Pauline Frederick
Encyclopedia
Pauline Frederick was a leading Broadway actress who later became known for her motion picture work.
actor when she made her first film
in 1915. She made her last film in 1937. The following year, she died of complications from asthma
and was cremated.
That was the first money she earned, and to Pauline, it seemed like a fortune. “My chums were there in full force that night waiting to see ‘Polly take her dare,’ and for their sakes I had to be brave about it, though I can remember to this day how I quaked inwardly when I stepped out on the stage and saw the hundreds of eyes turned toward me. I thought each eye was saying: ‘She never did this before,’ and in companion I was answering: ‘No, she never did.’ Well, I managed to get through my three songs some way or another, and after that it wasn’t so bad. That first week gave me the courage to go further and, of course, further meant New York.”
In 1908 Pauline was in a serious automobile wreck. It was later discovered that this wreck impaired her ability to have children.
A well-known stage star, Frederick was already in her 30s when she began making films. She specialized in playing commanding and authoritative women throughout her film career. Her stunning beauty stayed with her as she aged into her best remembered roles—sacrificing mothers and 40-something women having a last fling at youth and romance. She was able to make a successful transition to "talkies" in 1929, and was cast as Joan Crawford
's mother in This Modern Age
(1931).
Frederick generally played an angry matriarch. Frederick never shyed away from parts that often other actresses of the time feared, often due to the role being controversial or out of character.
Frederick has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. Many of Frederick's silent film
s such as The Eternal City
(1915) are now considered lost film
s. Others survive in fragile condition in sole remaining prints in archives. One example that survives and is readily available on home video is Smouldering Fires
(1925) that showcase her talents as a dramatic actress.
More of her work is available in the talkie era such as This Modern Age with Joan Crawford, the excellent whodunnit The Phantom of Crestwood
(1932) and the color film Ramona
(1936). Crawford idolized Frederick and based a lot of her persona on the veteran actress.
She also had a two-year affair with Clark Gable
in the 1920s when Gable was a struggling young actor. She was old enough to be his mother.
She gave birth to a baby girl on May 21, 1905 (see Pauline Frederick Discussion)
Early years
Pauline Frederick was born Beatrice Pauline Libby in 1883. “My birthday is – or rather was, for I have had my last – August 12,” she later stated in an interview in Motion Picture Magazine (December 1918). “On that date, according to records, I joined the other little beans in Boston. I had four nationalities from which to choose my temperament – first my good old United States; second my mother’s ancestors, who were Scotch; and third, my father’s who were French and English. Such a combination I realized beforehand would be essential to the making of a picture star and acted accordingly.” she was an established stageStage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
actor when she made her first film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in 1915. She made her last film in 1937. The following year, she died of complications from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and was cremated.
Career
As a girl she was fascinated with show business, and determined early to place her goals in the direction of the theater. She reminisced in an interview in Motion Picture Magazine (December 1918)- As a child there were several things besides some well-known young medicines that I disliked to take, and one of these was a dare. When one of my playmates, whose favorite pastime was running off to the theater whenever we could save money enough to buy tickets and reproducing what we had seen on an elaborate home scale, said: ‘Polly, I dare you to go on the real stage,’ of course I just had to go. I had been studying singing, and succeeded in persuading the manager of a vaudeville house in Boston to hear a couple of my songs. “I’ll put you on for a week,” the manager agreed, “and pay you fifty dollars.”
That was the first money she earned, and to Pauline, it seemed like a fortune. “My chums were there in full force that night waiting to see ‘Polly take her dare,’ and for their sakes I had to be brave about it, though I can remember to this day how I quaked inwardly when I stepped out on the stage and saw the hundreds of eyes turned toward me. I thought each eye was saying: ‘She never did this before,’ and in companion I was answering: ‘No, she never did.’ Well, I managed to get through my three songs some way or another, and after that it wasn’t so bad. That first week gave me the courage to go further and, of course, further meant New York.”
In 1908 Pauline was in a serious automobile wreck. It was later discovered that this wreck impaired her ability to have children.
A well-known stage star, Frederick was already in her 30s when she began making films. She specialized in playing commanding and authoritative women throughout her film career. Her stunning beauty stayed with her as she aged into her best remembered roles—sacrificing mothers and 40-something women having a last fling at youth and romance. She was able to make a successful transition to "talkies" in 1929, and was cast as Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
's mother in This Modern Age
This Modern Age
This Modern Age is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film directed by Nick Grinde starring Joan Crawford, Neil Hamilton, Pauline Frederick and Albert Conti...
(1931).
Frederick generally played an angry matriarch. Frederick never shyed away from parts that often other actresses of the time feared, often due to the role being controversial or out of character.
Frederick has 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...
at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. Many of Frederick's silent film
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...
s such as The Eternal City
The Eternal City (1915 film)
The Eternal City is a silent film directed by Hugh Ford and Edwin S. Porter, produced by Adolph Zukor and based upon a Hall Caine novel. The film was released through the Paramount Pictures division of Famous Players-Lasky. The movie is based on the 1902 Broadway play that starred Viola Allen...
(1915) are now considered lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
s. Others survive in fragile condition in sole remaining prints in archives. One example that survives and is readily available on home video is Smouldering Fires
Smouldering Fires (film)
Smouldering Fires is a 1925 Universal silent drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Pauline Frederick. Its plot is similar to the 1933 talking picture Female, starring Ruth Chatterton....
(1925) that showcase her talents as a dramatic actress.
More of her work is available in the talkie era such as This Modern Age with Joan Crawford, the excellent whodunnit The Phantom of Crestwood
The Phantom of Crestwood
The Phantom of Crestwood is a murder mystery film released by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by J. Walter Ruben, and starring Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, Anita Louise, H. B. Warner, and Pauline Frederick...
(1932) and the color film Ramona
Ramona (1936 film)
Ramona is a 1936 Technicolor drama film directed by Henry King, based on Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel Ramona. This was the third adaptation of the film, and the first one with sound...
(1936). Crawford idolized Frederick and based a lot of her persona on the veteran actress.
Personal life
Pauline Frederick married 5 times:- Frank Mills Andrews (1909 - 1913)
- Willard MackWillard MackWillard Mack was a Canadian-born actor, director, and playwright.Born Charles McLaughlin, in Morrisburg, Ontario, at an early age his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. After two years, they relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where McLaughlin finished high school...
(1917-1919) - Dr. C.A. Rutherford (1922 - ?)
- Hugh C. Leighton (1930 - ?)
- Col. Joseph A. Marmon (January 1934 - December 1934) (his death)
She also had a two-year affair with Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
in the 1920s when Gable was a struggling young actor. She was old enough to be his mother.
She gave birth to a baby girl on May 21, 1905 (see Pauline Frederick Discussion)
External links
- The Pauline Frederick Website
- Photo gallery on silent-movies.org
- Pauline Frederick photo gallery at NYP Library
- Pauline Frederick at Internet Broadway Database
- The Pauline Frederick Page Stanford Univ.
- Pauline Frederick corbis portrait gallery
- pics and text of Pauline Frederick
- Literature on Pauline Frederick