Person Biography:
Florence Turner, also known as "The Vitagraph Girl," was a renowned silent film actress who rose to fame as one of the screen's first movie stars. Born in 1885 in New York City, she was pushed into the entertainment industry at a young age by her overzealous stage mother, performing on the vaudeville stage as Eugenie Florence.
As a child, Turner delighted audiences with her impressive impressionist skills, mimicking well-known stage actresses of the time, including Marie Dressler. By the time she joined Vitagraph Studios in 1906, she was a full-fledged professional, taking on various roles including wardrobe mistress, cashier, and actress.
Turner made her film debut in "Cast Up by the Sea" in 1907 and quickly gained prominence in front of the camera. She formed a successful pairing with Maurice Costello and other matinee idols of the day, appearing in Vitagraph's more quality productions.
In 1913, Turner tested the acting waters in London, where she was frequently directed by her long-time friend Lawrence Trimble. She also collaborated on screenplays and made appearances in music halls, astonishing audiences with her impressive impersonations of famous actors, including Alla Nazimova and Charles Chaplin.
Turner organized her own production company, Turner Films, and went on to produce over 30 shorts, becoming the first star of the screen to take on producing duties. In 1915, she was the top box-office star, maintaining a highly visible transatlantic career for nearly a decade.
Throughout her career, Turner appeared in a wide range of films, including classic Shakespearean productions, historical epics, and classic dramas. However, after World War I, her career began to decline, and by 1924, she was forced to settle permanently in Hollywood, where she continued to work as a stock player for MGM.
The advent of sound ultimately marked the end of Turner's career, and she died in 1946 at the age of 61, practically forgotten, at the Woodland Hills, California Motion Picture Country Home.
