Eleanor Boardman

Olive Eleanor Boardman was born on August 19, 1898, the youngest child of George W. Boardman and Janice Merriam "Jennie" Stockman Boardman. She had two older sisters named Merriam and Esther.https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4384847_01155?pid=89236460&backurl=http://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/89236460:6061&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/4449777_00389?pid=105043603&backurl=http://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/105043603:7884&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}} In 1920, she was working as a contractor.https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4384847_01155?pid=89236460&backurl=http://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/89236460:6061&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}

Educated in Philadelphia,{{cite news |title=Eleanor Boardman born in Philly |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45706410/eleanor-boardman/ |access-date=February 27, 2020 |work=Reading Times |date=March 14, 1928 |location=Pennsylvania, Reading |page=10|via = Newspapers.com}} Boardman originally acted on stage, but she lost her voice while starring in The National Anthem. She then entered a nationwide contest for new actors and actresses for silent films. She was chosen from among 1,000 competitors by Goldwyn Pictures as their "New Face of 1922". Her initial screen test was unsuccessful, but a second test resulted in a contract.{{cite book |last1=Fleming |first1=E. J. |title=Paul Bern: The Life and Famous Death of the MGM Director and Husband of Harlow |date=2009 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-5274-3 |page=68 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2sR3myRlxsC&q=%22Eleanor+Boardman%22&pg=PA68 |access-date=February 26, 2020 |language=en}} After several successful supporting roles, she played the lead in Souls for Sale in 1923. That same year, Boardman's growing popularity was reflected by her inclusion on the list of WAMPAS Baby Stars.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

File:Eleanor Boardman cover art from June 1926 issue of Picture-Play Magazine (March 1926 to August 1926) (page 379 crop).jpg

She appeared in more than 30 films during her career, including director King Vidor's The Crowd (1928). Her performance in that film is widely recognized as one of the outstanding performances in American silent film. In 1932, after some success in sound films, she parted ways with MGM. Her final film was The Three Cornered Hat, which was made in Spain in 1935. After that production, she retired from acting and retreated from Hollywood. Her last appearances were in an interview filmed for Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's British documentary series Hollywood (1980) and the series MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992).{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

Boardman was married to film director King Vidor,{{r|pb|page1=111}} with whom she had two daughters, Antonia and Belinda. They married in 1926 and were divorced on April 11, 1933.{{cite news |last1=Parsons |first1=Louella |title=Eleanor Vidor betrothed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45705031/eleanor-boardman/ |access-date=February 27, 2020 |work=Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph |agency=Universal Service |date=September 28, 1933 |location=Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh |page=2|via = Newspapers.com}} Fellow actors John Gilbert and Greta Garbo had allegedly planned a double wedding with them, but Garbo broke the plans at the last minute.{{r|pb|page1=111}}

On May 23, 1929, a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charged Boardman with evading income tax payments in 1925, 1926, and 1927. Simultaneously, an information filed in federal court accused Vidor of income tax evasion in 1925 and 1926. J. Marjorie Berger, an income tax counselor in Hollywood, had earlier been indicted on charges of preparing a false income tax return for the couple for 1925.{{cite news |title=Evasion of Taxes Charged Actress |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45705603/salt-lake-telegram/ |access-date=February 27, 2020 |work=The Salt Lake Telegram |agency=Associated Press |date=May 23, 1929 |location=Utah, Salt Lake City |page=1|via = Newspapers.com}}

Boardman's second husband was Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast,{{cite news |title=Eleanor Boardman Weds |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/105396656 |access-date=November 12, 2020 |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |date=June 1, 1940 |page=17|id={{ProQuest|105396656}}}} to whom she was married from 1940. She divided her time between the United States and their chateau in the Pyrenees Mountains. After her husband's death in 1968, she permanently relocated to the United States, where she settled into Montecito, California, living in a house she designed.

Boardman died in her sleep at her Santa Barbara, California, home on December 12, 1991, at the age of 93.{{cite news |title=Eleanor Boardman: Actress, 93 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/108678734 |access-date=November 12, 2020 |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |date=December 17, 1991 |page=D 21|id={{ProQuest|108678734}} }} Her ashes were scattered in Santa Barbara near her home.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

For her contributions to the film industry, Boardman has a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located at 6928 Hollywood Boulevard.[http://www.walkoffame.com/eleanor-boardman Hollywood Walk of Fame – Eleanor Boardman]

File:Eleanor Boardman (Jan. 1923).png magazine, 1923]]

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{{Portal|Biography|Film}}

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• {{IMDb name|0090187}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041019134134/http://silent-movies.com/Ladies/PBoardman.html Eleanor Boardman photo gallery]
• [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=705 Photographs and literature]
• [http://bibnum2.bnquebec.ca/bna/petitj/src/1929/05/26/164399_003_0709.pdf Publicity still, Le Petit Journal (Montreal, Canada, weekly newspaper), 26 May 1926]

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Category:1898 births

Category:1991 deaths

Category:American film actresses

Category:American silent film actresses

Category:Actresses from Philadelphia

Category:20th-century American actresses