Phyllis Haver

Infobox Actor
name = Phyllis Haver


imagesize = 200px
caption =
birthname = Phyllis O'Haver
birthdate = birth date|1899|1|6|mf=y
birthplace = Douglass, Kansas
deathdate = death date and age|1960|11|19|1899|1|6|mf=y
deathplace = Falls Village, Connecticut
yearsactive = 1915-1930
spouse = William Seeman (1929 - 1945)

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

Early life

Born Phyllis O'Haver in Douglass, Kansas, she relocated with her family to the then small town of Los Angeles, California when she was very young. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High and upon graduating began to earn a living as a pianist in the new silent film theaters that began cropping up in the fast-growing city.

Career

Haver began her acting career on a whim, when she decided to audition for legendary comedy producer Mack Sennett. Sennett was immediately impressed by the attractive teenager and hired her on the spot to appear as one of his "Bathing Beauties". Within a few years, Haver had begun appearing as a leading lady in two-reelers for Sennett Studios.

During the early 1920s, Haver's public popularity rose and she became a favorite choice for directors to appear in comedy roles. Having worked for several years with Sennett, Haver had honed her skills as an actress and become a rather adept comedienne. One of her most memorable roles was the part of Roxie Hart in the very first film adaptation of "Chicago" in 1927, opposite Hungarian film actor Victor Varconi. The film became an enormous international success and made Haver recognizable throughout the world. A reviewer called her performance "astoundingly fine". Miss Haver "makes this combination of tragedy and comedy a most entertaining piece of work."

Another of Haver's notable roles was in the 1928 box-office hit comedy film "The Battle of the Sexes", directed by D.W. Griffith. Haver won rave reviews from film critics for her role in the film. The following year, she co-starred with Lon Chaney, Sr. in his last silent film, "Thunder". As the Roaring Twenties drew to a close and talkies came increasingly popular with the public, after appearing in two sound films, she retired from the industry.

Personal life

She married millionaire William Seeman in 1929. The marriage was performed by New York Mayor James J. Walker at the home of Rube Goldberg, the cartoonist. The couple divorced in 1945. She was linked to other notable men throughout her lifetime, but only married once.

Death

Haver lived in retirement in Falls Village, Connecticut, until her death at the age of 61 from an intentional overdose of barbiturates in 1960. She left no immediate survivors.

elected filmography

* "Don Juan" (Uncredited, 1926)
* "3 Bad Men" (1926)
* "Fig Leaves" (1926)
* "What Price Glory" (1926)
* "The Way of All Flesh" (1927)
* "Chicago" (1927)
* "Thunder" (1929)
* "She Couldn't Say No" (1930)

References

*cite news | author = Associated Press | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30F17FF3A541A7A93C3AB178AD95F448685F9 | format = fee | work = The New York Times | title = Ex-Actress Found Dead In Her Home; Phyllis Haver, Who Starred in Silent Films, Believed to Have Taken Her Life | date = 1960-11-21 | page = 58 | accessdate = 2007-09-04

External links

*imdb name|id=0369793|name=Phyllis Haver
*Find A Grave|id=8748285

Persondata
NAME= Haver, Phyllis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= O'Haver, Phyllis
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actress
DATE OF BIRTH= January 6, 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH= Douglass, Kansas
DATE OF DEATH= November 19, 1960
PLACE OF DEATH= Falls Village, Connecticut