Glamorous, former silent movie star Norma Talmadge, approached by autograph seekers at a public event, told her fans sweetly, ‘Get away, dears. I don’t need you anymore.’
Talmadge was born May 26, 1894 in Jersey City, New Jersey. After being deserted by their alcoholic father on Christmas day, Mrs. Talmadge, Norma and her younger sisters Constance and Natalie moved to Brooklyn. Mother Peggy took in laundry to make ends meet. One day, 14-year-old Norma came home from school and spoke of a classmate who modeled for illustrated song slides. The slides were often shown before the feature in movie theatres. Mrs. Talmadge decided to locate the photographer, and finagled an interview for Norma, who was hired.
When the ‘singalongs’ debuted on screen, Mrs. Talmadge decided her daughter should be an actress. The pair travelled to the Vitagraph Studios in Flatbush, New York, and made it through the gates to the casting director. They were thrown out. However, a scenario editor, Breta Breuill, was enamored by Norma’s beauty and arranged a small part for her in The Household Pest (1909). Breta continued to help Norma find roles.
Peg was very popular and ambitious, and encouraged all three of her daughters to become actresses and pushed them relentlessly to make money and invest it. None of the sisters were really interested in being stars. Norma’s new career was fun at first, but then it became tedious. She appeared in almost 250 movies by age 18, and if it were not for her mother’s insistence, she would have quit the business. Eventually, however, cocaine helped ease her boredom and stress.
By 1913, Norma was considered Vitagraph’s most promising actress. In 1915, Peg arranged a two-year contract for Norma in California with National Pictures Company, where her first role was in Captivating Mary Carstairs. The film was a flop, and the small new studio shut down. Constance, already starring in films for D. W. Griffith, helped her sister obtain a contract with his studio. There, Norma made seven features and a few short movies.
In 1916, 22-year-old Norma, along with Constance, ran back to the East Coast, where Norma met and married Broadway and film producer Joseph M. Schenck, who was president of United Artists. They formed the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation, which became one of the most lucrative partnerships in the history of film. Tragedienne Norma’s career flourished along with that of comedienne Constance. Natalie, not as pretty and photogenic as her sisters, made only a few movies, and retired to marry Buster Keaton.
Norma’s short, heavy husband vowed he would make his wife the greatest star of all, and one to be remembered always. The best stories, most opulent costumes, grandest sets, talented casts and distinguished directors, along with spectacular publicity, would be hers. Before long, women around the world wanted to be the romantic Norma Talmadge.
In 1919, her film The New Moon, was so thronged with patrons at New York’s Rivoli Theatre that Norma and her sisters could not get in to see it. The police ordered the box office to stop selling tickets to prevent overcrowding. In 1920, Norma and Joseph moved their production company to Hollywood.
In 1923, a poll of picture exhibitors named Talmadge the No. 1 box office star. She was earning $10,000 a week, and receiving as much as 3,000 letters a week from her fans. With only one exception, Norma always played the brave, heroic, tragic heroine. It was said that no one could suffer on the silver screen better than Norma could. Her movies include The Way Of A Woman (1919), The Woman Gives (1920), The Branded Woman (1920), The Only Woman (1924), and The Woman Disputed (1928). Her best films were considered Smilin’ Through (1922)and Secrets (1923). She was artfully described by one critic as ‘The Lady of the Great Indoors.’ In 1927, Norma began a famous Hollywood tradition as the star accidentally stepped into the wet cement of a newly laid sidewalk outside Graumann’s Chinese Theatre.
When talking pictures hit the film industry, Talmadge worked diligently with voice coaches for over a year to overcome her thick Brooklyn accent so she could make her sound debut in New York Nights (1930). Norma was the first movie star whose voice truly destroyed her career. The movie received terrible reviews. That same year, her next sound film Du Barry, Woman Of Passion was such a disaster of acting, dialogue, and sound that poor Norma was practically laughed out of town when the ludicrous epic premiered at the Rivoli. Constance wired Norma with this advice: ‘Leave them while you’re looking good, and thank God for the trust funds Momma set up.’ Years later, in 1952, the hilarious role of the 1920s actress Lina Lamont with the thick Brooklyn accent played by Jean Hagen in Singin’ In The Rain was inspired by Norma’s plight.
In 1927, Norma separated from Schenck for seven years, during which time she had a serious affair with the astoundingly handsome Mexican actor Gilbert Roland, her costar in four films. Divorcing Schenck in 1934, she married entertainer George Jessel. Jessel had a radio program, which was sagging in its ratings. He asked his new wife to become a regular on his show. Norma joined the cast, hoping it would revive her movie career, but the program soon ended. The couple divorced in 1939. In 1946, she married Dr. Carvel James, and lived with him in Las Vegas until, while suffering with crippling arthritis and still addicted to cocaine, she died from a stroke on Christmas Eve, 1957.
Sources: The Movie Stars by Richard Griffith, The Stars by Richard Schickel, Movie Time by Gene Brown, They Had Faces Then by John Springer and Jack D. Hamilton, The New York Times Directory of the Film, Norma Talmadge websites.
Steve Starr is the author of Picture Perfect-Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946, published by Rizzoli International Publications. He is the owner of Steve Starr Studios, specializing in original Art Deco photo frames, furnishings and jewelry, celebrating its 37th anniversary in 2004. Visit the studio at 2779 Lincoln. SSSChicago@ameritech.net.
Photo of Starr July 25, 2002, by Albert Aguilar.
A version of this story appeared in WCT in 2002.