Edna Goodrich
Encyclopedia
Edna Goodrich was an American Broadway actress, Florodora
girl, author, and media sensation during the early 1900s. At one point, she was known as one of America's wealthiest and best dressed performers. She was married to Edwin Stacey of Cincinnati, Ohio, and later Nat C. Goodwin.
Thorntons. His brothers included Dr. William Patton Thornton, a noted physician; Henry Clay Thornton, a prominent lawyer and father of Sir Henry Worth Thornton; and Dr. Joseph Lyle Thornton, a respected educator and manufacturer. Judge William Wheeler Thornton
was his nephew. Among his influential cousins were Military Reconstruction Judge James Johnston Thornton and Hon. Samuel W. Thornton
, a member of the 1887 Nebraska State Legislature.
Her grandfather, Justus Goodrich, died in an insane asylum in Kankakee, Illinois
on June 3, 1896. He long suffered from mental illness, derived from sunstroke received on the march to the Battle of Gettysburg
. During the battle, on July 2, 1863, he was shot in the heel.
, where both found work as chorus girls. Edna Goodrich joined the cast of the Florodora
musical, as one of the famed sextets, all of whom were extremely beautiful, 5'4", and 130 lbs. Out of more than 70 women who became a Florodora girl, Edna was one of a handful who achieved lasting fame.
It was as a sextet that Edna Goodrich became involved in the Harry Kendall Thaw murder trial, which was labeled Trial of the Century
by William Randolph Hearst
's newspapers. Thaw killed architect Stanford White
during a performance at Madison Square Garden
over Mr. White's relationship to Evelyn Nesbit
. It was reported that Edna Goodrich had introduced fellow Floradora chorus girl Nesbit and White during an intimate meeting in White's apartment. Edna Goodrich was served with several subpoenas during the trial, reportedly tearing one apart in front of the serving agent. She denied any knowledge of the affair.
and Europe
, making both fodder for early news sensationalism.
In 1908 Goodrich and Goodwin became involved in a confusing sequence of events and news reports that would lead to their marriage. First, the press linked Edna with millionaire James H. McMillan; however, as the marriage date was continuously postponed, rumors began to circulate of discord. Edna affirmed the engagement and then took off for Europe on a $20,000 spending spree. Afraid of losing Edna, Nat Goodwin sailed to Europe to convince her that Mr. McMillan
was actually poor. He hired private investigators to tail Ms. Goodrich; She hired private investigators to stay one step ahead of his investigators. This chase across Europe so unsettled Mr. McMillan that he asked Edna if she would not rather marry immediately in Switzerland
. She said that she wanted to marry in her own country and set sail for the United States with her purchases. Surprisingly, within short order, the wedding was called off- the press attributed this change to Mr. McMillan's mother who had refused her consent after hearing of Edna Goodrich's involvement in the divorce of Nat Goodwin from his third wife, Maxine Elliott
. The press later reported that Ms. Elliot became engaged to Mr. McMillan.
In the fall of 1908, Nat C. Goodwin and Edna Goodrich were married. The bride reportedly wore more than $60,000 worth of jewelry Also, Nat and Edna signed a prenuptial agreement, entitling her to half of his estate and an income for life. At first, the press believed the amount conferred to be $400,000, but later, during divorce proceedings, it was revealed that the amount totaled more than $1.7 million.
From 1914 to August 1915, Edna Goodrich served as a nurse of World War I
wounded for the British Army. Her cottage was later turned into a convalescent home for soldiers returning from the front. Her mother's cousin, Sir Henry Worth Thornton, was the highest ranking American-born officer in the British Army.
For the rest of the decade, Edna worked in theater and appeared in several movies of the Silent Screen, although she never captured the same degree of success as she enjoyed on stage. Also, she reportedly developed an alcohol addiction that caused her to be fired on the set of "The Golden Chance (1915)" by Cecil B. DeMille
.
Edna Goodrich retired from making films in 1918.
Florodora
Florodora is an Edwardian musical comedy and became one of the first successful Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the music was by Leslie Stuart with additional songs by Paul Rubens, and the lyrics were by Edward Boyd-Jones...
girl, author, and media sensation during the early 1900s. At one point, she was known as one of America's wealthiest and best dressed performers. She was married to Edwin Stacey of Cincinnati, Ohio, and later Nat C. Goodwin.
Family
The daughter of Nellie Goodrich and A.S. Stevens, Edna was raised by her great-grandfather, Abner Scott Thornton, a member of the influential LogansportLogansport
Logansport is the name of some places in the United States:*Logansport, Indiana*Logansport, Louisiana...
Thorntons. His brothers included Dr. William Patton Thornton, a noted physician; Henry Clay Thornton, a prominent lawyer and father of Sir Henry Worth Thornton; and Dr. Joseph Lyle Thornton, a respected educator and manufacturer. Judge William Wheeler Thornton
William Wheeler Thornton
William Wheeler Thornton was an Indiana lawyer, Attorney General, judge, and author. He was born in Logansport, Indiana, to John Allen and Elizabeth B. Thomas Thornton, members of respectable farming families...
was his nephew. Among his influential cousins were Military Reconstruction Judge James Johnston Thornton and Hon. Samuel W. Thornton
Samuel W. Thornton
Samuel W. Thornton was a prominent farmer, businessman, soldier, and politician. He was elected to serve one term in the Nebraska State Legislature , representing Buffalo County....
, a member of the 1887 Nebraska State Legislature.
Her grandfather, Justus Goodrich, died in an insane asylum in Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
on June 3, 1896. He long suffered from mental illness, derived from sunstroke received on the march to the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. During the battle, on July 2, 1863, he was shot in the heel.
Early career
Upon reaching her maturity, Edna and her mother moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where both found work as chorus girls. Edna Goodrich joined the cast of the Florodora
Florodora
Florodora is an Edwardian musical comedy and became one of the first successful Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the music was by Leslie Stuart with additional songs by Paul Rubens, and the lyrics were by Edward Boyd-Jones...
musical, as one of the famed sextets, all of whom were extremely beautiful, 5'4", and 130 lbs. Out of more than 70 women who became a Florodora girl, Edna was one of a handful who achieved lasting fame.
It was as a sextet that Edna Goodrich became involved in the Harry Kendall Thaw murder trial, which was labeled Trial of the Century
Trial of the century
Trial of the century is an idiomatic phrase used to describe certain well-known court cases, especially of the 20th century. It is often used popularly as a rhetorical device to attach importance to a trial and as such is not an objective observation but is the opinion of whoever uses it. As...
by William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
's newspapers. Thaw killed architect Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
during a performance at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
over Mr. White's relationship to Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit was an American artists' model and chorus girl, noted for her entanglement in the murder of her ex-lover, architect Stanford White, by her first husband, Harry Kendall Thaw.-Early life:...
. It was reported that Edna Goodrich had introduced fellow Floradora chorus girl Nesbit and White during an intimate meeting in White's apartment. Edna Goodrich was served with several subpoenas during the trial, reportedly tearing one apart in front of the serving agent. She denied any knowledge of the affair.
1905-1910
After leaving Floradora, Edna Goodrich became the leading lady of the Nat C. Goodwin comedic productions. Mr. Goodwin was the most famous American comedian of his era and scion of a mining family that had made millions. Their performances played to packed theaters across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, making both fodder for early news sensationalism.
In 1908 Goodrich and Goodwin became involved in a confusing sequence of events and news reports that would lead to their marriage. First, the press linked Edna with millionaire James H. McMillan; however, as the marriage date was continuously postponed, rumors began to circulate of discord. Edna affirmed the engagement and then took off for Europe on a $20,000 spending spree. Afraid of losing Edna, Nat Goodwin sailed to Europe to convince her that Mr. McMillan
was actually poor. He hired private investigators to tail Ms. Goodrich; She hired private investigators to stay one step ahead of his investigators. This chase across Europe so unsettled Mr. McMillan that he asked Edna if she would not rather marry immediately in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. She said that she wanted to marry in her own country and set sail for the United States with her purchases. Surprisingly, within short order, the wedding was called off- the press attributed this change to Mr. McMillan's mother who had refused her consent after hearing of Edna Goodrich's involvement in the divorce of Nat Goodwin from his third wife, Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott was an American stage actress.It is said that reviewers disagreed "over whether it was her beauty or her acting ability that attracted attention" In addition to her stage skills, Elliott was also a savvy businesswoman.Born Jessie Dermott in 1868...
. The press later reported that Ms. Elliot became engaged to Mr. McMillan.
In the fall of 1908, Nat C. Goodwin and Edna Goodrich were married. The bride reportedly wore more than $60,000 worth of jewelry Also, Nat and Edna signed a prenuptial agreement, entitling her to half of his estate and an income for life. At first, the press believed the amount conferred to be $400,000, but later, during divorce proceedings, it was revealed that the amount totaled more than $1.7 million.
1911-1920
By the summer of 1910, the press began to circulate rumors of the Goodwins' impending separation amid rumors over Nat Goodwin's flirtation with another actress This began a two year press and court battle over the terms of the prenuptial trust, with both Goodrich and Goodwin filing repeated suits against one another. The official divorce was granted in New York, with the judge allowing Ms. Goodrich to once again use her maiden name and barring Mr. Goodwin from ever marrying in the state again.From 1914 to August 1915, Edna Goodrich served as a nurse of World War I
World 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...
wounded for the British Army. Her cottage was later turned into a convalescent home for soldiers returning from the front. Her mother's cousin, Sir Henry Worth Thornton, was the highest ranking American-born officer in the British Army.
For the rest of the decade, Edna worked in theater and appeared in several movies of the Silent Screen, although she never captured the same degree of success as she enjoyed on stage. Also, she reportedly developed an alcohol addiction that caused her to be fired on the set of "The Golden Chance (1915)" by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
.
Edna Goodrich retired from making films in 1918.
Movies
- Treason (1918) .... The Wife,
- Her Husband's Honor (1918) as Nancy Page,
- Who Loved Him Best? (1918) as Doria Dane (aka His Inspiration)
- Her Second Husband (1917) as Helen Kirby,
- American Maid (1917) as Virginia Lee,
- Daughter of Maryland (1917) as Beth Treadway,
- Reputation (1917) as Constance Bennett,
- Queen X (1917) as Janice Waltham, Queen X,
- The House of Lies (1916) as Edna Coleman,
- The Making of Maddalena (1916) as Maddalena,
- Armstrong's Wife (1915) as May Fielding,
Theater
Broadway:- "The Runaways" 1903,
- "Mam'selle Napoleon" 1903-4,
- "A Jolly Baron" 1905,
- "The Rollicking Girl" 1905-6,
- "The Genius" 1906,
- "The Easterner" 1908,
External links
- Edna Goodrich at IMDb.com
- Edna Goodrich at IBDb.com
- Edna Goodrich pics & text