• Today’s Topics:
  • THE STORE
  • Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
  • Five Star Final (1931)
  • Helen Twelvetrees Book
  • MINI-BIOS
  • Blog

Immortal Ephemera

Classic Movies & Movie Collectibles

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy
  • Reviews
    • Pre-Code
    • Horror
    • Gangsters
    • Warner Archive
  • Biographies
    • Personality Index
  • Mini-Bios
  • Galleries
    • Through 1919
    • 1920 – 1929
    • 1930 – 1939
    • 1940 & Beyond
    • Single Photos
    • About Movie Collectibles
    • Glossary
    • Supplies
  • Info / Misc
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • My Bookshelf
    • Movie Books
    • WAMPAS
    • Newsletter
    • Classic Links
  • Social
    • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
  • Shop
    • Immortal Ephemera eBay Store
    • eBay Shopping Tips
    • My Books
You are here: Home / Archives for Movie Star Biographies

Movie Star Biographies

Biographies of movie stars from the Silent period through Hollywood's Golden Age. These include a great amount of research and are often annotated throughout. Since mid-2008 these are all written by Cliff Aliperti. Older entries point to freelance articles by other contributing authors that were originally posted at an older version of this website.

Louise Beavers – Biography of Imitation of Life’s Aunt Delilah

March 11, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 12 Comments

Louise Beavers in Imitation of Life

A 4,000 word biography of the African American actress Louise Beavers whose greatest fame came as Aunt Delilah in 1934’s Imitation of Life. She enjoyed a long career in mostly maid roles including a starring role on early 1950s television series Beulah.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Beulah, black actors, bullets or ballots, character actors, coquette, Imitation of Life, ladies of the big house, Louise Beavers, no time for comedy, the beulah show

Joan Blondell, as Published in The Dark Pages Nightmare Alley Special

February 26, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 5 Comments

Joan Blondell in Nightmare Alley

A look at Joan Blondell’s career up until the time of Nightmare Alley with a special focus on her Zeena the Seeress from that film noir classic starring Tyrone Power.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Film Noir, Joan Blondell, nightmare alley, pre-Code

Fannie Ward – Biography of the Eternal Flapper and Star of The Cheat

February 25, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 1 Comment

Fannie Ward 1910s Kinema Theatre Advertising Card

A biography of The Eternal Flapper, Fannie Ward, who came to the stage in 1890. Later starred in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Cheat with Sessue Hayakawa. In between she married a South African diamond magnate.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: fannie ward, fanny ward, jack dean, john wooster dean, sessue hayakawa, silent actress, silent stars, stage actress, Tallulah Bankhead, the cheat

Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

February 20, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 10 Comments

Clara Lou Sheridan and Alfred Delcambre

Ann Sheridan’s beginnings in Hollywood. A look at the International Search for Beauty contest that Clara Lou Sheridan rode to a Paramount contract.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Ann Sheridan, ClaraLou Sheridan, search for beauty

Stuart Erwin, Biography of ’30s “Comic Valentine” Turned Early TV Star

February 14, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 3 Comments

Stuart Erwin and June Collyer

A biography of Stuart Erwin, best known for portraying comic bumblers on screen and later starring on TV with his wife, June Collyer, in The Stu Erwin Show.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: calendar, june collyer, pigskin parade, stuart erwin, the stu erwin show, trouble with father, viva villa

Adrianne Allen – Private Lives Star, Also Two Paramount Pre-Code Gems

February 7, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti Leave a Comment

Adrianne Allen 1930s Film Weekly Postcard

A biography of Adrianne Allen, actress who rose to fame in Noel Coward’s Private Lives. Her sparse film career included two 1932 Paramount gems, MERRILY WE GO TO HELL and THE NIGHT OF JUNE 13TH. The former Mrs. Raymond Massey and mother of actors Daniel Massey and Anna Massey.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Adrianne Allen, anna massey, Broadway, daniel massey, Merrily We Go to Hell, Noel Coward, Paramount, Raymond Massey, the night of june 13th, theatre, william dwight whitney

Mary Carlisle, Former Wampas Baby Star, Bing Crosby Co-Star Turns 100 Today

February 3, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 4 Comments

Mary Carlisle 1939 Rothmans Beauties Tobacco Card

A brief biography of 1930s Hollywood beauty Mary Carlisle with several rare images including early Promotional Photos and trading cards. Wampas Baby Star of 1932 who appeared in three films with Bing Crosby, the long-lived Miss Carlisle-Blakely turns 100 in 2014.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Bing Crosby, Birthdays, calendar, elizabeth arden, james blakely, Mary Carlisle, mary carlyle

Paul Lukas – Brief Biography of the Oscar Winning Actor

January 30, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti 2 Comments

Paul Lukas 1930s Aguila Chocolates Trading Card

A brief biography of Oscar winning actor Paul Lukas includes a couple of early Lukas quotes and the return of Picto-Sked highlighting original newspaper ads of several of his films.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies Tagged With: Paul Lukas, picto-sked

Robert McWade – Brief Biography of the Grouchy Character Actor

January 25, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti Leave a Comment

Robert McWade in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

A brief look at the career of 1930s character actor Robert McWade including images of him in some of his more famous movies. Son of a stage legend, he managed to upstage his father at the very end.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies Tagged With: 42nd Street, character actors, cimarron, grand hotel, heroes for sale, i am a fugitive from a chain gang, rip van winkle, Robert McWade, the phantom of crestwood

Hal Roach and Three Well-Known Employees, All Born January 14

January 14, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti Leave a Comment

Hal Roach

Hal Roach employees Bebe Daniels, Mary Ann Jackson and William Bendix were all born on January 14 just like their boss. Each spent significant time working for Roach at different points in the career of the famed producer.

Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies, News - Notes Tagged With: Bebe Daniels, calendar, hal roach, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, mary ann jackson, our gang, william bendix

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 24
  • Next Page »




Free Updates by Email

Just enter your email address and click the button underneath:

Mailing schedule: Nothing at the moment …

… but you never know when I may get the notion to post, so the only way not to miss anything is to subscribe. Thank you!

Q: I subscribed and haven't heard a peep from you? Where are my emails?
A: Did you confirm your subscription? After pressing the above subscribe button you will receive an email with a confirmation link that you must click.

Share:

Share

About Cliff

I write about old movies and movie stars from the 1920s to the 1950s. I also sell movie cards, still photos and other ephemera. Immortal Ephemera connects the stories with the collectibles. Read More…

FacebookYouTubePinterestTwitter




Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Cliff’s Books & eBooks:

Click any image to browse or buy at Amazon.com. Previews available for all titles.

Helen Twelvetrees Perfect Ingenue by Cliff Aliperti

Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue

Kindle $5.99

Paperback $21.95

11 Pre Code Hollywood Movie Histories book

11 Pre Code Hollywood Movie Histories

Still Just $2.99

Freddie Bartholomew An Informal Biography by Cliff Aliperti

The first Freddie Bartholomew biography in over 75 years!

Still just 99c

Praise for Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue

Recommended BooksJames L. Neibaur of Examiner.com calls it: "One of the most interesting and important film books of the young year," adding, "the documentation is original and significant." Full review.

Recommended BooksJacqueline T. Lynch, author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer.Star., says: "A prime example of a classic film fan taking the reins to produce a scholarly study of a neglected figure from the Golden Age of classic films in a way that I feel is refreshing, infinitely helpful to fans and students of old movies." Full review.

Recommended BooksSilver Screenings says: "A fascinating account of an ambitious and hard-working woman ... Aliperti’s book is well written and incredibly well researched." Full review.

Recommended BooksSpeakeasy says: "Despite her decline, this is not a sad or bleak book but an enjoyable history ... Any fan of the collectible Citadel “Films of” book series will appreciate the modern twist on that format, a full biography followed by an expanded filmography." Full review.

Recommended BooksA Classic Movie Blog says: "I think this is a good format for performers with short lives and brief careers ... I went into it with only mild curiosity about Twelvetrees and now I find my self pining for copies of unavailable, but intriguing films." Full review.

Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue is available in paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon.com.


See the site cited - The books that aid in research of my posts

Visit the Immortal Ephemera Bookshelf

  • View Links to Other Classic Movie & Collectible Sites
  • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Find Old Movies

Visit CMBA

Visit the VAMP!

Large Association of Movie Blogs

Special Features:

  • WAMPAS Baby Stars
  • The Centenarians
  • Clark Gable and the Undershirt
  • Honor Slaying

Gallery of Stills, Postcards, More!




Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue

Available through Amazon.com in paperback at $21.95 or for your Kindle at $5.99 — Buy the paperback and get the Kindle edition for FREE.

Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue is one-half biography, one-half film retrospective. The life, loves, and career of an unexpectedly modern woman are presented in Part 1, while Part 2 is comprised of separate chapters covering each of her 32 movies: the good, the bad, and the lost.

Buy it Now, at Amazon.com

Classic Biography:

Edward Everett Horton 1926 Publicity Still

Edward Everett Horton – Biography of the Beloved Character Actor

More Biographies of Old Time Movie Stars

Featured Review:

Ten Cents a Dance 1931

Ten Cents a Dance (1931) Starring Barbara Stanwyck

Movie Cards & Collectibles

Current Immortal Ephemera eBay Sales Listings

... or shop the Immortal Ephemera Store for an even wider selection.

Copyright © 2002-2021 Immortal Ephemera - (privacy policy) - Article by Cliff Aliperti unless otherwise noted.