Phyllis Haver

Biography

From Wikipedia

Phyllis Haver (January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American actress of the silent film era.

Haver auditioned for comedy producer Mack Sennett on a whim. Sennett hired her as one of his original Sennett Bathing Beauties. Within a few years, she appeared as a leading lady in two-reelers for Sennett Studios.

Later, while signed with DeMille-Pathé, Haver played the part of Roxie Hart in the first film adaptation of Chicago in 1927, opposite Hungarian film actor Victor Varconi. One reviewer called her performance "astoundingly fine," and added that Haver "makes this combination of tragedy and comedy a most entertaining piece of work."

She performed in the comedy film The Battle of the Sexes (1928), directed by D. W. Griffith, and appeared with Lon Chaney in his last silent film, Thunder (1929).

Haver retired from the industry with two 'sound' films to her credit.

In 1929, she married millionaire William Seeman with a service performed by New York Mayor James J. Walker at the home of Rube Goldberg, the cartoonist. The couple divorced in 1945.

Haver retired in Sharon, Connecticut. She died at age 61 from an overdose of barbiturates in 1960, a suspected suicide. Haver left no survivors.

Known For

The Temple of Venus

Rugged Water

What Price Glory

The Golden Princess

Nobody's Widow

Hearts and Flowers

The Little Adventuress

Tenth Avenue

Filmography

1949 Down Memory Lane

as (archive footage)

1943 Happy Times and Jolly Moments

as (archive footage)

1939 A Small Town Idol

as Mary Brown

1930 She Couldn't Say No

as Showgirl

1929 Thunder

as Zella

1929 The Office Scandal

as Jerry Cullen

1928 Sal of Singapore

as Sal

1928 The Battle of the Sexes

as Marie Skinner

1928 Tenth Avenue

as Lyla Mason

1927 Chicago

as Roxie Hart

1927 The Wise Wife

as Helen Blaisdell

1927 The Way of All Flesh

as The Temptress

1927 The Fighting Eagle

as Countess de Launay

1927 The Little Adventuress

as Victoria Stoddard

1927 Nobody's Widow

as Betty Johnson

1926 What Price Glory

as Shanghai Mabel

1926 The Nervous Wreck

as Sally Morgan

1926 3 Bad Men

as Lily

1926 Fig Leaves

as Alice Atkins

1926 Don Juan

as Imperia (uncredited)