Marie Prevost facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie Prevost
Prevost c. 1921
Born	Marie Bickford Dunn (1896-11-08)November 8, 1896 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Died	January 21, 1937(1937-01-21) (aged 40) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Nationality	Canadian American
Other names	Mary Prevost Marie Provost
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1915–1936
Spouse(s)	Sonny Gerke ​ ​ (m. 1918; div. 1923)​ Kenneth Harlan ​ ​ (m. 1924; div. 1929)​

Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a famous Canadian-born film actress. She starred in 121 movies during her 20-year career. These films included both silent movies and early sound films.

Marie Prevost started her acting journey during the silent film era. She was discovered by a filmmaker named Mack Sennett. He hired her to be one of his "Bathing Beauties" in the late 1910s. These were actresses who appeared in short comedy films, often in swimsuits. Marie Prevost acted in many of Sennett's funny short films. Later, she moved on to longer movies for Universal.

In 1922, she signed a contract with Warner Bros.. This is where her career really took off, and she became a popular leading lady. A famous director named Ernst Lubitsch really liked her acting. He chose her for three of his comedy films: The Marriage Circle (1924), Three Women (1924), and Kiss Me Again (1925).

After leaving Warner Bros. in 1926, Marie Prevost's career started to slow down. She began getting smaller roles in movies. By 1935, she was only getting very small parts. Her last movie appearance was in 1936. Marie Prevost passed away at the age of 40 in January 1937. Her story helped inspire the creation of the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. This place helps people who work in the movie and TV industry.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Marie Prevost was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were Hughina Marion and Arthur "Teddy" Dunn. Her father worked on the railroad. Sadly, he passed away when Marie was a baby. Her mother, Hughina, later married Frank Prevost. The family then moved to Denver, Colorado.

Marie's stepfather, Frank Prevost, worked as a miner and surveyor. His jobs often made the family move around the country. They lived in places like Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nevada; and Fresno, California. Eventually, they settled down in Los Angeles, California.

While living in Los Angeles, Marie went to Manual Arts High School. In 1915, she got a job as a secretary at a law firm. This firm worked with the Keystone Film Company. One day, while running an errand at the Keystone Studios, Marie was asked to be in a small part for a movie called His Father's Footsteps.

Mack Sennett, who owned Keystone, was very impressed by Marie's acting. He wanted to meet her in his office. Marie later told Motion Picture World magazine about that day. She said, "I asked for Mr. Sennett and was ushered in right away. He looked very stern as I walked into his office. I was ready to cry. Suddenly, he smiled. 'I want your signature today. Sign right here.' I suddenly realized the paper he pushed in front of me was a contract. I was to be one of his Sennett Bathing Beauties. Best of all I was to be paid $15 a week. I signed without reading a word. Fifteen dollars was a lot of money."

Marie Prevost's Film Career

Starting Out in Movies

Marie Prevost in 1918

At first, Marie Prevost played small, funny roles. She worked in many films for Mack Sennett's studio. In 1919, Sennett gave Marie her first main role in the movie Yankee Doodle in Berlin. This film was a big success and helped her career grow. She had another hit in 1920 in the romantic film Love, Honor, and Behave. She starred alongside George O'Hara, another new actor from Sennett's studio.

By 1921, Marie Prevost wanted to work for a different studio. She felt that Sennett was only interested in making money, not in being creative. Director King Baggot helped her get a contract with Universal. She would earn $1,000 per week there. Marie left Keystone and signed with Universal in 1921.

At Universal, a film executive named Irving Thalberg became interested in Marie. He wanted to make her a big star. Thalberg made sure she got a lot of attention from the public. He set up many events to put her in the spotlight. He announced that Marie would star in two films, The Moonlight Follies (1921) and Kissed (1922). To show she was moving on from her "bathing beauty" days, Thalberg sent Marie to Coney Island. There, she famously burned her old swimsuit.

Becoming a Star

While at Universal, Marie Prevost mostly acted in light comedies. After her contract ended, Jack L. Warner signed her to a two-year contract with Warner Bros.. She would earn $1,500 per week starting in 1922. During this time, Marie was dating actor Kenneth Harlan. Jack Warner also signed Harlan to a contract. He then cast Marie and Kenneth as the main characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald's movie The Beautiful and Damned.

Marie Prevost in 1923

Marie's performance in The Beautiful and Damned received good reviews. Director Ernst Lubitsch then chose her for an important role in his 1924 film The Marriage Circle. Lubitsch said that Marie was one of the few actresses who knew how to act in a subtle way to make comedy even funnier. Her acting in this film was praised by The New York Times. Because of this, Lubitsch cast her in Three Women in 1924 and Kiss Me Again the next year.

In early 1926, Warner Bros. decided not to renew Marie Prevost and Kenneth Harlan's contracts. Marie and Kenneth had quietly married in 1924. Soon after she left Warner Bros., Marie's mother, Hughina, passed away in a car accident in New Mexico in February 1926.

Career Changes

The loss of her mother deeply affected Marie Prevost. After her marriage to Kenneth Harlan ended in 1927, her career continued, but she was given smaller roles.

Howard Hughes saw Marie Prevost in The Beautiful and Damned. He then cast her as the lead in The Racket (1928). This movie turned out to be Marie Prevost's last main role.

In 1929, Cecil B. DeMille offered her a co-starring role in his last silent film, The Godless Girl. She received good reviews for her part in this movie. The next year, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

While at MGM, Marie Prevost worked steadily. However, she was only offered supporting roles. In 1930, she appeared in Paid, starring Joan Crawford. Even though her role was secondary, she earned good reviews. In 1931, she played Helen Hayes' loyal friend in The Sin of Madelon Claudet. In 1932, she was one of three main actresses in the film Three Wise Girls, starring Jean Harlow.

By 1934, Marie had no work at all. Her financial situation became very difficult. Marie Prevost made her last appearance on screen in a small part as a waitress in Ten Laps to Go (1936).

Personal Life

Marie Prevost in 1926

Marie Prevost was married two times. Both marriages ended in divorce. Her first marriage was to Henry Charles "Sonny" Gerke in June 1918. This marriage was kept private. It only became public when Gerke filed for divorce in August 1923. He said the marriage was a secret because Marie feared it would hurt her acting career.

In October 1924, Marie Prevost married actor Kenneth Harlan. They had starred in several films together. Marie and Kenneth separated in May 1927. Their divorce was finalized in January 1929.

Legacy

Marie Prevost passed away on January 21, 1937, at the age of 40. Her funeral was paid for by actress Joan Crawford. Many famous people attended, including Clark Gable, Wallace Beery, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mack Sennett, and Barbara Stanwyck. Marie's sister had her remains cremated and mixed them with those of their mother.

Marie Prevost's story, and the challenges she faced, helped the Hollywood community create the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. This organization provides support for people who work in the film and television industry.

For her important work in movies, Marie Prevost has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Marie Prevost para niños