Mary Miles Minter
Mary Miles Minter (April 1, 1902 - August 4, 1984) was a U.S. film actor in silent films.
Born Juliet Reilly in Shreveport, Louisiana, she was the daughter of an ambitious but unsuccessful actor named Charlotte Shelby. Her mother pushed her towards a stage career, and by the age of 5 she had appeared in her first play. Until the age of 15, she was rarely unemployed and was greatly admired for both her talent and her beauty. Changing her name to Mary Miles Minter, she made her first film in 1915 and over the next few years steadily built her career.
Minter specialised in playing demure and innocent young girls. With her photogenic "registration", even features, "periwinkle blue eyes" and curly hair she emulated and later rivalled Mary Pickford.
Her first film for director William Desmond Taylor was ' Anne of Green Gables in 1919, and Taylor actively promoted Minter as a star of great potential. A close relationship developed between them and Minter began to distance herself from her mother.
In 1922 Taylor was murdered in his home and Minter apparently lied to police about when she had seen him last. The ensuing scandal was the subject of widespread media speculation and as allegations about Taylor's questionable past began to circulate, it was revealed that several intimate letters written by Minter (along with other items belonging to her) had been found in his house after his death.
Minter was at the height of her success, having starred in more than 50 films when sensationalistic newspaper revelations of the twenty year old film star's association with a forty-nine year old director caused rolling scandals. She made two more films after this but was rejected by her public. The studio terminated her contract when it became clear her reputation had been destroyed. She left Hollywood and lived the rest of her life in obscurity. She had invested in Los Angeles real estate and seems to have lived in relative comfort, although she was the victim of several robberies during the 1970s and early 80s. Police described her as a frail little old lady and people were often shocked to learn she had been a famous movie star.
Minter commented she had never been happy with her Hollywood career and was content to live without it. She proclaimed her love for Taylor throughout her life. In 1984 Minter died from heart failure in Santa Monica, California.
By 1999, all prints of her film Anne of Green Gables were believed to have been lost. Mary Miles Minter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 1724 Vine St.