Born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1886, (some records incorrectly show 1890) Florence was an entertainer for most of her life. When she was three, she and her two brothers became members of their mother’s Lawrence Dramatic Company. They travelled from one small town to another, presenting vaudeville-type short productions.
Florence Lawrence Vitagraph Movies
Her life changed considerably when she was ten. Her father died an accidental death in Hamilton. Her mother moved the family to Buffalo, New York to live with her widowed mother, and to enroll the children in school. In 1906, Lotta and Florence applied for work at the new Edison Studios in New York. Both were hired to act in a twenty-scene film about Daniel Boone.
After short stints in Broadway shows, Florence made the rounds of the moving picture offices. At Vitagraph Company, she was the first woman to play Shakespeare’s Juliet in on film. This fact is cited in the American Film Institute Catalogue and the National Archives records. During 1908 she made thirty-eight movies for Vitagraph.
The Biograph Girl
Later that year, Florence began work with famed director D. W. Griffith at Biograph Studios. As all performers of the time, Florence was anonymous. Studio bosses knew that if the performers were identified, they would demand larger financial returns. Many fans were interested in her identity, but she was given only the title, “The Biograph Girl”. A new actress from Canada, Mary Pickford, was later given the title. Florence earned the reputation of being a willing and hard working actress with fine dramatic ability.
First Movie Star and Hollywood Star System
Carl Laemmle, owner of the Independent Motion Picture Company (IMP), made a lucrative offer to Florence that she accepted. She was blacklisted by the Motion Picture Trust headed by Thomas A. Edison. Lawrence and her husband, director Harry Solter, joined Laemmle’s company as featured players. In 1910, Laemmle pulled off a publicity stunt that drastically changed the fledgling movie-making industry.
He started a rumour that the extremely popular actress was killed by a streetcar. The story received great coverage in the country. At an opportune moment, Laemmle advertised nationally that Florence Lawrence was not dead, but was working for him. Suddenly, everyone knew who she was. Laemmle then arranged a public appearance for her in St. Louis, Missouri where she was met by huge crowds of fans. Lawrence appeared under her own name in her first IMP film “The Broken Oath” in 1910 and in subsequent films. The result was increased earnings for her and for Laemmle. She was the biggest star in the business. Soon, the names of more actors and actresses appeared in the media. The star system was born.
Florence Lawrence Grave Marker
In 1915, Florence Lawrence was badly burned and injured in a studio fire. After lengthy recovery, she made two unsuccessful attempts to renew her career. The only jobs available to her were bit parts at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios. She was not given credit for her last film role. During her career, Lawrence made more than 270 films.
The first movie star was forgotten by the people who benefitted from her experience and success. In 1938, Florence Lawrence died, alone and ignored in Los Angeles, California. Just nine years after she purchased an expensive memorial for her mother, Florence was interred in an unmarked grave. In 1991 an unnamed benefactor, believed to be actor Roddy McDowell, purchased a plaque for her gravesite which said: “Florence Lawrence, The Biograph Girl, The First Movie Star”.
Sources:
Florence Lawrence, The Biograph Girl: America's First Movie Star by Kelly R. Brown, McFarland & Company 1999
1000 Questions About Canada by John Robert Colombo, Dundurn Press, 2001.
 |
 |
