Mary Miles Minter
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Mary Miles Minter (April 1, 1902 - August 4, 1984) was a US film actress in silent films.
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Born Juliet Reilly in Shreveport, Louisiana, she was the daughter of an ambitious but unsuccessful actress named Charlotte Shelby. Her mother pushed her towards a stage career, and by the age of 5 she had appeared in her first play. Until the age of 15, she was rarely unemployed and was greatly admired for both her talent and her beauty. Changing her name to Mary Miles Minter, she made her first film in 1915 and over the next few years steadily built her career.
Minter specialised in playing demure and innocent young girls, and with her gentle features and curly hair, both emulated and rivalled Mary Pickford.
Her first film for director William Desmond Taylor was Anne of Green Gables in 1919, and Taylor actively promoted Minter as a star of great potential. A close relationship developed between them and Minter began to distance herself from her mother.
In 1922 Taylor was murdered in his home. The ensuing scandal was the subject of widespread media speculation, and as allegations about Taylor's questionable past began to circulate, it was revealed that several intimate letters written by Minter had been found in his house after his death.
Minter was at the height of her success, having starred in more than 50 films and the revelation of her association with Taylor caused a sensation. She made two more films after this, but her public had rejected her. The studio terminated her contract as soon as it became clear that her reputation had been destroyed. She left Hollywood and lived the rest of her life in obscurity.
She commented that she had never been happy with her Hollywood career and was content to live without it.
She died from heart failure in Santa Monica, California.
Mary Miles Minter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 1724 Vine St.