Lila Lee

Lila Lee (born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel; July 25, 1905 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras.

Early life The daughter of Augusta Fredericka Appel and Carl Appel,

Searching for a hobby for their gregarious young daughter, the Appels enrolled Lila in Gus Edwards' kiddie review shows where she was given the nickname of "Cuddles"; a name that she would be known by for the rest of her acting career. Her stagework became so popular with the public that her parents had her educated with private tutors. Edwards would become Lee's long-term manager.

Lillian Edwards, wife of Gus Edwards, was Lee's guardian. When Lee was 15 years old, she went to court seeking an injunction to prevent Mrs. Edwards "from collecting any money for Lila's services." Mrs. Edwards countered that she had spent 10 years helping to shape Lee's career and had invested money in her. Lee and Kirkwood had a son in 1924, James Kirkwood, Jr. ("Jimmy"), whose custody was granted to his father; he became a highly regarded playwright and screenwriter whose works include A Chorus Line and P.S. Your Cat Is Dead. Kirkwood Jr. was primarily raised by Lee's family in Elyria, Ohio.

In her autobiography, Lee revealed she lost her virginity to Kirkwood before they were married and she fell pregnant as a result. Kirkwood ultimately arranged an abortion for her, and their relationship continued after this only because Kirkwood threatened to tell Lee's mother of their premarital relations.

In June 1928, Lee began an affair with John Farrow while Kirkwood was in London. Lee wrote Kirkwood stating she wanted a divorce, and in late September of that year, the two formally separated. Lee decided not to fight for custody of their son because Kirkwood threatened to kill Farrow, Lee, their son, and himself. After their divorce, Lee traveled to Arizona and stayed in a sanitarium. Lee also became engaged to John Farrow, but they separated in 1933 after Lee discovered he was being unfaithful to her. He would go on to marry Maureen O'Sullivan in 1936.

At the beginning of her career, Lee dated Charlie Chaplin. Leatrice Joy claimed Lee had an affair with John Gilbert while they were married.

Her second husband was broker Jack R. Peine, whom she married on December 8, 1934. In August 1934, Lee, Peine, and chauffeur George Morrison had been sued for $110,000 by Italian opera singer and voice teacher Emilio Staine, who claimed he had been struck by their car when crossing a street in Santa Monica, California. By July 2, 1935, the two had divorced. Lee claimed Peine was a drunk, a gambler, and a cheater. Shortly into their marriage, with Lee looking for a house for the two, Peine took off to Mexico and didn't return for a month.

In 1935, Lee began a relationship with car salesman Reid Russell. In 1936, Lee was living in California with her son James Jr, novelist Gouverneur Morris, and his wife Ruth (née Wightman), a screenwriter and racecar driver. Lee became engaged to Russell and planned to marry him once he obtained a divorce. On September 25, 1936, Russell's dead body was discovered outside on the hammock by Kirkwood Jr., and a scandal that would ultimately end Lee's career ensued.

Her third husband was broker John E. Murphy. According to author Sean Egan in the James Kirkwood biography Ponies & Rainbows (2011), Murphy's will left Lee at the financial mercy of his second wife, who consequently became the manipulative character Aunt Claire in P.S. Your Cat Is Dead, written by Lee's son, James Kirkwood, Jr.

Reid Russell scandal Lila Lee began a relationship with car salesman Reid Russell in 1935. On September 25, 1936, Reid Russell's dead body was discovered outside on the hammock by Kirkwood Jr. (Ruth Morris would later claim it was she who discovered Russell's body). He had been shot in the head with a .32 caliber one or two days prior. The bullet had penetrated Russell's head and passed through; neither it nor its empty shell were ever found. The gun found in his hand was one he kept in his bureau drawer at home.

Filmography + Features Year Title Role Notes 1918 The Cruise of the Make-Believes Bessie Meggison Lost film 1918 Such a Little Pirate Patricia Wolf Lost film 1919 Jane Goes A-Wooing Lost film 1919 The Secret Garden Mary Lennox Lost film 1919 Puppy Love Gloria O'Connell Lost film 1919 Rustling a Bride Emily Lost film 1919 A Daughter of the Wolf Annette Ainsworth Lost film 1919 Rose o' the River Rose Wiley Lost film 1919 The Heart of Youth Josephine Darchat Lost film 1919 The Lottery Man Polly Lost film 1919 Hawthorne of the U.S.A. Princess Irma 1919 Male and Female Tweeny – the Scullery Maid 1920 Terror Island Beverly West Incomplete, five of seven reels are extant 1920 The Soul of Youth Vera Hamilton 1920 The Prince Chap Claudia (age 18) Lost film 1921 Midsummer Madness Daisy Osborne 1921 The Charm School Elsie Lost film 1921 The Easy Road Ella Klotz Lost film 1921 The Dollar-a-Year Man Peggy Bruce Lost film 1921 Gasoline Gus Sal Jo Banty 1921 Crazy to Marry Annabelle Landis 1921 After the Show Eileen Lost film 1922 Rent Free Barbara Teller Lost film 1922 One Glorious Day Molly McIntyre Lost film 1922 Is Matrimony a Failure? Margaret Saxby Lost film 1922 The Fast Freight Elsie Lost film 1922 The Dictator Juanita Lost film 1922 Blood and Sand Carmen 1922 The Ghost Breaker Maria Theresa, a Spanish Heiress Lost film 1922 Ebb Tide Ruth Attwater Lost film 1922 Back Home and Broke Mary Thorne Lost film 1922 A Trip to Paramountown Herself Short Subject 1923 The Ne'er-Do-Well Chiquita Lost film 1923 Homeward Bound Mary Brent Lost film 1923 Hollywood Herself (cameo) Lost film 1923 Woman-Proof Louise Halliday Lost film 1924 Love's Whirlpool Molly 1924 Wandering Husbands Diana Moreland 1924 Another Man's Wife Helen Brand Lost film 1925 The Midnight Girl Anna 1925 Coming Through Alice Rand Lost film 1925 Old Home Week Ethel Harmon 1926 Broken Hearts Ruth Esterin 1926 The New Klondike Evelyn Lane Incomplete film, with one reel missing 1926 Fascinating Youth Lila Lee Lost film 1927 One Increasing Purpose Elizabeth Glade Lost film 1927 Million Dollar Mystery Florence Grey 1928 Top Sergeant Mulligan The girl 1928 The Man in Hobbles Ann Harris 1928 You Can't Beat the Law Patricia Berry 1928 A Bit of Heaven Fola Dale Lost film 1928 Thundergod Enid Bryant 1928 United States Smith Molly Malone 1928 The Adorable Cheat Marion Dorsey 1928 Just Married Victoire Lost film 1928 Black Butterflies Norma Davis 1928 The Little Wild Girl Marie Cleste 1928 The Black Pearl Eugenie Bromley 1929 Queen of the Night Clubs Bea Walters Lost film 1929 Honky Tonk Beth Leonard Lost film 1929 Drag Dot 1929 Dark Streets Katie Dean Lost film 1929 The Argyle Case Mary Morgan Lost film 1929 Flight Elinor Baring 1929 Love, Live and Laugh Margharita 1929 Show of Shows Performer in 'What Became of the Floradora Boys' Number Technicolor version is lost 1929 The Sacred Flame Stella Taylor Lost film 1930 Second Wife Florence Wendell Fairchild 1930 Murder Will Out Jeanne Baldwin Lost film 1930 Those Who Dance Nora Brady 1930 Double Cross Roads Mary Carlyle 1930 The Unholy Three Rosie 1930 The Gorilla Alice Denby Lost film 1931 Woman Hungry Judith Temple 1931 Misbehaving Ladies Princess Ellen 1932 Unholy Love Jane Bradford 1932 Radio Patrol Sue Kennedy 1932 War Correspondent Julie March 1932 Exposure Doris Corbin 1932 The Night of June 13 Trudie Morrow 1932 False Faces Georgia Rand 1932 Officer Thirteen Doris Dane 1933 Face in the Sky Sharon Hadley 1933 The Iron Master Janet Stillman 1933 The Intruder Connie Wayne 1933 Lone Cowboy Eleanor Jones 1934 Whirlpool Helen Rankin Morrison 1934 Stand Up and Cheer! Zelda Uncredited 1934 In Love with Life Sharon 1934 I Can't Escape Mae Nichols 1935 The Marriage Bargain Helen Stanhope 1935 The People's Enemy Catherine Carr 1935 Champagne for Breakfast Natalie Morton 1936 The Ex-Mrs. Bradford Miss Prentiss, Bradford's Receptionist 1936 Country Gentlemen Mrs. Louise Heath 1937 Two Wise Maids Ethel Harriman 1937 Nation Aflame Mona Franklin Burtis 1938 Oh Boy! 1967 Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers Viola Zickafoose