Clara Kimball Young

Clara Kimball Young, one of the first great stars of American silent film, died at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland Hills, California, on October 15, 1960. She was seventy. She was born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball in Chicago on September 6, 1890, the only child of traveling stock actors Edward and Pauline Kimball. She made her stage debut at three and grew up on the road with her parents' company, attending St. Francis Xavier Academy in Chicago between engagements. As a young woman she joined another stock company and married a fellow actor, James Young. In 1912 the couple sent a photograph to Vitagraph Studios and were both offered contracts. On screen she rose quickly, usually cast as the virtuous heroine in short dramas, and by 1913 she was among the studio's most popular leading ladies. In 1914 Vitagraph released My Official Wife, directed by her husband and co-starring Earle Williams; it was a major hit and put both stars at the top of popularity polls. By 1915 her drawing power was compared with that of Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish. She signed with producer Lewis J. Selznick and became a principal attraction of the World Film Corporation, then formed her own production company. The business arrangements soured, and she accused Selznick of shutting her out of her own company's affairs. A later partnership with Harry Garson also struggled, and by the mid-1920s her career had faded. Her last silent feature was Lying Wives in 1925. She spent the rest of the decade in vaudeville. The arrival of sound brought a brief revival, with featured roles for RKO and Tiffany, and a memorable part in the 1936 mystery The Rogues Tavern, followed by smaller roles and radio work. She retired from acting in 1941. In March 1960 she underwent surgery for a chronic bronchial ailment and never regained her health. She died of a stroke that October and was laid to rest at Grand View Memorial Park in Glendale. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame stands at 6513 Hollywood Boulevard.