Pearl White
Encyclopedia
Pearl Fay White was an American film actress, the so-called "Stunt Queen" of silent films, most notably in The Perils of Pauline
.
, where she grew up with an interest in the theater. She began performing with the Diemer Theater Company, located on Commercial Street, while in her second year of high school. In 1907, at age 18, she went on the road with the Trousedale Stock Company, working evening shows while keeping her day job to help support her family. She was soon able to join the company full time, touring through the American Midwest. That year she married fellow actor Victor Sutherland
, but they soon separated and eventually divorced.
White played minor roles for several years, when she was spotted by the Powers Film Company in New York. She claimed she had also performed in Cuba for a time under the name Miss Mazee, singing American songs in a dance hall. Her travels as a singer took her to South America, where she performed in casinos and dance halls. In 1910, White had trouble with her throat, and her voice began to fail from the nightly theatrical performances. She made her debut in films that year, starring in a series of one-reel dramas and comedies for the Powers Film Company in the Bronx, New York.
company's first American film produced at their new studio in Bound Brook, New Jersey
. She then worked at Lubin Studios
and several other of the independents
, until the Crystal Film Company in Manhattan
gave her top billing in a number of short films.
In 1914, Pathé director Louis J. Gasnier
offered her the starring role in The Perils of Pauline
, a film based on a story by playwright Charles W. Goddard
. The film was one where "Pauline" was the central character in a story involving considerable action, which the athletic Pearl White proved ideally suited for. The Perils of Pauline consisted of twenty episodes. A box-office success, the movie made White a major celebrity, and she was soon earning the then astronomical sum of $3,000 a week. She followed this with an even bigger box-office winner, The Exploits of Elaine
.
Flying airplanes, racing cars, swimming across rivers, and doing other similar feats, White made four more successful serial
s on the same theme. She did much of her own stunt work and she suffered injuries that would force her to use a stunt double in her later films.
veteran Major Wallace McCutcheon, Jr. (1880–1928), an actor, director, and cinematographer. However, the marriage failed and they divorced in 1921. Two years later, White made her last American film.
Influenced by the French friends from Pathé Studios, White was drawn to the artistic gathering in the Montparnasse Quarter
of Paris
. While living there, she made her last film for her friend, Belgian
-born director Edward José
, who had directed her in several serials. Silent films could be made in any country, and as White was a recognizable star worldwide, she was offered many roles in France. Instead, she chose to perform on stage in a Montmartre
production "Tu Perds la Boule" (You Lost the Ball). In 1925 she accepted an offer to star with comedian Max Wall
in the "London Review" at the Lyceum Theatre in London
.
White's childhood poverty made her frugal with money. A shrewd businesswoman, she invested in a successful Parisian nightclub, a Biarritz
resort hotel/casino, plus a profitable stable of thoroughbred
race horses. Living in a fashionable town house in the exclusive Parisian suburb of Passy
, she also owned a villa in Rambouillet
. She became involved with Theodore Cossika, a Greek businessman who shared her love of travel. Together they purchased a home near Cairo
, Egypt
, and White travelled with him throughout the Middle East
and the Orient
. White then returned to France. She made just one more film, Terror (1924).
She starred in several popular stage reviews at the Montmartre Music Hall in Paris, and was in a London revue with George Carney. She then retired from performing.
at age 49 on August 4, 1938 in the American Hospital in the Paris suburb of Neuilly
, France
. She was buried in the Cimetière de Passy.
. All of her films were made at East Coast studios, and it is believed White never visited Hollywood, which would nevertheless honor her contributions with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
The 1947 Paramount Pictures
film The Perils of Pauline
, starring Betty Hutton
, was a fictionalized biography of Pearl White.
The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)
The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring Pearl White as the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress, although some analyses hold that her character was more resourceful and less helpless than the...
.
Early life
White was born in New Jersey and lived on a farm with her four brothers and sisters. Her parents, Edgar and Inez White, moved to Springfield, MissouriSpringfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, where she grew up with an interest in the theater. She began performing with the Diemer Theater Company, located on Commercial Street, while in her second year of high school. In 1907, at age 18, she went on the road with the Trousedale Stock Company, working evening shows while keeping her day job to help support her family. She was soon able to join the company full time, touring through the American Midwest. That year she married fellow actor Victor Sutherland
Victor Sutherland
Victor Sutherland was an American actor.-Biography:Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Sutherland worked in motion pictures from the 1910s through the 1950s, when he also acted on television. He made several appearances in the Perry Mason Show...
, but they soon separated and eventually divorced.
White played minor roles for several years, when she was spotted by the Powers Film Company in New York. She claimed she had also performed in Cuba for a time under the name Miss Mazee, singing American songs in a dance hall. Her travels as a singer took her to South America, where she performed in casinos and dance halls. In 1910, White had trouble with her throat, and her voice began to fail from the nightly theatrical performances. She made her debut in films that year, starring in a series of one-reel dramas and comedies for the Powers Film Company in the Bronx, New York.
Career rise
In 1910, White was offered a role by Pathé Frères in The Girl From Arizona, the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
company's first American film produced at their new studio in Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. At the United States 2010 Census, the population was 10,402.Bound Brook was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1869, within portions of Bridgewater Township...
. She then worked at Lubin Studios
Lubin Studios
The Lubin Manufacturing Company, was an American motion picture production company that produced silent films from 1902 to 1916. Lubin films were distributed with a Liberty Bell trademark.-History:...
and several other of the independents
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, until the Crystal Film Company in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
gave her top billing in a number of short films.
In 1914, Pathé director Louis J. Gasnier
Louis J. Gasnier
Louis J. Gasnier was a French film director.Born in Paris, Gasnier was working in theatre when Pathé hired him to direct films in the earliest days of cinema. He directed comedian Max Linder in many of his early short comedies...
offered her the starring role in The Perils of Pauline
The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)
The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring Pearl White as the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress, although some analyses hold that her character was more resourceful and less helpless than the...
, a film based on a story by playwright Charles W. Goddard
Charles W. Goddard
Charles William Goddard was a playwright and screenwriter.Goddard began writing Broadway plays before turning to film, adapting a number of his stage works to film. He wrote the script for the Pathé Freres film The Exploits of Elaine, which has been selected for preservation in the United States...
. The film was one where "Pauline" was the central character in a story involving considerable action, which the athletic Pearl White proved ideally suited for. The Perils of Pauline consisted of twenty episodes. A box-office success, the movie made White a major celebrity, and she was soon earning the then astronomical sum of $3,000 a week. She followed this with an even bigger box-office winner, The Exploits of Elaine
The Exploits of Elaine
The Exploits of Elaine is a film serial in the genre of The Perils of Pauline.The Exploits of Elaine tells the story of a young woman named Elaine who, with the help of a detective, tries to find the man, known only as "The Clutching Hand", who murdered her father. The Clutching Hand was the first...
.
Flying airplanes, racing cars, swimming across rivers, and doing other similar feats, White made four more successful serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
s on the same theme. She did much of her own stunt work and she suffered injuries that would force her to use a stunt double in her later films.
Personal life and later years
Pearl White was a wealthy young woman when in 1919 she met and married World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran Major Wallace McCutcheon, Jr. (1880–1928), an actor, director, and cinematographer. However, the marriage failed and they divorced in 1921. Two years later, White made her last American film.
Influenced by the French friends from Pathé Studios, White was drawn to the artistic gathering in the Montparnasse Quarter
Montparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. While living there, she made her last film for her friend, Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born director Edward José
Edward José
Edward José was a Belgian film director and actor of the silent era.He directed 42 films between 1915 and 1925...
, who had directed her in several serials. Silent films could be made in any country, and as White was a recognizable star worldwide, she was offered many roles in France. Instead, she chose to perform on stage in a Montmartre
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
production "Tu Perds la Boule" (You Lost the Ball). In 1925 she accepted an offer to star with comedian Max Wall
Max Wall
Max Wall , was an English comedian and actor, whose performing career covered music hall, theatre, films and television.-Early years:...
in the "London Review" at the Lyceum Theatre in London
London
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...
.
White's childhood poverty made her frugal with money. A shrewd businesswoman, she invested in a successful Parisian nightclub, a Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
resort hotel/casino, plus a profitable stable of thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horses. Living in a fashionable town house in the exclusive Parisian suburb of Passy
Passy
Passy is an area of Paris, France, located in the XVIe arrondissement, on the Right Bank. It is traditionally home to many of the city's wealthiest residents.Passy was formerly a commune...
, she also owned a villa in Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
. She became involved with Theodore Cossika, a Greek businessman who shared her love of travel. Together they purchased a home near Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and White travelled with him throughout the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
. White then returned to France. She made just one more film, Terror (1924).
She starred in several popular stage reviews at the Montmartre Music Hall in Paris, and was in a London revue with George Carney. She then retired from performing.
Alcoholism and death
Over the years, White's alcohol use had increased, possibly in response to the chronic pain of injuries from her film stunts. She had to be hospitalized in 1933, which led to an addiction to the drugs used to ease her suffering. Her last years were spent in an alcoholic haze, and she died of cirrhosisCirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
at age 49 on August 4, 1938 in the American Hospital in the Paris suburb of Neuilly
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She was buried in the Cimetière de Passy.
Legacy
Pearl White's place in film history is important in both the evolution of cinema genres and the role of women. The Perils of Pauline is only known to exist in a reduced nine-reel version released in Europe in 1916, but The Exploits of Elaine survives and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film RegistryNational Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
. All of her films were made at East Coast studios, and it is believed White never visited Hollywood, which would nevertheless honor her contributions with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
The 1947 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...
film The Perils of Pauline
The Perils of Pauline (1947 film)
The Perils of Pauline is a 1947 American film directed by George Marshall and released by Paramount Pictures. The movie is a fictionalized Hollywood account of silent film star Pearl White's rise to fame, starring Betty Hutton as White....
, starring Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer.-Early life:Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg, daughter of a railroad foreman, Percy E. Thornburg and his wife, the former Mabel Lum . While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for...
, was a fictionalized biography of Pearl White.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | The Horse Shoer's Girl | ||
| The New Magdalene | |||
| The Woman Hater | |||
| 1911 | An Unforeseen Complication | The Professor's Daughter | |
| The Stepsisters | The Stepmother's Spoiled Daughter | ||
| 1912 | The Mad Lover | Ethel Marion | |
| The Spendthrift's Reform | The Wife | ||
| 1913 | Pearl as a Detective | Pearl | |
| The Paper Doll | Alice Wilson | ||
| 1914 | The Perils of Pauline The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial) The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring Pearl White as the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress, although some analyses hold that her character was more resourceful and less helpless than the... |
Pauline | Serial |
| The Exploits of Elaine The Exploits of Elaine The Exploits of Elaine is a film serial in the genre of The Perils of Pauline.The Exploits of Elaine tells the story of a young woman named Elaine who, with the help of a detective, tries to find the man, known only as "The Clutching Hand", who murdered her father. The Clutching Hand was the first... |
Elaine Dodge | Serial | |
| 1915 | The New Exploits of Elaine The New Exploits of Elaine The New Exploits of Elaine is a 1915 action film serial directed by Louis J. Gasnier, Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton.-Cast:* Pearl White as Elaine Dodge* Creighton Hale as Walter Jameson* Arnold Daly as Detective Craig Kennedy... |
Elaine Dodge | Serial |
| The Romance of Elaine The Romance of Elaine The Romance of Elaine is a 1915 silent adventure film serial directed by George B. Seitz, Leopold Wharton and Theodore Wharton. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Pearl White - Elaine Dodge* Creighton Hale - Walter Jameson... |
Elaine Dodge | Serial | |
| 1916 | Hazel Kirke Hazel Kirke Hazel Kirke is a play in four acts written by American actor and dramatist Steele MacKaye. The play was written between 1878 and 1879 in the town of Dublin, New Hampshire. MacKaye meant it to be expressly for New York City's Madison Square Theatre, which MacKaye had recently renovated and... |
Hazel Kirke | |
| The Iron Claw The Iron Claw (1916 serial) The Iron Claw is a 1916 silent adventure film serial starring Pearl White, directed by George B. Seitz and Edward José, and released by Pathé Exchange. A print of the seventh episode exists in the UCLA Film and Television Archive.-Cast:... |
Margery Golden | Serial | |
| Pearl of the Army Pearl of the Army Pearl of the Army is a 1916 silent film serial directed by Edward José. The Pathé-Astra film was made when many early film studio and film producers in America's first motion picture industry were based in New Jersey's Hudson River towns, particularly Fort Lee.-Cast:* Pearl White - Pearl Date*... |
Pearl Date | Serial | |
| 1917 | Mayblossom | Anabel Lee | |
| The Fatal Ring The Fatal Ring The Fatal Ring is a 1917 action film serial directed by George B. Seitz. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Pearl White - Violet Standish* Earle Foxe - Nicholas Knox* Warner Oland - Richard Carslake* Ruby Hoffman - The Priestess... |
Violet Standish | Serial | |
| 1918 | The House of Hate The House of Hate The House of Hate is a 1918 film serial directed by George B. Seitz, produced when many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based in Fort Lee, New Jersey.... |
Pearl Grant | Serial |
| 1919 | The Lightning Raider The Lightning Raider The Lightning Raider is a 1919 American action film serial directed by George B. Seitz. It was the on-screen debut of Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Pearl White as The Lightning Raider* Warner Oland as Wu Fang* Henry G. Sell as Thomas Babbington North... |
The Lightning Raider | Serial |
| The Black Secret The Black Secret The Black Secret is a 1919 adventure film serial directed by George B. Seitz. It was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey and the nearby Hudson Palisades when many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century... |
Evelyn Ereth | ||
| 1920 | The White Moll | Rhoda, The White Moll | |
| The Thief | Mary Vantyne | ||
| 1921 | Know Your Men | Ellen Schuyler | |
| A Virgin Paradise | Gratia Latham | ||
| 1922 | The Broadway Peacock | Myrtle May | |
| Without Fear | Ruth Hamilton | ||
| 1923 | Plunder Plunder (serial) Plunder is a drama film serial directed by George B. Seitz. During the production of this serial in August 1922, John Stevenson, a stuntman for Pearl White, was killed doing a stunt from a moving bus to an elevated platform.-Cast:... |
Pearl Travers | Serial |
| 1924 | Perils of Paris | Hélène Aldrich | Serial |
External links
- Pearl White - Biography on (re)Search my Trash
- Literature