Failing in business, Flo tried to put a little fire in her private life. She was married to Charles Bryne Woodring whom little is known about, other than that he fought in the Great War and was a car salesman upon his return. They had known each other just five days. But even marriage could not distract her from her lack of roles. She did a part here and a part there over the next few years, but a steady career evaded her. She was getting desperate- lying about her age, and even getting her nose "bobbed." She also opened a cosmetic shop: "Florence's Hollywood Cosmetics," which never had much hope of success. Then, on Aug. 20, 1929 Florence lost her mother. Not long after, she and Woodring were divorced. Flo was truly alone. She was easy prey when Henry Bolton, a mysterious man, found her and convinced her to marry him. She did in 1933, only to discover he was an abusive alcoholic who beat her mercilessly. By March 1934, Flo had removed herself from his grasp and obtained yet another divorce. She would not marry again.


The Last Gasp

Broken hearted, but still determined, Flo made another stab at Hollywood. She landed a speaking role- talkies had entered cinema!- in The Hard Hombre starring Hoot Gibson. Flo surprised people with her youthful good looks, despite the fact that she was now 45. She also had a clear and unaccented speaking voice and handled herself very well in her cameo. This was pretty much her last hoorah, which is sad since she did such an amazing job. The rest of her work consisted of extra jobs and small roles in a handful of other pictures. In 1937, she developed a painful condition, in conjunction with her sore back, which was attacking her bone marrow. It would probably be diagnosed today as something akin to myelofibrosis. The symptoms included fluid and pain in the abdomen, joint and bone pain, and skin eruptions. There was no cure. In agony, Florence also endured anemia, which was reasonably followed by depression. Florence had resigned herself to oblivion. Her moment, her brief moment in the spotlight, was over. All she had left was misery and memories. The stubbornly optimistic golden girl put a smile on for friends, but she knew she was dying. Furthermore, she knew her career was dead.

On Wednesday, Dec. 28, 1938, Florence canceled an acting job with Metro. Sometime in the afternoon, her neighbor at Westborne Ave, Marian Menzer, heard her scream. She found her writhing on the floor and called an ambulance, which rushed her to Beverly Hills Emergency Hospital. She was pronounced dead at 2:45p.m. She had consumed a mixture of cough syrup and ant paste. The suicide note she had left her roommates said the following: "Call Dr. Wilson. I am tired. Hope this works. Good-by my darlings. They can't cure me so let it go at that. Lovingly, Florence. P.S. You've all been swell guys. Everything is yours." At the age of 52, after 31 years in the motion picture business, the first movie star was gone. Her funeral on Dec. 30 seems to have been a small, private affair. Her body was interred at Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, now known as Hollywood Forever. For years, her grave was left unmarked, and Florence lay forgotten. Later, a sympathetic soul heard of her unmarked tomb and paid for a modest marker to be placed above it. I have heard rumors that this person was the gentlemanly Roddy McDowall. The stone says: "Florence Lawrence, The Biograph Girl, The First Movie Star, 1890-1938." Flo would have loved the fact that they shaved off a few years for her.

The brutal lesson of what Hollywood can do was taught to us early. The first star was raised up like a beacon of wonder, only to be shot down before it reached its zenith. Flo showed us the grandeur of celebrity, the effect of an actor's charisma and storytelling power on the public, and then equally taught us the repercussions of living life on a pedestal set far too high. Florence entered the biz an impetuous and spirited talent who could not be contained nor denied, and exited a forgotten and lost soul, betrayed by the very people who had once claimed to love her. As with everything: there is dark and there is light. In recalling Florence, as a woman and as a friend, those who did claim to know her could not believe that she would kill herself. It was so unlike her. She was too strong, too stubborn, too full of life. Perhaps it was in one of her all too impulsive moments that she made the decision to end it all. How I wish her films were available to us. How I wish her name were as known as Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, Clark Gable or Jean Harlow. Sadly it is not, and yet we owe her so much for what we are-- not as ravenous rag-mag readers, but as human beings, who for brief periods of time let our guards down, entrust ourselves to the safety of the theater, and let filmmakers and actors guide our souls. Florence was one of the first to crack us open, to offer herself up to us as a martyr for our emotions, an outlet for our laughter and sorrows. I am grateful for this woman, whom I shall never know. (Is it strange to feel that I do)??? Before I close the book on her, I will let her say farewell to you in her own words. From the final entry of the auto-biographical series she wrote for "Photoplay" at the height of her stardom:

"And now I say goodbye, I love you all-- love you with all my heart and soul. When I look from my window at night I wonder if there is anything I have ever done to cause you pain. I hope not. So again, good-bye!"

 

From thegreatstars

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Florence Lawrence

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  Florence Lawrence and Arthur Johnson in "The Way of Man" (1909), director D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence loves her biscuits in "Her First Biscuits" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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  Florence Lawrence in "Her First Biscuits" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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  Florence Lawrence and Owen Moore in "Flo's Discipline" (1912), produced by Victor Film Company and directed by her then husband Harry Solter.

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  Florence Lawrence in "Flo's Discipline" (1912), produced by Victor Film Company and directed by her then husband Harry Solter.

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  Florence Lawrence in "The Girls and Daddy" (1909) directed by D. W. Griffith.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-The-Taming-of-the-Shrew-1908-director-DW-Griffith-16.jpg

  Florence Lawrence delivers an inspired and truly stellar performance as the ill-tempered Katherina in "The Taming of the Shrew" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence does not yield when Petruchio verifies the effect of his taming measures in "The Taming of the Shrew" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence and Petruchio enjoy a day out in "The Taming of the Shrew" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence in "The Lure of the Gown" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-What-Drink-Did-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-00.jpg

  Florence Lawrence and her daughter in "What Drink Did" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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  Florence Lawrence and her companion laugh at Mack Sennett's misfortune in "Lucky Jim" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith.

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• George-Gebhardt-and-Florence-Lawrence-in-Romance-of-a-Jewess-1908-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-03.jpg

  Florence Lawrence meets George Gebhardt in a love at first glance in "Romance of a Jewess" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• George-Gebhardt-and-Florence-Lawrence-in-Father-Gets-In-the-Game-1908-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-00.jpg

  George Gebhardt and Florence Lawrence in "Father Gets In the Game" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• Florence-Lawrence-and-Harry-Solter-and-George-Gebhardt-in-Money-Mad-1908-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-16.jpg

  Florence Lawrence, Harry Solter and George Gebhardt in "Money Mad" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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  Florence Lawrence makes up her mind to leave for a better place in "Confidence" (1909), director D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence and Arthur Johnson have a hospital romance in "Confidence" (1909), director D. W. Griffith.

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  Arthur Johnson and Florence Lawrence in a scene from "Art Versus Music" (1911), produced by Lubin.

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• Florence-Lawrence-and-Owen-Moore-in-The-Mended-Lute-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-3.jpg

  Florence Lawrence and Owen Moore in "The Mended Lute" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-The-Song-of-the-Shirt-1908-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-00.jpg

  Florence Lawrence in "The Song of the Shirt" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-Betrayed-By-A-Handprint-1908-director-DW-Griffith-4.jpg

  Florence Lawrence in "Betrayed By A Handprint" (1908), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-A-Drunkards-Reformation-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-fl.jpg

  Florence Lawrence begs her husband to stop drinking in "A Drunkard's Reformation" (1909), directed by D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.
  

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-Resurrection-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-2.jpg

  Florence Lawrence in "Resurrection" (1909), director D. W. Griffith.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-The-Joneses-Have-Amateur-Theatricals-1909-director-DW-Griffith-cinematographer-Billy-Bitzer-00.jpg

  Florence Lawrence in "The Joneses Have Amateur Theatricals" (1909), director D. W. Griffith.

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  Florence Lawrence during a happy day in "The Country Doctor" (1909), director D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-The-Country-Doctor-1909-000.jpg

  Florence Lawrence during a very sad day in "The Country Doctor" (1909), director D. W. Griffith, cinematographer Billy Bitzer.

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  Florence Lawrence acting.

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  Florence Lawrence in a nice portrait.

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-a-beautiful-portrait.jpg

  Florence Lawrence in a beautiful portrait.

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• Florence-Lawrence-with-a-curl.jpg

  Florence Lawrence with a curl.

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  Florence Lawrence in a beautiful dress.

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  Florence Lawrence with a tennis racket.

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• Florence-Lawrence-and-Laura-Oakley-in-The-Pawns-of-Destiny.jpg

  Florence Lawrence and Laura Oakley in "The Pawns of Destiny" (1914).

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• Florence-Lawrence-in-a-fur-hat.jpg

  Florence Lawrence wth a fur hat.

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• Florence-Lawrence-moving-picture-weekly.jpg

  Florence Lawrence - Moving Picture Weekly.

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  Florence Lawrence sitting comfortably.

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• Florence-Lawrence-the-Biograph-girl.jpg

  Florence Lawrence - the Biograph girl..

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  Florence Lawrence - Universal.

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  Florence Lawrence on the cover of Photoplay Magazine.

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Selected Filmography

• D.W. Griffith, Florence Lawrence, Arthur V. Johnson, Billy Bitzer, silent film, silent movie stars, free classic film, old movies, silent film streaming, silent era, archive films, rare films, silent drama, silent classics, classic crime movies