Diane Ellis (December 20, 1909 – December 15, 1930) was an American actress.

Biography

A native of Los Angeles and the only child of Frank Ellis and Ida Peterson, Diane Ellis graduated from Fairfax High School,"Body of Actress to Be Cremated; Diane Ellis"
''The Los Angeles Times''. p. 19. Retrieved September 25, 2022. then worked as a secretary for the Film Research Bureau before making her movie debut for

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

, credited as Dione Ellis, in ''Is Zat So?''. The performance was followed the same year by a co-starring role opposite

Louise Fazenda Louise Fazenda (June 17, 1895 – April 17, 1962) was an American film actress, appearing chiefly in silent comedy films. Early life Fazenda was born in her maternal grandparents' house in Lafayette, Indiana, the daughter of merchandise bro ...

in ''

Cradle Snatchers ''Cradle Snatchers'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Howard Hawks. The picture is based on the 1925 Russell Medcraft and Norma Mitchell stage play of the same name that starred Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, Raymond Hackett, ...

''. Ellis then played the romantic lead in a

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

opposite

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

in '' Chain Lightning'' (1927); and after appearing in four other films, she was cast in a supporting role in '' Happiness Ahead'' (1928), a high-profile release that starred the popular actresses Colleen Moore and

Lilyan Tashman Lilyan Tashman (October 23, 1896 – March 21, 1934) was an American actress. Tashman was best known for her supporting roles as tongue-in-cheek villainesses or playing the vindictive "other woman". She made 66 films over the course of her ...

. Ellis's next-to-last film, ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

'' (1929), was a box-office success and was her first full talking picture. That film is also notable as Carole Lombard's first "talkie" as well. Ellis's final acting appearance was in '' Laughter'' (1930), which was the biggest role of her career, featuring her in a romantic triangle along with

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...

and

Nancy Carroll Nancy Carroll (born Ann Veronica Lahiff; November 19, 1903 – August 6, 1965) was an American actress. She started her career in Broadway musicals and then became an actress in sound films and was in many films from 1927 to 1938. She was t ...

. ''Laughter'' won critical acclaim, and March later cited it as one of his favorites films. On October 14, 1930, Ellis married Stephen Caldwell Millett, Jr., in

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. Just two months later, during the couple's extended honeymoon in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, she fell ill with an infection and died in Madras (now Chennai), 5 days before her 21st birthday.Former Diane Ellis, Film Star, Dies in India
''Detroit Free Press'' (Detroit, Michigan) Tuesday, December 16, 1930, page 16, accessed on Newspapers.com She was cremated there and her ashes brought back by Millett to his native England.

Filmography

*'' Is Zat So?'' (1927) *''

'' (1927) *''

Paid to Love Paid or PAID may refer to: * ''Paid'' (1930 film), an American film starring Joan Crawford * ''Paid'' (2006 film), a Dutch film *'' Personality and Individual Differences'', a journal See also * Paide Paide is a town in Estonia and the ...

'' (1927) *'' Chain Lightning'' (1927) *''Hook and Ladder No. 9'' (1927) *''Love is Blonde'' (1928) *'' Happiness Ahead'' (1928) *'' The Leatherneck'' (1929) *''

'' (1929) *'' Laughter'' (1930)

References

External links

* * American film actresses 1909 births 1930 deaths 20th-century American actresses Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni {{US-film-actor-1900s-stub