Martha Mansfield

Martha Mansfield (born Martha Ehrlich; July 14, 1899 – November 30, 1923) was an American actress in silent films and vaudeville stage plays.

Early life She was born in New York City to Maurice and Harriett Gibson Ehrlich. She had a younger sister, Edith, born in 1905. Although many biographies state that Martha was born in Mansfield, Ohio, her birth record and death certificate both have New York City as her place of birth. Her mother, Harriet, was from Mansfield, Ohio, having emigrated there from Ireland in 1885. Martha later adopted the name of the town as her stage name. By the early 1910s, Mansfield and her mother had moved to the Bronx and were living on 158th Street. As a model, she posed for illustrator Harrison Fisher and was the subject of more than 300 photographs by Alfred Cheney Johnston.

Death

On November 29, 1923, while working on location in San Antonio, Texas on the film The Warrens of Virginia, Mansfield was severely burned when a tossed match ignited her Civil War costume of hoop skirts and flimsy ruffles. Mansfield was playing the role of Agatha Warren and had just finished her scenes and retired to a car when her clothing burst into flames. Her neck and face were saved when leading man Wilfred Lytell threw his heavy overcoat over her. The chauffeur of Mansfield's car was burned badly on his hands while trying to remove the burning clothing from the actress. The fire was put out, but she sustained substantial burns to her body.

She was rushed to a hospital where she died the following day of "burns of all extremities, general toxemia and suppression of urine". Mansfield was 24 years old. Accompanied by actor Phillip Shorey, Mansfield's body was transported back to her home in New York City.

While Mansfield left an estate valued only at , some years before she had bequeathed in Liberty bonds to her mother. She also left her mother two life insurance policies, each worth .

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1917 Max Comes Across Short film Max Wants a Divorce Max's Wife Short film Max in a Taxi Short film 1918 Broadway Bill Muriel Latham Lost film The Spoiled Girl Short film 1919 The Hand Invisible Katherine Dale The Perfect Lover Mavis Morgan Lost film Should a Husband Forgive? Lost film 1920 A Social Sleuth Short film Women Men Love Ruth Gibson Mothers of Men Paulette Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Millicent Carew Civilian Clothes Florence Lanham The Wonderful Chance Peggy Winton 1921 His Brother's Keeper Helen Harding Lost film Gilded Lies Hester Thorpe Lost film The Last Door Helen Rogers Lost film A Man of Stone Lady Fortescue 1922 Queen of the Moulin Rouge Rosalie Anjou Till We Meet Again Henrietta Carter Lost film 1923 Is Money Everything? Mrs. Justine Pelham The Woman in Chains Claudia Marvelle Youthful Cheaters Lois Brooke Lost film The Little Red Schoolhouse Mercy Brent Lost film Fog Bound Mildred Van Buren Lost film The Silent Command Peg Williams, the vamp Potash and Perlmutter The Head Model Lost film The Leavenworth Case Mary Leavenworth Lost film 1924 The Warrens of Virginia Agatha Warren Released posthumously Lost film