Her ashes were scattered in Santa Barbara near her home.[citation needed]
For her contributions to the film industry, Boardman has amotion pictures star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located at 6928Hollywood Boulevard.[10]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | The Strangers' Banquet | Jean McPherson | Lost film |
| 1923 | Gimme | Clothilde Kingsley | Lost film |
| Vanity Fair | Amelia Sedley | Lost film | |
| Souls for Sale | Miss Remember Steddon | ||
| Three Wise Fools | Rena Fairchild / Sydney Fairfield | ||
| The Day of Faith | Jane Maynard | Lost film | |
| 1924 | True as Steel | Ethel Parry | Incomplete film |
| Wine of Youth | Mary Hollister | ||
| Sinners in Silk | Penelope Stevens | Lost film | |
| The Turmoil | Mary Vertrees | ||
| The Silent Accuser | Barbara Jane | Lost film | |
| So This Is Marriage? | Beth Marsh | Lost film | |
| The Wife of the Centaur | Joan Converse | Lost film | |
| 1925 | The Way of a Girl | Rosamond | |
| Proud Flesh | Fernanda | ||
| The Circle | Elizabeth Cheney | ||
| Exchange of Wives | Margaret Rathburn | ||
| The Only Thing | Thyra, Princess of Svendborg | ||
| The Auction Block | Lorelei Knight | Lost film | |
| 1926 | Memory Lane | Mary | |
| Bardelys the Magnificent | Roxalanne de Lavedan | ||
| Tell It to the Marines | Nurse Norma Dale | ||
| 1928 | The Crowd | Mary | |
| Diamond Handcuffs | Tillie | ||
| 1929 | She Goes to War | Joan | |
| 1930 | Mamba | Helen von Linden | |
| Redemption | Lisa | ||
| 1931 | The Great Meadow | Diony Hall | |
| The Flood | Joan Marshall | ||
| Women Love Once | Helen Fields | ||
| The Squaw Man | Lady Diana Kerhill | ||
| 1935 | The Three Cornered Hat | The Miller's Wife |
