Pauline Frederick

Pauline Frederick (born Pauline Beatrice Libbey; August 12, 1883 – September 19, 1938) was an American stage and film actress.

Early life Frederick was born Pauline Beatrice Libbey (later changed to Libby) in Boston in 1883 (some sources state 1884 or 1885), the only child of Richard O. and Loretta C. Libbey. Her father worked as a yardmaster for the Old Colony Railroad before becoming a salesman. Her parents separated when she was a toddler and Frederick was raised primarily by her mother with whom she remained close for the remainder of her life (her parents divorced around 1897). As a girl, she was fascinated with show business, and determined early to place her goals in the direction of the theater. She studied acting, singing and dancing at Miss Blanchard's Finishing School in Boston where she later graduated.

Her father, however, discouraged her ambitions to be an actress and encouraged her to become an elocution teacher. After pursuing a career as an actress, her father disinherited her (he died in 1922). Due to her father's attitude towards her acting career, Pauline adopted the surname "Frederick" as her stage name. She legally changed her name to Pauline Frederick in 1908. She won other small roles on the stage before being discovered by an illustrator, Harrison Fisher who called her "the purest American beauty." With Fisher's help, she landed more substantial stage roles. Nicknamed "The Girl with the Topaz Eyes", Frederick was cast in the lead roles in the touring productions of The Little Gray Lady and The Girl in White in 1906. She briefly retired from acting after her first marriage in 1909, but returned to the stage in January 1913 in Joseph and His Brethren. In March 1927, she received some of her better reviews when she appeared in the play Madame X in London. They divorced in August 1920. Her third husband was Dr. Charles A. Rutherford, a physician, whom she married in Santa Ana, California in 1922. Frederick filed for divorce in December 1924. Their divorce was finalized on January 6, 1925.

It was around this time that the then 43-year-old first met the much younger Clark Gable, then a struggling actor, with whom she allegedly had a two-year affair.

Frederick married her fourth husband, millionaire hotel and Interstate News Company owner Hugh Chisholm Leighton on April 20, 1930, in New York City. Leighton had the marriage annulled in December 1930, claiming that he was Frederick's husband "in name only".

Frederick's fifth marriage, in January 1934, was to an ailing United States Army colonel, Joseph A. Marmon, commander of the 16th Infantry Regiment. They remained married until Marmon's death on December 4, 1934.

Death On January 17, 1936, Frederick underwent emergency surgery on her abdomen. Her health steadily declined, which limited her ability to work. She was dealt another blow when her mother died in 1937. after which she was buried at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Pauline Frederick has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes1915 The Eternal City Donna Roma Lost film Sold Helen Lost film Zaza ZaZa Lost film Bella Donna Bella Donna (Ruby Chepstow) Lost film Lydia Gilmore Lydia Gilmore Lost film1916 The Spider Valerie St. Cyr/Joan Marche Lost film Audrey Audrey Lost film The Moment Before Madge A 35mm nitrate copy of the film is housed at the Cineteca Nazionale film archive in Rome. The print is missing one sequence described as "the opening scene before the flashback." The World's Great Snare Myra Lost film The Woman in the Case Margaret Rolfe Incomplete, with its final reel missing Ashes of Embers Laura Ward/Agnes Ward Lost film Nanette of the Wilds Nanette Gauntier Lost film1917 The Slave Market Ramona Lost film Sapho Sapho, aka Fanny Lagrand Lost film Sleeping Fires Zelma Bryce Lost film Her Better Self Vivian Tyler Lost film The Love That Lives Molly McGill Double Crossed Eleanor Stratton Lost film The Hungry Heart Courtney Vaughan Lost film1918 Mrs. Dane's Defense Felicia Hindemarsh Lost film Madame Jealousy Madame Jealousy Lost film La Tosca Floria Tosca Lost film Resurrection Katusha Lost film Her Final Reckoning Marsa Lost film Fedora Princess Fedora Lost film Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your Hand Miss Liberty Loan Lost film Short subject A Daughter of the Old South Dolores Jardine Lost film1919 Out of the Shadow Ruth Minchin Lost film The Woman on the Index Sylvia Martin Lost film Paid in Full Emma Brooks Lost filmFinal Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount feature One Week of Life Mrs. Sherwood & Marion Roche Lost film The Fear Woman Helen Winthrop Lost film The Peace of Roaring River Madge Nelson Lost film Bonds of Love Una Sayre Lost film The Loves of Letty Letty Shell Incomplete1920 The Paliser Case Cassy Cara Lost film The Woman in Room 13 Laura Bruce Lost film Madame X Jacqueline Floriot A Slave of Vanity Iris Bellamy Lost film First Robertson-Cole release1921 The Mistress of Shenstone Lady Myra Ingleby Incomplete version survives Roads of Destiny Dolly Jordan Lennon Lost film Final Goldwyn Pictures release Salvage Bernice Ridgeway/Kate Martin Lost film The Sting of the Lash Dorothy Keith Lost film The Lure of Jade Sara Vincent Lost film1922 The Woman Breed Two Kinds of Women Judith Sanford Lost film The Glory of Clementina Clementina Wing Lost film1924 Let Not Man Put Asunder Petrina Faneuil Lost film Married Flirts Nellie Wayne Lost film Three Women Mrs. Mabel Wilton 1925 Smouldering Fires Jane Vale 1926 Her Honor, the Governor Adele Fenway Devil's Island Jeannette Picto Josselyn's Wife Lillian Josselyn Lost film1927 Mumsie Mumsie Lost film The Nest Mrs. Hamilton 1928 On Trial Joan Trask Lost film1929 Evidence Myra Stanhope Lost film The Sacred Flame Mrs. Taylor - the Mother Lost film 1930 Terra Melophon Magazin Nr. 1 Die Zofe Episode: "Was Ziehe ich an, Bevor ich mich anziehe" 1931 This Modern Age Diane "Di" Winters 1932 Wayward Mrs. Eleanor Frost The Phantom of Crestwood Faith Andes Self Defense Katy Devoux 1934 Social Register Mrs. Breene 1935 My Marriage Mrs. DeWitt Tyler II 1936 Ramona Señora Moreno 1937 Thank You, Mr. Moto Madame Chung