Lillian Rose Rich Woodland, more commonly known as Lillian Rich (1 January 1900 – 5 January 1954) was an English-born actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1919 and 1940.
Lillian Rich | |
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Born | (1900-01-01)1 January 1900 Herne Hill, London, England |
Died | 5 January 1954(1954-01-05) (aged 54) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Resting place | Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1919–1940 |
Spouse | Leo Nicholson |
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]
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