Laura La Plante facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura La Plante
La Plante ca. 1925
Born	Laura Laplante (1904-11-01)November 1, 1904 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	October 14, 1996(1996-10-14) (aged 91) Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1921–1934
Spouse(s)	William A. Seiter ​ ​ (m. 1926; div. 1934)​ Irving Asher ​ ​ (m. 1934; died 1985)​
Children	2
Relatives	Violet La Plante (sister)

Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American actress. She was most famous for her roles in silent films, which were movies without spoken dialogue.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Laura La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 1, 1904. Her dad, William A. Laplante, taught dancing. After her parents divorced, Laura and her sister, Violet La Plante, moved to San Diego, California, with their mom.

When Laura was a teenager, she visited her cousin in Hollywood during a summer break. She saw a newspaper ad looking for kids to be in movies and got hired! This was the start of her acting career.

Becoming a Silent Film Star

Laura started acting when she was just 15 years old. In 1923, she was chosen as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars." This was a group of young actresses who were thought to be rising stars in Hollywood.

During the 1920s, Laura appeared in more than 60 films! Many of her early movies were with famous cowboy stars like Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. She also starred in exciting movie series called "serials," like Perils of the Yukon (1922).

Laura La Plante in 1920, with Bobby Vernon.

Most of Laura's films from 1921 to 1930 were made for Universal Pictures. She became the most popular star at Universal during this time. She almost always had the main role in her movies.

One of her well-known silent films is The Cat and the Canary (1927). This movie is a classic horror-comedy. She also earned praise for Skinner's Dress Suit (1926).

Singing in Show Boat

Laura also starred in Show Boat (1929). This movie was based on a famous book. Even though it wasn't a musical, some songs were added to the film. Laura didn't sing in the movie herself; another singer named Eva Olivetti provided the voice. This was one of the first times a singer's voice was used for an actor in a movie!

Moving to Sound Films

When movies started to have sound, it changed many actors' careers. Laura was good in these early "talkies," but many new stars appeared. She made her last films for Universal Pictures in the musical King of Jazz (1930), which was filmed in Technicolor (early color film).

She also appeared in movies for other studios, like God's Gift to Women (1931) and Arizona (1931). In Arizona, she acted alongside a young John Wayne.

Later Career and Retirement

Laura La Plante later went to Britain to work on films there. She starred in Man of the Moment (1935) with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.. She also acted in a play in London called Admirals All.

Laura retired from acting in movies in 1935. She only made two more films after that, with her last one being Spring Reunion in 1957. Her younger sister, Violet, was also an actress but didn't become as famous as Laura.

In 1954, Laura appeared on Groucho Marx's TV quiz show You Bet Your Life. She talked about her husband, Irving Asher, and asked that any money she won go to the Motion Picture Relief Fund, which helps people in the film industry.

Death

Laura La Plante passed away on October 14, 1996, in Woodland Hills, California. She was 91 years old. Her death was caused by Alzheimer's disease. Her ashes were scattered at sea.

Legacy

• Laura La Plante Drive in Agoura Hills, California, is named after her.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Laura La Plante para niños

• Silent films