Margaret Leahy
Encyclopedia
Margaret Leahy was a British
actress. After winning a beauty contest
, Leahy went on to make only one film in her very short-lived film career.
, Leahy entered the movies through actress Norma Talmadge
, who claimed Leahy to be "the most ravishing girl in England". Although it was said by her publicity that the young beauty queen had acted in English and French films in Europe, this proved to be highly untrue, especially after director Frank Lloyd
had her dismissed from Within the Law (1922), which was supposed to be Leahy's big film debut, claiming that the actress could do nothing that an actress was supposed to be able to do.
Leahy was selected as one of thirteen WAMPAS Baby Stars
in 1923, probably due to the help of producer Joseph Schenck
, Norma Talmadge's husband, who had signed a three-year contract with the girl. Following this, Schenck handed Margaret over to his brother-in-law Buster Keaton
to appear in his next comedy, for Schenck believed it did not take much for an actress to be a comedian.
Leahy's only film, Three Ages
(1923), directed by Buster Keaton, did absolutely nothing to improve her already crumbling film career. Leahy's role was not given much attention, and she never acted again.
Following this one film, Leahy chose to remain in California and get married, instead of returning to England. She later became an interior decorator and grew to despise the movie industry. She apparently committed suicide
in Los Angeles, California
, at the age of 64.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress. After winning a beauty contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
, Leahy went on to make only one film in her very short-lived film career.
Life and film career
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Leahy entered the movies through actress Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge
Norma Talmadge was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular idols of the American screen.Her most famous film was Smilin’ Through , but she also...
, who claimed Leahy to be "the most ravishing girl in England". Although it was said by her publicity that the young beauty queen had acted in English and French films in Europe, this proved to be highly untrue, especially after director Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd was a film director, scriptwriter and producer...
had her dismissed from Within the Law (1922), which was supposed to be Leahy's big film debut, claiming that the actress could do nothing that an actress was supposed to be able to do.
Leahy was selected as one of thirteen WAMPAS Baby Stars
WAMPAS Baby Stars
The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934, and annual...
in 1923, probably due to the help of producer Joseph Schenck
Joseph Schenck
Joseph Michael Schenck was a pioneer executive who played a key role in the development of the United States film industry.Born in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia to a Jewish household, he and his family-including younger brother Nicholas- emigrated to New York City in 1893, he and Nicholas...
, Norma Talmadge's husband, who had signed a three-year contract with the girl. Following this, Schenck handed Margaret over to his brother-in-law Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
to appear in his next comedy, for Schenck believed it did not take much for an actress to be a comedian.
Leahy's only film, Three Ages
Three Ages (1923 film)
Three Ages is a 1923 black-and-white American feature-length silent comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton and Wallace Beery. The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in , Keaton structured the film like three inter-cut short films. The structure also worked as a...
(1923), directed by Buster Keaton, did absolutely nothing to improve her already crumbling film career. Leahy's role was not given much attention, and she never acted again.
Following this one film, Leahy chose to remain in California and get married, instead of returning to England. She later became an interior decorator and grew to despise the movie industry. She apparently committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 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...
, at the age of 64.