Edna Purviance
Encyclopedia
Edna Purviance was an American actress during the silent movie
era. She was the leading lady in many Charlie Chaplin
movies. In a span of eight years, she appeared in over thirty films with Chaplin.
, to Louis and Madison Gates Purviance. When she was three, the family moved to Lovelock, Nevada
, where they assumed ownership of a hotel property. Her parents divorce
d in 1902, and her mother later married Robert Nurnberger, a German
plumber
. Growing up, Purviance was a talented pianist. She left Lovelock in 1913, and attended business college in San Francisco.
, working out of Niles, California, one hour southeast of San Francisco. He was looking for a leading lady for A Night Out
, and one of his associates noticed Purviance at a Tate's Café in San Francisco and thought she should be cast in the role. Chaplin arranged a meeting with her, and although he was concerned that she might be too serious for comedic roles, she won the job.
Chaplin and Purviance were romantically involved during the making of his Essanay, Mutual, and First National
films of 1915–1917. Purviance appeared in 33 of Chaplin's productions, including the 1921 classic The Kid
. Her last film with him, A Woman of Paris
, was also her first lead role. She went on to appear in two more films: The Sea Gull, also known as A Woman of the Sea
—which Chaplin never released—and Education de Prince
, a French
film released in 1927, just before she retired as an actress. Chaplin kept her on his payroll until her death.
Although she was romantically involved with Chaplin for several years, Purviance eventually married John Squire, a Pan-American Airlines pilot, whom she wed in 1938 and who died in 1945. Recently silent films, in black-and-white and colour, have been discovered that show a glimpse into their life together from the late 1930s and early 1940s, and over 50 production stills from her unreleased film The Sea Gull, have also come to light. These stills have been published with the original title list from the film.
Purviance died of cancer
on January 11, 1958, at the age of 62. She is interred in the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery
in Glendale, California
.
There is currently a petition drive to commemorate Purviance's career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
in the film Chaplin, and more recently by Katie Maguire in the film Madcap Mabel (2009).
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
era. She was the leading lady in many Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
movies. In a span of eight years, she appeared in over thirty films with Chaplin.
Early life
Edna Purviance was born in Paradise Valley, NevadaParadise Valley, Nevada
Paradise Valley is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, near the southeastern boundary of Humboldt National Forest. It is about fifteen miles east of Orovada and U.S...
, to Louis and Madison Gates Purviance. When she was three, the family moved to Lovelock, Nevada
Lovelock, Nevada
Lovelock is a city in western Nevada that is the county seat of Pershing County, the location of a prison, and the namesake of the area's Cold War gunnery range...
, where they assumed ownership of a hotel property. Her parents divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in 1902, and her mother later married Robert Nurnberger, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
. Growing up, Purviance was a talented pianist. She left Lovelock in 1913, and attended business college in San Francisco.
Career
In 1915, Chaplin was working on his second film with Essanay StudiosEssanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
, working out of Niles, California, one hour southeast of San Francisco. He was looking for a leading lady for A Night Out
A Night Out (film)
A Night Out is a 1915 Charlie Chaplin comedy short. It was Chaplin's first film with Edna Purviance, who would continue as his leading lady for the following eight years. It was also Chaplin's first film with Essanay Film Company in Niles, California. Chaplin's first Essanay film, His New Job,...
, and one of his associates noticed Purviance at a Tate's Café in San Francisco and thought she should be cast in the role. Chaplin arranged a meeting with her, and although he was concerned that she might be too serious for comedic roles, she won the job.
Chaplin and Purviance were romantically involved during the making of his Essanay, Mutual, and First National
First National
First National was an association of independent theater owners in the United States that expanded from exhibiting movies to distributing them, and eventually to producing them as a movie studio, called First National Pictures, Inc. It later merged with Warner Bros.-Early history:The First National...
films of 1915–1917. Purviance appeared in 33 of Chaplin's productions, including the 1921 classic The Kid
The Kid (1921 film)
The Kid is a 1921 American silent dramedy film written by, produced by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length movie...
. Her last film with him, A Woman of Paris
A Woman of Paris
A Woman of Paris is a feature-length silent film that debuted in 1923. The film, an atypical drama film for its creator, was written, directed, produced and later scored by Charlie Chaplin. It is also known as A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate....
, was also her first lead role. She went on to appear in two more films: The Sea Gull, also known as A Woman of the Sea
A Woman of the Sea
A Woman of the Sea, also known by its working title Sea Gulls, was an unreleased 1926 silent film produced by the Chaplin Film Company....
—which Chaplin never released—and Education de Prince
Éducation de Prince
Éducation de Prince was a silent French film released in 1927. The French title has been spelled slightly differently over the years. The known English title is Education of a Prince. The director was Henri Diamant-Berger. The known cast included Edna Purviance, Pierre Batcheff and Jean Dax...
, a French
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...
film released in 1927, just before she retired as an actress. Chaplin kept her on his payroll until her death.
Personal life
Purviance died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on January 11, 1958, at the age of 62. She is interred in the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery
Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery
Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery at 1341 GlenwoodRoad in Glendale, California was established in 1884 as Grand View Cemetery.The cemetery was purchased by Len C. Davis in the 1920s, renamed Grand View Memorial Park, and extensively remodeled. A 40 foot entrance arch was added on what is now...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
There is currently a petition drive to commemorate Purviance's career 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...
.
In other media
She was portrayed by Penelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann Miller
Penelope Ann Miller , sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress...
in the film Chaplin, and more recently by Katie Maguire in the film Madcap Mabel (2009).
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | A Night Out A Night Out (film) A Night Out is a 1915 Charlie Chaplin comedy short. It was Chaplin's first film with Edna Purviance, who would continue as his leading lady for the following eight years. It was also Chaplin's first film with Essanay Film Company in Niles, California. Chaplin's first Essanay film, His New Job,... |
The Headwaiter's Wife | |
| The Champion The Champion (film) The Champion is a comedy film released in 1915 by Essanay Studios, starring Charlie Chaplin alongside Edna Purviance and Leo White. Essanay co-owner and star, Broncho Billy Anderson can be seen as an enthusiastic audience member in the boxing match scene.... |
Trainer's Daughter | ||
| In the Park In the Park In the Park is Charlie Chaplin's fourth film released in 1915 by Essanay Films. It was his third film while at the Niles Essanay Studio. It was one of several films Charlie Chaplin created in a park setting... |
Nursemaid | ||
| A Jitney Elopement A Jitney Elopement A Jitney Elopement was Charlie Chaplin's fifth film for Essanay Films. It starred Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance as lovers, with Edna wanting Charlie to take her away from an arranged marriage her father had planned for her. Charlie does take her away in a jitney, a type of share taxi... |
Edna | ||
| The Tramp The Tramp (film) The Tramp is Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Essanay Studios in 1915. Directed by Chaplin, it was the fifth and last film made at Essanay's Niles, California studio. The Tramp marked the beginning of The Tramp character most known today, even though Chaplin played the character in earlier films... |
Farmer's Daughter | ||
| By the Sea By the Sea (1915) By the Sea is a 1915 film Charlie Chaplin made while waiting for a studio to work in Los Angeles. He just left Niles Essanay Studio after doing five films at that location. By the Sea was filmed all on location at Crystal Pier in April 1915... |
Man in Top Hat's Sweetheart | ||
| Work Work (Charlie Chaplin film) Work is a 1915 silent film starring Charlie Chaplin , and co-starring Edna Purviance, Marta Golden and Charles Insley. It was filmed at the Majestic Studio in Los Angeles.... |
Maid | ||
| A Woman A Woman A Woman was Charlie Chaplin's ninth film for Essanay Films. It was made in Los Angeles at the Majestic Studio and released in 1915. The film starts with Chaplin meeting Edna and her parents in a park; the mother is played by Marta Golden and the father by Charles Insley. In this film, Chaplin... |
Daughter of the House | ||
| The Bank | Edna, a Secretary | ||
| Shanghaied Shanghaied (1915 film) Shanghaied is a 1915 American comedy silent film made by Essanay Studios starring Charlie Chaplin.-Synopsis:A shipowner intends to scuttle his ship on its last voyage to get the insurance money. Charlie, a tramp in love with the owner's daughter, is grabbed by the captain and promises to help him... |
Daughter of the Shipowner | ||
| A Night in the Show A Night in the Show A Night in the Show was Charlie Chaplin's 12th film for Essanay. It was made at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles the fall of 1915. Chaplin played two roles: one as Mr. Pest and one as Mr. Rowdy. The film was created from Chaplin's stage work from a play called Mumming Birds with the Karno Company... |
Lady in the Stalls with Beads | ||
| Burlesque on Carmen Burlesque on Carmen Burlesque on Carmen is Charlie Chaplin's thirteenth film for Essanay Films. It was released in 1915 and then later recut into a different version in 1916. Charlie Chaplin played Darn Hosiery and Edna Purviance played Carmen. Carmen was very popular at this time and one of the reasons Chaplin... |
Carmen | ||
| 1916 | The Floorwalker The Floorwalker The Floorwalker was Charlie Chaplin's first Mutual Film Corporation film, made in 1916. It stars Chaplin, in his traditional Tramp persona, as a customer who creates chaos in a department store and becomes inadvertently entangled in the nefarious scheme of the store manager, played by Eric... |
Manager's secretary | |
| Police! Police! Police was Charlie Chaplin's 14th released film from Essanay released in 1916. It was made at the Majestic Studio in Los Angeles. Charlie playing an ex-convict finds life on the outside not to his liking and leads him to breaking into a home with another thief... |
Daughter of the House | ||
| The Fireman The Fireman (film) The Fireman is the second film Charlie Chaplin created for Mutual Film Corporation in 1916. Released on June 12, it starred Chaplin as the fireman and Edna Purviance as the daughter to Lloyd Bacon.... |
Girl | ||
| The Vagabond | Girl Stolen by Gypsies | ||
| The Count | Miss Moneybags | ||
| The Pawnshop The Pawnshop The Pawnshop was Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Mutual Film Corporation. Released on October 2, 1916, it stars Chaplin in the role of assistant to the pawnshop owner, played by Henry Bergman... |
Daughter | ||
| Behind the Screen Behind the Screen Behind the Screen is a 1916 short silent film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film takes place in a movie studio; Chaplin plays a stagehand named David while Campbell, a large man, plays Goliath, his supervisor... |
The Girl | ||
| The Rink | The Girl | ||
| 1917 | Easy Street Easy Street (film) Easy Street is a 1917 short comedy film by Charlie Chaplin.In the film, the police are failing to maintain law and order and so it is Chaplin, as the Little Tramp character, who steps forward to rid the street of bullies, help the poor, save women from madmen and generally keep the peace.-Plot:As... |
The Mission Worker | |
| The Cure | The Girl | ||
| The Immigrant The Immigrant The Immigrant is a 1917 American comedy short film starring the Charlie Chaplin Tramp character as an immigrant coming to the United States who is accused of theft on the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, and befriends a young woman along the way... |
Immigrant | ||
| The Adventurer The Adventurer (film) The Adventurer is a short comedy film made in 1917 written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. It is the last out of the twelve films made while he was under contract for the Mutual Film Corporation.- Plot and characters :... |
The Girl | ||
| 1918 | A Dog’s Life | Bar Singer | |
| Triple Trouble | Maid | Created by Essanay from outtakes left by Chaplin from Police and unfinished film Life | |
| Shoulder Arms Shoulder Arms Shoulder Arms is Charlie Chaplin's second film for First National Pictures. Released in 1918, it is a silent comedy set in France during World War I. The main part of the film occurs in a dream. It co-starred Edna Purviance and Sydney Chaplin, Chaplin's brother... |
French Girl | ||
| The Bond The Bond The Bond is a propaganda film created by Charlie Chaplin at his own expense for the Liberty Load Committee for theatrical release to help sell U.S. Liberty Bonds during World War I.... |
Charlie's Wife | ||
| 1919 | Sunnyside Sunnyside (film) Sunnyside is a 1919 short silent film written, directed and starring Charlie Chaplin. It was his third film for First National Pictures.-Plot summary :... |
Village Belle | |
| A Day’s Pleasure | Mother | ||
| 1921 | The Kid | Mother | Feature |
| The Idle Class The Idle Class The Idle Class is a 1921 American silent film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin for First National Pictures.Charlie Chaplin, as the "Little Tramp", heads to a resort for warm weather and a bit of golf. While at a dance at a country club Edna Purviance mistakes Chaplin for her husband... |
Neglected Wife | ||
| 1922 | Pay Day Pay Day (1922 film) Pay Day is an American short film made by First National Pictures. Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in the film. It is Chaplin's final two-reel short film.-Plot:... |
Foreman's Daughter | |
| 1923 | The Pilgrim | Miss Brown | |
| A Woman of Paris A Woman of Paris A Woman of Paris is a feature-length silent film that debuted in 1923. The film, an atypical drama film for its creator, was written, directed, produced and later scored by Charlie Chaplin. It is also known as A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate.... |
Marie St. Clair | Feature | |
| 1926 | A Woman of the Sea A Woman of the Sea A Woman of the Sea, also known by its working title Sea Gulls, was an unreleased 1926 silent film produced by the Chaplin Film Company.... |
Joan | Unreleased film, considered lost |
| 1927 | Education de Prince Éducation de Prince Éducation de Prince was a silent French film released in 1927. The French title has been spelled slightly differently over the years. The known English title is Education of a Prince. The director was Henri Diamant-Berger. The known cast included Edna Purviance, Pierre Batcheff and Jean Dax... |
Feature |