Born #OTD 1894: Gladys Brockwell, a luminary of the silent era who met a sudden and tragic end just as the age of the 'Talkies' was dawning

Photos by Albert Witzel

A Brooklyn-born beauty, Gladys Brockwell (née Lindeman), was touring the country in theatrical productions as early as age seven. Over the course of two decades, she starred in numerous silent films and was 'regarded as one of the finest character actresses of the day who not only adapted to sound films but excelled in them.' However, as this bold new era of sound in cinema was gaining momentum, tragedy struck on 27 June 1929. Ms Brockwell was involved in a horrific car crash that sent the vehicle over a 75-foot embankment on the Ventura Highway, trapping her beneath the wreckage. Despite four blood transfusions, she succumbed to internal injuries and sadly departed this cruel earth on 2 July 1929, at just 34 years of age.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Melva Frances Cornell Lachmann, 1904 - 1960

Photo: Albert Witzel

An obscure Ziegfeld Girl of the 1920s, Melva Frances Cornell Lachmann, a classmate of Myrna Loy at Hollywood High School, graced the silver screen in a single credited role, the now-lost 1929 film ‘Fox Movietone Follies’. She subsequently found employment in the publicity department at 20th Century Fox. Fate dealt a cruel hand to Mrs Lachmann, as she lost both her husband, Marc Lachmann, and her young son to leukaemia in the 1940s. She passed away in January 1960, at the tender age of 55.

Photo: an autographed portrait of the actress Melva Frances Cornell Lachmann, captured by the lens of photographer Albert Witzel, circa 1929. A serene expression adorns her countenance as her gaze is directed slightly upward and to the side, exuding an almost wistful demeanour. Her eyes are wide and expressive, framed by dark, well-defined brows. She is dressed in a sombre garment, with a long string of pearls draped gracefully over her hand and across her chest.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.