Lorraine Huling Maynard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorraine Huling Maynard
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Huling, c. 1915
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Lorraine Huling
January 19, 1897 Oakesdale, Washington, U.S.
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| Died | November 15, 1971 (aged 74) |
| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Field Maynard (1917 - 1964, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Lorraine Huling Maynard (born January 19, 1897 – died November 15, 1971) was an American silent film actress and author. She was known for her roles in early movies and for writing children's books.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lorraine Huling was born in Oakesdale, Washington. Her parents were Floyd and Florence Simmons Huling. She spent her early years attending public schools and a convent school in Chicago, Illinois. Later, she went to different boarding schools both in the United States and in other countries. Lorraine also spent many summers in Westbrook, Connecticut, with her grandmother. She often traveled abroad with her mother.
Stage and Film Career
Lorraine's mother encouraged her to become an actress. In 1913, Lorraine made her first appearance on Broadway in a play called Prunella. Her success in this play led to an offer from the Famous Players Film Company. She also acted in another Broadway show, Help Wanted, in 1914.
The next year, she started acting in silent films. These movies were made by the Thannhauser Company in New Rochelle, New York. In 1915, while working as a model in New York City, she met Richard Field Maynard. He was a portrait painter and a graduate of Harvard College.
Lorraine and Richard fell in love, but their families were not happy about their relationship. Richard's parents were worried about the age difference, as he was born in 1875. Lorraine's mother also did not approve. She moved with Lorraine to Hollywood, California.
Even though they were separated, Lorraine and Richard wrote letters to each other. Lorraine continued to act in more films. She played the character of Cordelia in King Lear and appeared in The Fall of a Nation. This film was made as a response to D.W. Griffith's famous movie, The Birth of a Nation. Both films were based on books by the same author, Thomas Dixon, Jr..
Lorraine and Richard got married in 1917. After their marriage, Lorraine stopped acting in movies. They had two daughters named Sylvia and Beverly.
Becoming an Author
Soon after she got married, Lorraine started taking creative writing classes at Columbia University. Many of her short stories were published in magazines for children. In both 1929 and 1930, her stories were chosen to be in collections of the "best" children's stories.
She also wrote two children's books. One was called Twinkle Little Movie Star, which used her experiences from Hollywood and moviemaking. Her other book was Dilly Was Different.
In the 1930s, Lorraine worked with David Seabury on his books. She even transcribed one of his books into Braille. He also wrote the introduction for her book, Genius in Chrysalis: Locked Doors on Greatness Within. Lorraine's last book, Bellevue, was published in 1940. She wrote it with Dr. Laurence Miscall.
Later Life and Legacy
Richard Field Maynard, Lorraine's husband, passed away in 1964. Lorraine died in her home in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, on November 15, 1971. Her personal papers, including her writings and other documents, are kept at Harvard Library.
Selected Filmography
Here are some of the films Lorraine Huling Maynard appeared in:
- The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch (1914)
- The Straight Road (1914)
- The Dancing Girl (1915)
- Are You a Mason? (1915)
- His Wife (1915)
- The Fall of a Nation (1916)
- King Lear (1916)
