Abby Connolly
Did you know that a popular early film star was the person behind the first car turn signal?
Her name was Florence Lawrence, and she achieved quite a lot as one of the first film stars.
Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1886, Florence was one of three children raised by their theater star mother, Charlotte Bridgwood, otherwise known as Lotta Lawrence. Her mom also managed and starred in productions at the Lawrence Dramatic Company.
When Florence was 21-years-old, she decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in performing. She starred in her first short film, “Daniel Boone/Pioneer Days in America,” alongside her mother. They starred in one more film together before her mom returned to being on stage, and Florence continued to act on camera.
Starting in 1908, Florence starred in films made at the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. Florence was in almost all of the 60 films director D.W. Griffith, one of the most influential early film directors, made that year.
As Florence grew in popularity, she was adamant about demanding a fair and proper salary. She became known as “The Biograph Girl” as her career excelled.
Florence met her husband, fellow actor Harry Solter when they starred in the film “The Girl and the Outlaw” together. Unfortunately, they were let go from the Biograph Company in 1910, so they went to work for the new Independent Motion Picture Company. The year she was hired, Florence starred in fifty films and was asked to go on a publicity tour.
After moving around to other film studios, Florence and Harry decided to open their own film company in 1912 called the Victor Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey. As one of the studio’s owners, Florence officially was part of the first American film studio to be owned by a woman.
Florence and Harry’s film studio began producing movies but ran into some trouble when the couple briefly separated. Even though they eventually reunited, the studio had distribution issues and wasn’t very profitable. The Universal Film Manufacturing Company absorbed it, and Florence and Harry ultimately divorced in 1916.
Florence continued acting after her divorce but didn’t receive as many opportunities as she did during the height of her career, so she explored other paths. She created her own makeup line and opened a cosmetics store called Hollywood Cosmetics. She was also a brilliant inventor and went to work for a company her mom started, Bridgwood Manufacturing.
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