Lotus Thompson
Encyclopedia
Lotus Thompson was an Australian actress of silent and sound films. She was born in Sydney on 22 August 1906. Her film career began in 1921 and ended in 1949. Along the way Lotus appeared in thirty-five motion pictures.
As a child the Australian youth showed talent in school and church theatricals.Lotus was considered a beautiful girl as a youth and when she was fifteen her admirers entered her in a beauty contest. She was awarded first prize by a unanimous vote of the judges. One of the judges was a young artist. He was asked his reason for selecting Lotus. He remarked that he chose her not so much for the beauty of her eyes, head, or lovely complexion. Instead he admired her legs most, as they were the sort of limbs a Diana or Venus must have had at her age. The contest won for her the title as the most beautiful girl in Australia. Her mother was encouraged to let her sign with a stock company as soon as her school days ended. Mother and daughter set out for Hollywood. Lotus was picked by a director from Paramount Pictures
from among a crowd of applicants.
When she was nineteen Miss Thompson resided on 822 Wilcox Avenue, Los Angeles, California
. On the afternoon of 1 February 1925 she attempted to disfigure her exquisite legs for life. Lotus burned herself from the hips down with a preparation she deemed nitric acid
. She bought the acid at a drug store the previous evening. She told the clerk there she wanted to remove some warts. Her reason for marring herself had to do with her inability to secure roles other than
parts as in comedy and as a chorus girl. Her ambition was to play drama which she was allowed to do in her native country. In America each director was the same in his remarks to Lotus, Your legs are too marvelous to ignore. You must show your legs. Here, jump into this bathing suit. In the aftermath of the event she was satisfied that directors and the movie public would never want to look at her legs again.
Her mother and a girlfriend were eating at the Wilcox Avenue home when they heard Lotus screaming in the bathroom. The actress was rushed to the Ferry-Dickey-Cass private hospital at 5300 Hollywood Boulevard
by two Los Angeles Police Department
detectives. The attending physician believed the vial used by Lotus did not contain nitric acid. Instead it had the reaction of catharides, which if used in enough quantity, would cause disfigurement. If it were indeed nitric acid, the doctor said that he considered it a weak solution. The degree of disfigurement would be known in a few days.
The day after Miss Thompson received a bit of welcome news. Rudolph Valentino
sent her a telegram promising her a part in his next film.
He remarked about her irrational action, saying I know nothing of your work, but anyone who has the courage to do as dramatic and insane a thing as you have done must have temperament and feeling. Lotus did not have a chance to act with Valentino. He died the following year on 23 August 1926. However her rash act was carried in newspapers worldwide, and she received offers of bit roles from various casting directors. One of these was film executive Harry Rapf, who visited the young woman at her home as she was convalescing. He told her that she would have the opportunity to play in serious dramatic roles as soon as her legs healed.
In August 1926 Lotus had a supporting role in The New Champion, which dealt with a young blacksmith who had boxing ambitions. She proved a fine leading lady opposite Fred Humes in The Yellow Back (1926). An August 1933 Los Angeles Times
article made reference to Thompson among a list of actors who accepted $10 to $15 a day for bit roles in films. The piece noted that it was no reflection on the former greats that they accepted small roles. Instead it was noted that they always did their assignments well and they keep the movie ball rolling. It was mentioned that the road back is a tough one and current stars may be out in a year or two.
Lotus Thompson died in Burbank, California
on 19 May 1963.
As a child the Australian youth showed talent in school and church theatricals.Lotus was considered a beautiful girl as a youth and when she was fifteen her admirers entered her in a beauty contest. She was awarded first prize by a unanimous vote of the judges. One of the judges was a young artist. He was asked his reason for selecting Lotus. He remarked that he chose her not so much for the beauty of her eyes, head, or lovely complexion. Instead he admired her legs most, as they were the sort of limbs a Diana or Venus must have had at her age. The contest won for her the title as the most beautiful girl in Australia. Her mother was encouraged to let her sign with a stock company as soon as her school days ended. Mother and daughter set out for Hollywood. Lotus was picked by a director from Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
from among a crowd of applicants.
When she was nineteen Miss Thompson resided on 822 Wilcox Avenue, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. On the afternoon of 1 February 1925 she attempted to disfigure her exquisite legs for life. Lotus burned herself from the hips down with a preparation she deemed nitric acid
Nitric acid
Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid.Colorless when pure, older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to the accumulation of oxides of nitrogen. If the solution contains more than 86% nitric acid, it is referred to as fuming...
. She bought the acid at a drug store the previous evening. She told the clerk there she wanted to remove some warts. Her reason for marring herself had to do with her inability to secure roles other than
parts as in comedy and as a chorus girl. Her ambition was to play drama which she was allowed to do in her native country. In America each director was the same in his remarks to Lotus, Your legs are too marvelous to ignore. You must show your legs. Here, jump into this bathing suit. In the aftermath of the event she was satisfied that directors and the movie public would never want to look at her legs again.
Her mother and a girlfriend were eating at the Wilcox Avenue home when they heard Lotus screaming in the bathroom. The actress was rushed to the Ferry-Dickey-Cass private hospital at 5300 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
by two Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
detectives. The attending physician believed the vial used by Lotus did not contain nitric acid. Instead it had the reaction of catharides, which if used in enough quantity, would cause disfigurement. If it were indeed nitric acid, the doctor said that he considered it a weak solution. The degree of disfigurement would be known in a few days.
The day after Miss Thompson received a bit of welcome news. Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
sent her a telegram promising her a part in his next film.
He remarked about her irrational action, saying I know nothing of your work, but anyone who has the courage to do as dramatic and insane a thing as you have done must have temperament and feeling. Lotus did not have a chance to act with Valentino. He died the following year on 23 August 1926. However her rash act was carried in newspapers worldwide, and she received offers of bit roles from various casting directors. One of these was film executive Harry Rapf, who visited the young woman at her home as she was convalescing. He told her that she would have the opportunity to play in serious dramatic roles as soon as her legs healed.
In August 1926 Lotus had a supporting role in The New Champion, which dealt with a young blacksmith who had boxing ambitions. She proved a fine leading lady opposite Fred Humes in The Yellow Back (1926). An August 1933 Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article made reference to Thompson among a list of actors who accepted $10 to $15 a day for bit roles in films. The piece noted that it was no reflection on the former greats that they accepted small roles. Instead it was noted that they always did their assignments well and they keep the movie ball rolling. It was mentioned that the road back is a tough one and current stars may be out in a year or two.
Lotus Thompson died in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
on 19 May 1963.