Joe Oesterle answers a question about Florence Lawrence

Florence Lawrence (January 2, 1886 -- December 28, 1938) was a silent film actress. She is often referred to as "The First Movie Star." When she was popular, she was known as "The Biograph Girl."

Florence committed suicide by ingesting a lethal mixture of cough syrup and ant paste.

Lawrence was interred in an unmarked grave in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She remained forgotten until 1991, when actor Roddy McDowall, paid for a memorial marker.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3522

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Joe Oesterle
• Weird Hollywood
• Florence Lawrence
• Larry Edmunds
• Brian Donnelly

[FlorenceLawrence]

There is a book written about Florence Lawrence: The Biograph Girl, published by McFarland in 1999.

[Joesterlee]

@snufpark, I don't recall if Gary told me about Florence's place of birth, but he probably did mention the turn signal and stop signal. Aside from being one of the nicest people I've ever met, he's also a genuine student of Hollywood.

@tousamis, I agree I could write an entire book on Florence, but my book, "Weird Hollywood," is a compilation of a number of different stories, from roadside attractions, urban legends, local heroes, true crime, unique architecture, etc. Had to keep things moving.

[snufpark]

Did Gary Owen mention that Florence Lawrence was Canadian? That she invented both the automobile turn signal and stop signal?

[tousamis]

Too bad he did not explain more to the audience about her, she was really famous and the epitome of Hollywood tragedy like so many happened then.