Florence Auer (March 3, 1880 – May 14, 1962) was an American theater and motion picture actress whose career spanned more than five decades.

Life and career

Born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, Auer began her career on East Coast stages at the turn of the 20th century. Her earliest known

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

performance was in a September 1907 production of ''The Ranger'', produced by

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Frohman produced over 700 shows, and among his biggest hits was '' Peter Pan'', both ...

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-year ...

. Auer was among Frohman's stock theatre company of fourteen actors who would be brought into

Vitagraph Studios Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...

as their first stable of prominent film actors around 1907. She began appearing in films shortly thereafter; her first film appearance was in the 1908 Wallace McCutcheon Sr. directed comedy short ''The Sculptor's Nightmare'' opposite director D.W. Griffith. One of the original " Biograph Girls" (along with actresses Marion Leonard and

Florence Lawrence Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood; January 2, 1886 – December 28, 1938) was a Canadian-American stage performer and film actress. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", and was long thought to be the first film act ...

), Auer would appear alongside such notable future directors as Griffith, Thomas H. Ince,

Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian-American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mov ...

Harry Solter Henry Lewis Solter (November 19, 1873 – March 2, 1920) was an American silent film actor and director. Career Solter began his career as an actor in 1908 with Biograph Studios. That same year he met actress Florence Lawrence while maki ...

and

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American producer, director, actor, and studio head who was known as the "King of Comedy" during his career. Born in Danville, Quebec, he started acting i ...

in their early careers as actors. These early associations would help ensure Auer's longevity in films when the former actors became notable directors and often cast Auer in their later films. During her early years as a motion picture actress, Auer would appear opposite such publicly popular actors of the early 20th century as:

Florence Turner Florence Turner (January 6, 1885 – August 28, 1946) was an American actress who became known as the "Vitagraph Girl" in early silent films. Biography Born in New York City, Turner was pushed into appearing on the stage at age three by h ...

Maurice Costello Maurice George Costello (February 22, 1877 – October 29, 1950) was a prominent American vaudeville actor of the late 1890s and early 1900s who later played a principal role in early American films as leading man, supporting player, and director ...

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish people, Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. A ...

, Robert "Bobby" Harron and Julia Swayne Gordon. Auer would appear in motion pictures until the 1950s, then transition to television before retiring. One of her last film appearances was in the 1951 comedy ''

Love Nest ''Love Nest'' is a 1951 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Newman, and starring June Haver, William Lundigan, Frank Fay, Marilyn Monroe, and Jack Paar. It features an early supporting role for Monroe, and is one of the few films ...

'', which starred a young

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

. Aside from acting, she also was a screenwriter for three early

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s: 1916's

Edwin Carewe Edwin Carewe ( Chickasaw Nation, March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was a Native American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Early life and education Jay John Fox was born on March 3, 1883, in Gainesville, Texas. H ...

directed drama ''Her Great Price'', starring Mabel Taliaferro; 1917's John G. Adolfi directed drama ''A Modern Cinderella'', starring

June Caprice June Caprice, born Helen Elizabeth Lawson, November 19, 1895 – November 9, 1936, was an American silent film actress. Early life and career Born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts, Caprice was educated in Boston. She began h ...

; and 1921's ''Her Mad Bargain'', directed by Edwin Carewe and starring

Anita Stewart Anita Stewart (born Anna Marie Stewart; February 7, 1895 – May 4, 1961) was an American actress and film producer of the early silent film era. Early years Anita Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York, as Anna Marie Stewart on February 7, ...

and Arthur Edmund Carewe. She died in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, in 1962 at the age of 82.

Partial filmography

* ''

The Fight for Freedom ''The Fight for Freedom'' is a 1908 American black-and-white short silent Western film which may have been directed by D. W. Griffith. Filmed in Shadyside, New Jersey in June 1908, the film was released on July 17, 1908. Plot The film opens ...

'' (1908, short) - Juanita * '' The Kentuckian'' (1908, short) * '' The Tavern Keeper's Daughter'' (1908, short) - Mother * '' The Fatal Hour'' (1908, short) * '' His Auto's Maiden Trip'' (1912, short) * '' A Modern Cinderella'' (1917, writer) * '' Fair Lady'' (1922) - Lucrezia * '' The Heart of a Siren'' (1925) - Lisette * '' The Beautiful City'' (1925) - Mamma Gillardi * ''

That Royle Girl ''That Royle Girl'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by D. W. Griffith and released by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Edwin Balmer, and starred Carol Dempster, W. C. Fields and Harri ...

'' (1925) - Baretta's Girl * ''Seeing Things'' (1930) * '' Beauty for Sale'' (1933) - Madame Sonia Customer (uncredited) * ''

I Married an Angel ''I Married an Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodger ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Roquefort (uncredited) * ''

Hangmen Also Die! ''Hangmen Also Die!'' is a 1943 war film directed by the Austrian director Fritz Lang and written by John Wexley from a story by Bertolt Brecht (credited as Bert Brecht) and Lang. The film stars Brian Donlevy, with Walter Brennan, Anna Lee, and ...

'' (1943) - Czech Patriot (uncredited) * ''

Lady of Burlesque ''Lady of Burlesque'' (also known as ''The G-String Murders'' and in the UK, ''Striptease Lady'') is a 1943 American musical comedy mystery film directed by William A. Wellman, produced by Hunt Stromberg, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Mi ...

'' (1943) - Policewoman (uncredited) * '' The North Star'' (1943) - Woman Farmer (uncredited) * ''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The ...

'' (1944) - Palace Crow (uncredited) * '' Abroad with Two Yanks'' (1944) - Dog's (Precious) Owner (uncredited) * '' Youth on Trial'' (1945) - Maude McGregor (uncredited) * '' Mama Loves Papa'' (1945) - Madame Dalba (uncredited) * ''

Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

'' (1945) - Landlady * '' Black Angel'' (1946) - Madame (uncredited) * '' Gentleman Joe Palooka'' (1946) - Mrs. Archer (uncredited) * '' Wife Wanted'' (1946) - Mrs. Rutheridge (uncredited) * '' The Chase'' (1946) - Miss Connors (uncredited) * ''

It Happened on Fifth Avenue ''It Happened on 5th Avenue'' (titled onscreen as ''It Happened on Fifth Avenue'') is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Victor Moore, and Gale Storm. The film ...

'' (1947) - Miss Parker (uncredited) * '' Nightmare Alley'' (1947) - Jane (uncredited) * ''

The Bishop's Wife ''The Bishop's Wife'' (also known as ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'') is a 1947 American Christmas Romance film, romantic Fantasy film, fantasy comedy film directed by Henry Koster, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The plot is ...

'' (1947) - Third Lady * ''

State of the Union The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a Joint session of the United States Congress, joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning ...

'' (1948) - Grace Orval Draper * '' Michael O'Halloran'' (1948) - Mrs. Jane Crawford * '' Eight-Ball Andy'' (1948) - Mrs. Beasley * '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948) - Chestnut Seller (uncredited) * '' Good Sam'' (1948) - Woman on Bus (uncredited) * ''

Knock on Any Door ''Knock on Any Door'' is a 1949 American courtroom trial film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart. The movie was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Willard Motley. The picture gave actor John Derek his breakthro ...

'' (1949) - Aunt Lena (uncredited) * '' Bad Boy'' (1949) - Mrs. Meeham (uncredited) * '' Big Jack'' (1949) - Homely Woman (uncredited) * '' Hold That Baby!'' (1949) - Hope Andrews * ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...

'' (1949) - Mme. Petree (uncredited) * '' That Forsyte Woman'' (1949) - Ann Forsyte Heyman * '' Bride for Sale'' (1949) - Eloise Jonathan (uncredited) * '' Blonde Dynamite'' (1950) - First Dowager * ''

It's a Small World It's a Small World (stylized in all lowercase and in quotations or with exclamation mark) is an Old Mill boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world. Versions of the ride are installed at Disney ...

'' (1950) - Grotesque Cafe Dowager (uncredited) * ''

'' (1951) - Mrs. Braddock (uncredited) * ''

Boots Malone ''Boots Malone'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by William Dieterle. It stars William Holden as a down-on-his-luck sports agent and Johnny Stewart as a rich runaway who wants to become a jockey. Plot Down on his luck, jockey agent "Boots ...

'' (1952) - Woman at Auction (uncredited) * ''

Love Is Better Than Ever ''Love Is Better Than Ever'' is a 1952 American romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Ruth Brooks Flippen, starring Larry Parks and Elizabeth Taylor. The plot concerns a small-town girl who falls in love with a big-c ...

'' (1952) - Madame Secretary (uncredited) * '' The Star'' (1952) - Annie's Friend in Store (uncredited) * '' Silver Lode'' (1954) - Mrs. Elmwood * '' Lucy Gallant'' (1955) - Woman at Sale (uncredited) * ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired ...

'' (1955) - Mrs. Turner (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Auer, Florence 1880 births 1962 deaths 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses American silent film actresses American television actresses American women screenwriters Actresses from Albany, New York Screenwriters from New York (state) Silent film screenwriters 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters