Helene Chadwick (November 25, 1897 – September 4, 1940) was an American actress in silent and in early sound films.

Helene Chadwick
Chadwick in 1921
Born(1897-11-25)November 25, 1897
Chadwicks, New York, NY, U.S.
DiedSeptember 4, 1940(1940-09-04) (aged 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesHelen Chadwick
OccupationActress
Years active1916–1937
SpouseWilliam A. Wellman (July 2, 1921–September 5, 1923)

Early life and career

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Chadwick was born in the small town of Chadwicks, New York, which was named for her great-grandfather. Her parents were George W. Chadwick Jr. and Marie Louise Norton Chadwick.[1] Her mother was a singer who performed on the stage and her father was a business man.[citation needed]

She began making films for Pathé Pictures in Manhattan, New York. Her first film was The Challenge (1916), which was produced by Astra Film Corporation and released by Pathé.[2] A director was impressed by Chadwicks's talent as an equestrian, thus she began acting as a western star but this did not continue with the exodus of film production from the east to the west coast. Signed by Samuel Goldwyn, Chadwick went to California in 1913 and entered silent movies in 1916. At the pinnacle of her acting career, she earned a salary estimated to have been $2,000 per week.[3] From 1929 until 1935, she found success as a character actress when sound was being introduced to films.

In the final five years of her life, she was reduced to taking roles as an extra, playing "atmospheric parts".[4] Helene made movies with Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, and other studios. Her final film was Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935).[5]

Her most noteworthy performances came in Heartsease (1919), The Long Arm of the Manister (1919), The Cup of Fury (1920), Godless Men (1920), Dangerous Curve Ahead (1921), From The Ground Up (1921), Yellow Men and Gold (1922), Dust Flower (1922), The Sin Flood (1922), The Glorious Fool (1922), and Quicksands (1923).

Personal life and death

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Helene's great-grandparents were the founders of Chadwicks, New York, a small village in Oneida County, NY. Her great-grandfather built a cotton factory on Sauquoit Creek and was one of the premier manufacturers of textiles in the Mohawk Valley. Her family came from England, in Oldham, Lancashire County. She attended school at a one-room schoolhouse provided by her great-grandfather for the mill workers.[citation needed]

In January 1919, Chadwick became engaged to William A. Wellman, an American pilot with the Lafayette Flying Corps. He had just returned from France and was cited for bravery for his valor in World War I. The couple had met at a party at the house of a friend. Wellman was signed to play a prominent role in an upcoming movie with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. The couple wed in July 1921, but in the summer of 1923, Chadwick sued Wellman for divorce on grounds of desertion and nonsupport. At the time of their separation, William was directing movies for Fox Film.[citation needed]

Chadwick's funeral was conducted by Pierce Brothers Mortuary and attended by stage and screen friends. Her body was returned to Chadwicks and she was first buried in the Sauquoit Valley Cemetery and the following year her remains were moved to Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica.[6]

Filmography

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Helene Chadwick and Richard Dix in The Glorious Fool (1922)
Year Title Role Notes
1916 The Challenge Alberta Bradley
1917 The Mystery of the Double Cross Lost film
The Iron Heart Grace Lost film
Blind Man's Luck Helen Lost film
The Last of the Carnabys The Kept Woman Lost film
The Angel Factory Florence Lamont Lost film
Vengeance Is Mine Marion De Long Lost film
1918 Convict 993 Neva Stokes Lost film
For Sale Annie Lost film
The Naulahka Kate Sheriff Lost film
The House of Hate Queenie Kate Lost film
The Yellow Ticket Miss Seaton Lost film
Getaway Kate Kate Sherwood Short
Lost film
Go-Get-Em Garringer Wilma Wharton Lost film
1919 Girls Kate West Lost film
Heartsease Margaret Neville
Caleb Piper's Girl Mary Piper
The Solitary Sin Mary Lost film
A Very Good Man Ruth Douglas Lost film
The Long Arm of Mannister Sylvia De La Mere Lost film
An Adventure in Hearts Countess D'Orano Lost film
1920 The Cup of Fury Marie Louise - 'Mamise' Lost film
Godless Men Ruth Lytton
Scratch My Back Madeline
Cupid the Cowpuncher Macie Sewell Lost film
Cupid Lost film
1921 Dangerous Curve Ahead Phoebe Mabee Lost film
Made in Heaven Claudia Royce Lost film
From the Ground Up Philena Mortimer
The Old Nest Emily at 22
1922 The Sin Flood Poppy Lost film
The Glorious Fool Jane Brown Lost film
Yellow Men and Gold Bessie Lost film
Dust Flower Letty Gravely Lost film
Brothers Under the Skin Millie Craddock Incomplete film
1923 Gimme Fanny Daniels Lost film
Quicksands The Girl Lost film
Reno Mrs. Emily Dysart Tappan
1924 The Masked Dancer Betty Powell Lost film
Why Men Leave Home Irene Emerson
Love of Women Cynthia Redfield Lost film
Her Own Free Will Nan Everard Lost film
The Border Legion Joan Randle Lost film
Trouping with Ellen Ellen Llewellyn Lost film
The Dark Swan Cornelia Quinn Lost film
1925 The Re-Creation of Brian Kent Betty Joe Lost film
The Woman Hater Marie Lamont --the Actress Lost film
The Golden Cocoon Molly Shannon
1926 Pleasures of the Rich Mary Wilson Lost film
Trailer survives Library of Congress
The Still Alarm Lucy Fay Lost film
Hard Boiled Marjorie Gregg Lost film
Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes Helene Short film
Dancing Days Alice Hedman
1927 Stage Kisses Fay Leslie Lost film
Stolen Pleasures Doris Manning Lost film
The Bachelor's Baby Eleanor Carter
The Rose of Kildare Eillen O'Moore Lost film
1928 Say It With Sables Helen Caswell Lost film
Women Who Dare Stella Mowbray
Confessions of a Wife Marion Atwell
Modern Mothers Adele Dayton Lost film
1929 Father and Son Miss White
1930 Men Are Like That Clara Fisher Hyland
1931 Hell Bound Sanford's Sister
Bad Sister Amy, Sam's Wife Uncredited
1932 So Big! Townsperson Uncredited
Night World Night Club Customer Uncredited
1933 Employees' Entrance Attendee at Meeting of Department Heads Uncredited
The Circus Queen Murder Crying Woman Uncredited
Emergency Call Miss McCabe - Averill's Secretary Uncredited
No Marriage Ties Adrienne Deane's Secretary Uncredited
Morning Glory Miss Murray Uncredited
Merrily Yours Mrs. Rogers
1934 Managed Money Mrs. George Rogers Short
Good Dame Mrs. Crosby Uncredited
School for Girls Larson
Ever Since Eve Governess Uncredited
It's a Gift Mrs. Abernathy Uncredited
A Wicked Woman Mother Uncredited
1935 Mississippi Attendee at Opening Uncredited
Call of the Wild Dawson Townswoman Uncredited
Mary Burns, Fugitive Prison Matron Uncredited
School for Girls Larson
Another Face Nurse Daniels Uncredited
Alternative title: It Happened in Hollywood
Frisco Kid Saloon Girl Uncredited
1936 The Perfect Set-Up Mary Short
Uncredited
San Francisco Earthquake Survivor Uncredited
Pennies from Heaven Mrs. Arbuthnot Uncredited
1937 A Star Is Born Woman at preview Uncredited

Sources

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  • The Los Angeles Times, "Flashes, Picture Star To Wed", January 11, 1919, Page II3.
  • The Los Angeles Times, "She Could Ride", October 15, 1922, Page III30.
  • The Los Angeles Times, "Film Star Seeks Divorce", July 24, 1923, Page II1.
  • The Los Angeles Times, "Former Star of Films Dies", September 6, 1940, Page A1.
  • The Los Angeles Times, "Helene Chadwick Paid Last Honor", September 8, 1940, Page A2.
  • The Oakland Tribune, "Cinema Close-Ups", June 3, 1923, Page 92.

References

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  1. ^ Edwards, Evelyn R. (2000). The Sauquoit Valley. Arcadia Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 9780738502861. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  2. ^ McCaffrey, Donald W.; Jacobs, Christopher P. (1999). Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 70. ISBN 9780313303456. Retrieved June 10, 2018. Helene Chadwick.
  3. ^ "Star of Silent Films Helene Chadwick Dies". The Ottawa Journal. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press. September 6, 1940. p. 21. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "Helene Chadwick, Silent Film Star, Dies of Injury, 41". The Tampa Tribune. Florida, Tampa. Associated Press. September 6, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ Katchmer, George A. (2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 56. ISBN 9781476609058. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Women belong in history books : Herkimer and Oneida Counties, New York, 1700-1950. Spellman, Jane Sullivan,, Burtch, Shirley Tucker,, Buteux, Mary Anne Luebbert,, D'Ambrosio, Anna Tobin,, Dieffenbacher, Jane Winterbottom,, Dunadee, Barbara Sabo. [New York]: Jane Sullivan Spellman, Publisher. 2015. ISBN 978-1-4951-6778-2. OCLC 923853267.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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