Lillian Rich | |
|---|---|
) Rich c. 1924 | |
| Born | 1 January 1900 Herne Hill, London, England |
| Died | 5 January 1954 (aged 54) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1940 |
Lillian Rich (1 January 1900 – 5 January 1954) was an English-born actress of the silent era. She appeared in 66 films between 1919 and 1940.
Biography
Rich was born in Herne Hill, London, on 1 January 1900.[1] In 1919, she married a young Canadian fighter pilot named Lionel Edward "Leo" Nicholson, and accompanied him back to his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.[2] Rich's new father-in-law decided that she had a future in Hollywood, and he gave her $1000 of his own savings to fund her acting career.[2]
After making her film debut in The Day She Paid (1919), Rich quickly became highly sought, appearing in 18 films between 1920 and 1922.[2]
In 1923, Rich lost her financial support when her father-in-law became ill and died, and she did not produce any films until the following year.[2] She soon divorced her husband, and Rich regained her stride in 1924, appearing in six new films, with roles in eight more in 1925.[2] She gained critical attention for her role as a "man-eating, social-climbing" woman in Cecil B. DeMille's The Golden Bed, and a subsequent The New York Times review called her an "extraordinarily beautiful" woman.[2] Her next – and final – notable role was in the 1926 railroad film Whispering Smith.[2]
Her career declined in the early 1930s, possibly because Rich's voice was not well suited to the new "talkie" films that took hold as sound technology became normalized.[2]
She died four days after her 54th birthday on 5 January 1954, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.[1][2]
Partial filmography
)
- The Day She Paid (1919)
- One Hour Before Dawn (1920)
- Dice of Destiny (1920)
- Felix O'Day (1920)
- Beyond (1921)
- The Sage Hen (1921)
- The Millionaire (1921)
- The Blazing Trail (1921)
- Man to Man (1922)
- The Bearcat (1922)
- Afraid to Fight (1922)
- The Kentucky Derby (1922)
- One Wonderful Night (1922)
- The Love Master (1924)
- The Man from Wyoming (1924)
- The Phantom Horseman (1924)
- Empty Hearts (1924)
- Never Say Die (1924)
- The Golden Bed (1925)
- Seven Days (1925)
- Soft Shoes (1925)
- On the Front Page (1926)
- Exclusive Rights (1926)
- The Isle of Retribution (1926)
- The Golden Web (1926)
- Snowbound (1927)
- Woman's Law (1927)
- Web of Fate (1927)
- That's My Daddy (1928)
- The Old Code (1928)
- The Forger (1928)
- High Seas (1929)
- Red Pearls (1930)
- Once a Lady (1931)
- A Lad an' a Lamp (1932)
- Birthday Blues (1932)
- Free Wheeling (1932)
- Sprucin' Up (1935)
- The Girl Friend (1935)