Gladys Brockwell
Encyclopedia
Gladys Brockwell was an American actress whose career began during the silent film
era.
film debut in 1913 as Gladys Brockwell for Lubin Studios
and within a short time was starring in a number of films. Developing her craft, Brockwell moved to Hollywood where she earned herself an important role in the acclaimed 1922 version of Oliver Twist
and in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
the following year.
. Her performance received strong reviews at the time of the film's release and as well by present-day critics of the preserved film.
A Warner Bros.
feature length production, Lights of New York was filmed with microphones strategically hidden around the sets, creating the first motion picture released with fully synchronic dialogue. She was then signed by Warner Bros. and was looking forward to continued success in talkies.
. Brockwell was crushed beneath the automobile driven by Brennan, an advertising man from Los Angeles, California
. The auto went over a 75 feet (22.9 m) embankment on the Ventura Highway near Calabasas.
Seriously injured, the thirty-five-year old Brockwell died a few days later in a Hollywood hospital. Her physician, Dr. Norman P. Sprague, said death was the result of peritonitis
. Four blood transfusions were performed in an effort to save her life, the last just prior to her death. Brennan recovered after sustaining serious injuries. He said a bit of dust had blown into his eye, temporarily blinding him.
Gladys Brockwell's final film The Drake Case was directed by Edward Laemmle
while she was on loan to Universal Pictures
, and was released posthumously in September 1929.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era.
Early life
Born Gladys Lindeman in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of a chorus girl who put her on stage at a very early age. By the time she reached her middle teens, she was already a veteran and taking on dramatic leading roles. She made her East CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
film debut in 1913 as Gladys Brockwell for Lubin Studios
Lubin Studios
The Lubin Manufacturing Company, was an American motion picture production company that produced silent films from 1902 to 1916. Lubin films were distributed with a Liberty Bell trademark.-History:...
and within a short time was starring in a number of films. Developing her craft, Brockwell moved to Hollywood where she earned herself an important role in the acclaimed 1922 version of Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
and in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1923 American film directed by Wallace Worsley and produced by Carl Laemmle and Irving Thalberg. It stars Lon Chaney, Sr., Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Nigel de Brulier, Brandon Hurst. The film is the second most famous adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel,...
the following year.
Career
Never one of the glamorous leading ladies, by the mid 1920s she was past the age of thirty and although still given top female billing, Brockwell performed mainly in supporting roles. Regarded as one of the finest character actresses of the day who not only adapted to the new talkies but excelled in them, her first appearance in a "talkie" came in 1928 in Lights of New YorkLights of New York (1928 film)
Lights of New York was the first all-talking feature film, released by Warner Brothers and directed by Bryan Foy. The film, which cost only $23,000 to produce, grossed over $1,000,000. It was also the first film to define the crime genre...
. Her performance received strong reviews at the time of the film's release and as well by present-day critics of the preserved film.
A Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
feature length production, Lights of New York was filmed with microphones strategically hidden around the sets, creating the first motion picture released with fully synchronic dialogue. She was then signed by Warner Bros. and was looking forward to continued success in talkies.
Death
On June 27, 1929 Gladys Brockwell and friend Thomas Brennan were involved in an automobile accident near Calabasas, CaliforniaCalabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
. Brockwell was crushed beneath the automobile driven by Brennan, an advertising man from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The auto went over a 75 feet (22.9 m) embankment on the Ventura Highway near Calabasas.
Seriously injured, the thirty-five-year old Brockwell died a few days later in a Hollywood hospital. Her physician, Dr. Norman P. Sprague, said death was the result of peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
. Four blood transfusions were performed in an effort to save her life, the last just prior to her death. Brennan recovered after sustaining serious injuries. He said a bit of dust had blown into his eye, temporarily blinding him.
Gladys Brockwell's final film The Drake Case was directed by Edward Laemmle
Edward Laemmle
Edward Laemmle was an American film director of the silent era. He directed 62 films between 1920 and 1935....
while she was on loan to Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, and was released posthumously in September 1929.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | The Rattlesnake | |
| When Mountain and Valley Meet | ||
| 1914 | The Typhoon | Helene |
| The Worth of a Life | Ruby Baker | |
| 1915 | A Man and His Mate | Betty |
| Providence and the Twins | Miss Abagail Dean | |
| 1916 | The Crippled Hand | The Prima Donna |
| The Fires of Conscience | Margey Burke | |
| 1917 | The Price of Her Soul | Ailene Graham |
| The Soul of Satan | Miriam Lee | |
| 1918 | The Devil's Wheel | Blanche De Montfort |
| Kultur | Countess Griselda von Arenburg | |
| 1919 | Pitfalls of a Big City | Molly Moore |
| Chasing Rainbows | Sadie | |
| 1920 | Flames of the Flesh | Candace |
| A Sister to Salome | Elinore Duane | |
| 1921 | The Sage Hen | The Sage Hen |
| 1922 | Oliver Twist Oliver Twist (1922 film) Oliver Twist is a 1922 silent film adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist featuring Lon Chaney as Fagin, and Jackie Coogan as Oliver. Directed by Frank Lloyd.- Synopsis :Oliver's mother, a penniless outcast, died giving birth to him... |
Nancy |
| Double Stakes | ||
| Paid Back | Carol Gordon | |
| 1923 | Penrod and Sam | Mrs. Schofield |
| The Darling of New York | Light Fingered Kitty | |
| 1924 | The Foolish Virgin | Nancy Owens |
| So Big So Big (1924 film) So Big is a 1924 silent film based on Edna Ferber's novel of the same name. It was produced by independent producer Earl Hudson the film was distributed through Associated First National... |
Maartje Poole | |
| 1925 | Chickie | Jennie |
| Stella Maris Stella Maris (1925 film) Stella Maris is a 1925 silent film directed by Charles Brabin, written by Mary Alice Scully and based on a William J. Locke's novel. The film is a remake of the 1918 version, starring Mary Pickford.-Plot:... |
Louisa Risca | |
| 1926 | Her Sacrifice | Mary Cullen |
| Twinkletoes Twinkletoes Twinkletoes is a 1926 silent film romantic drama directed by Charles Brabin and starring Colleen Moore. The film, as with most of Moore's vehicles at this time, was produced by her husband John McCormick with the couple distributing through Moore's resident studio First National... |
Cissie Lightfoot | |
| The Last Frontier The Last Frontier (1926 film) -Cast:* William Boyd as Tom Kirby* Marguerite De La Motte as Beth* Jack Hoxie as Buffalo Bill Cody* J. Farrell MacDonald as Wild Bill Hickok* Frank Coghlan Jr. as Buddy * Mitchell Lewis as Lige* Gladys Brockwell as Cynthia Jaggers... |
||
| 1927 | Long Pants Long Pants Long Pants is a 1927 American comedy silent film starring Harry Langdon and directed by Frank Capra. Additional cast members include Gladys Brockwell, Alan Roscoe, Priscilla Bonner, and others.-Plot:... |
His Mother |
| The Country Doctor | Myra Jones | |
| Seventh Heaven | Nana | |
| 1928 | My Home Town | Mae Andrews |
| The Home Towners | Lottie Bancroft | |
| 1929 | The Hottentot | Mrs. Chadwick |
| The Argyle Case | Mrs. Martin | |
| Hardboiled Rose Hardboiled Rose Hardboiled Rose is a 62-minute part-talkie released by Warner Brothers and starring Myrna Loy, William Collier Jr., and John Miljan.-Plot:... |
Julie Malo | |
| The Drake Case | Lulu Marks |