Zelda Sears

Zelda Sears (January 21, 1873 "-" February 19, 1935) was an actress and a writer of screenplays and dialogue for Hollywood motion pictures.

Youth

Sears was born near Brockway, Michigan. Her father, Justin Lewis Paldi, ran a farm more than twenty miles from the closest railroadstation. Her mother's name was Roxa. By the age of twelve Sears worked for L.A. Sherman, a wealthy man in Brockway.. He owned a general store where she became a salesgirl.

Her father moved his family to Port Huron. She found employment for a time as check girl before advancing to cashier and general clerk. The job was obtained by capturing a $10 prize on the stock contained in the store. Winning also gave her the privilege of working for $3 a week. Sears was eventually hired to contribute pieces to the town's newspaper by the managing editor. Dissatisfied that Port Huron was too small, she left after five years, at the age of seventeen. She journeyed first to Detroit and then ventured to Chicago.

Painter

She roomed at the Chicago YWCA for three and a half dollars weekly. Sears answered an ad for women to paint flowers on vases and boxes. Her grandfather, Andrew Paldi, was an Italian painter who painted mural decorations in Detroit. She secured employment in a crowded loft where twenty girls painted on celluloid. She expended great effort and earned double the cost of her board.

Newspaper writer

Sears continued painting flowers on vases but started to contribute her writings to a humor column of a Chicago newspaper. She submitted a story about her first bicycle ride. She made $8 a week as a full-time reporter. Sears became fascinated with Sarah Bernhardt who was performing in Chicago. She observed the famous actress and was lucky enough to obtain an interview on one occasion. This came about when she saved Bernhardt from tripping over a loose carpet on stage.

Sears' father died around this time. He left his children a small sum in life insurance and a library amply furnished with volumes. Among the books were paperbacks of plays, which she read voraciously.

Actress

She moved on, working successively as an extra girl and in an opera chorus. Sears joined a class in a dramatic school. She journeyed to Manhattan (New York) with a letter of introduction to a New York theatrical manager. Her initial opportunity in New York Citywas obtained through A.L. Erlanger.

Sears joined a ballet and earned $20 a week while also learning toe dancing. Her first part was a very small one in a stock production of "Sowing The Wind". She played comic roles on stage, learned shorthand, and even opened her own typewriting business. The impetus of her writing career occurred when her landlady went on vacation to the mountains and Sears managed her boarding house while she was away.

She began to copy scientific articles for the noted surgeon Dr. William Bull. Sears observed life in his sanitarium and turned what she saw intoa fictional story, which she sold to a magazine. Readers became privy tothe innerworkings of the institution through reading Sears' "The Name Above The Door". Her income grew after she had several more short stories accepted.

A desire for more important roles led Sears to return to Chicago. She joined the company of John Stapleton. Her first meaningful part came by way of Harry Parker, who was general manager for William A. Brady. The melodrama was staged at the old Manhattan Theater. Sears' stage career was further boosted by her acting in a production of "Lovers Lane".

Other plays in which she appeared were "Women and Wine", "Girls", TheBlue Mouse", "Love Among The Lions", "The Girl He Couldn't Leave Behind Him", "Keeping Up Appearances", "The Nest Egg", "Standing Pat", "The Truth", "The Show Shop", "The Scarlet Woman", and "Undertow".

Writer

Playwrights began to trust her to add dialogue to her rolesin stage productions. Sears learned to write stage speeches and constructscenes. Over a period of eleven years she read more than one hundred plays. She embellished ten of these for production. As a writer she benefited greatly from her association with Clyde Fitch. Earlier he had cast her in "Lovers Lane".

A very successful Broadway play was adapted through her efforts, yet was released anonymously. Sears believed that there are seven primary qualities which compose a "good play". No play which has them all fails. However she refused to divulge these necessary ingredients.

Sears wrote dialogue for theatrical shows like "Lady Billy", "Cornered", " The Clinging Vine", and "The Magic Ring". She came toHollywood to be a scenarist for Cecil B. Demille and MGM inthe early 1930s. She had a part in her final film scenario, "A Wicked Woman" (1934).

Death

Zelda Sears died at her Hollywood home in 1935. She was sixty-two yearsold. She was survived by her husband, Louis Wiswell, and a sister, MariePaldi. She took her stage name from her first husband, Herbert E. Sears.

References

*Lincoln Star, "From Milkmaid To Highest Paid Playwright", Sunday, August 13, 1922, Magazine Section, Page 29.
*New York Times, "Zelda Sears Dies; Writer, Actress". February 20, 1935, Page 19.