Summary
Rosemary Theresa Theby (born Rose Masing,[1] April 8, 1892 – November 10, 1973) was an American film actress. She appeared in some 250 films between 1911 and 1940.
Rosemary Theby | |
|---|---|
 Theby in 1916 | |
| Born | Rose Masing April 8, 1892 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | November 10, 1973 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1911–1940 |
| Spouses | |
Early life and career edit
The daughter of George and Katherine Masing, Theby was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[2] She studied at the Convent of St. Alphonsus in St. Louis[3] and at Sargent's School in New York City.[4] A contemporary newspaper account described her as being of "medium-height, well proportioned, with regular features and dark hair".[4]
Theby began working with Vitagraph studios in 1910.[1] Her first film experience came in that company's production of The Wager.[4] By 1915, she was a star for the Universal film company.[5] During World War I Theby took care of a refugee from Lithuania. After being educated and cared for by Theby, the young woman became her maid during a time of an acute shortage of maids in Hollywood, in 1920.[6]
As Miss Corintee in The Great Love (1918), Theby played the part of a German spy with great skill. The film was written and directed by D.W. Griffith.[7] This was a femme fatale, or "vampire," role, which she began to play frequently after depicting characters in slapstick comedies.[4] Theby played a Chinese "vamp" in Clung, a Fox Film production directed by Emmett J. Flynn.[8] Later she began to portray more serious women.[4]
Theby was solely a film actress. She declined an offer to accompany Chauncey Olcott to appear on stage for $85 per week. At the time she was earning $125 weekly in movies. She later regretted her decision because of the experience she would have gained.[4]
Thelby's career included Westerns and serials.[2]
Personal life edit
Theby was married to fellow actor and director Harry Myers.[9] After Myers' death in 1938,[2] she married Truitt Hughes to whom she remained married until her death. She lived for years at 1907 Wilcox Avenue in Los Angeles.[10]
Theby supported Calvin Coolidge in the 1924 presidential election. Theby enjoyed playing golf, wore her hair in a bob cut, and possessed a preoccupation with personal cleanliness.[11] On screen she appeared tall and willowy, entering a scene, according to one review in the Los Angeles Times, with a "sensuous glide".[12]
Theby died of circulatory shock on November 10, 1973, at the age of 81.[citation needed]
Selected filmography edit
- As You Like It (1912)
- Mills of the Gods (1912)
- One Can't Always Tell (1913)
- Baby (1915)
- The Winged Mystery (1917)
- The Silent Mystery (1918)
- The Great Love (1918)
- The Rogue (1918)
- Bright and Early (1918)
- Boston Blackie's Little Pal (1918)
- Unexpected Places (1918)
- The Spender (1919)
- Faith (1919)
- Peggy Does Her Darndest (1919)
- Are You Legally Married? (1919)
- Heartsease (1919)
- The Amateur Adventuress (1919)
- Tangled Threads (1919)
- Yvonne from Paris (1919)
- The Mystery of 13 (1919)
- Terror Island (1920)
- Rio Grande (1920)
- Married to Order (1920)
- Kismet (1920)
- Dice of Destiny (1920)
- A Splendid Hazard (1920)
- Whispering Devils (1920)
- The Butterfly Man (1920)
- The Little Grey Mouse (1920)
- Unseen Forces (1920)
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1921)
- Shame (1921)
- Across the Divide (1921)
- Fightin' Mad (1921)
- The Last Trail (1921)
- Good Women (1921)
- Hickville to Broadway (1921)
- I Am the Law (1922)
- Rich Men's Wives (1922)
- More to Be Pitied Than Scorned (1922)
- Your Friend and Mine (1923)
- Lost and Found on a South Sea Island (1923)
- The Girl of the Golden West (1923)
- Slander the Woman (1923)
- In Search of a Thrill (1923)
- Mary of the Movies (1923) – cameo
- The Eagle's Feather (1923)
- Pagan Passions (1924)
- A Son of the Sahara (1924)
- Behold This Woman (1924)
- The Red Lily (1924)
- Secrets of the Night (1924)
- So Big (1924)
- As Man Desires (1925)
- Fifth Avenue Models (1925)
- One Year to Live (1925)
- Wreckage (1925)
- The Truthful Sex (1926)
- Riding to Fame (1927)
- A Bowery Cinderella (1927)
- The Second Hundred Years (1927)
- A Woman Against the World (1928)
- The Port of Missing Girls (1928)
- The Dream Melody (1929)
- Montmartre Rose (1929)
- Midnight Daddies (1930)
- Ten Nights in a Barroom (1931)
- The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933)
- Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
- Rich Relations (1937)
- One Million B.C. (1940)
References edit
- ^ a b Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 741. ISBN 978-0-7864-7992-4. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Katchmer, George A. (2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Harry Myers equally brilliant as actor and as director". The Morning Post. New Jersey, Camden. August 4, 1916. p. 11. Retrieved May 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Rosemary And Reminiscences, Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1920, pg. III18.
- ^ The Screen. Reno Evening Gazette, July 24, 1920, pg. 11.
- ^ To Complete Regalia, Los Angeles Times, February 1, 1920, pg. III1.
- ^ In The Great Love, Los Angeles Times, August 26, 1918, pg. II6.
- ^ Pleasure Trip For Stars, February 13, 1921, pg. III16.
- ^ Harry Myers, Actor Of Silent Film Fame, New York Times, December 27, 1938, pg. 17.
- ^ "Secrets of the Movies Revealed". The Evening News. October 6, 1920. p. 10. Retrieved August 29, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Vampire Is Normal Off Screen, Los Angeles Times, July 13, 1924, pg. B13.
- ^ What A Nice Vampire!, Los Angeles Times, September 21, 1924, pg. B9.
External links edit
- Rosemary Theby at IMDb