Helene Costello (June 21, 1906 – January 26, 1957) was an American stage and film actress, most notably of the

silent era 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, wh ...

Early life and career

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, Costello was the youngest daughter of the prominent stage and pioneering film actor

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 ...

and his actress wife Mae Costello (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Altschuk). She had an older sister Dolores, who also became an actress and would go on to marry

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

. Costello first appeared on screen, opposite her father, in the 1909 film adaptation of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

's ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

''. She would continue acting in films throughout the 1910s as a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...

and also worked in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

and appeared in stage roles. In 1924, she appeared with her sister Dolores in ''

George White's Scandals ''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. ...

''. Shortly thereafter, both sisters signed contracts with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

Costello reached her peak of public popularity in the mid-1920s and earned a reported $3,000 a week. Although she had been appearing on screen since her early childhood, Costello was selected as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1927, a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States, which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. In 1928, Costello co-starred in the first all-talking full-length feature film '' Lights of New York''. Later that same year, she was released from her contract with Warner Bros. after she refused to star as a leading lady opposite

Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (October 10, 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, ...

once again; she had previously appeared alongside the canine star in the 1926 film '' While London Sleeps''. Costello's final substantial role was opposite her sister Dolores in the all-star

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

musical revue '' The Show of Shows'' (1929). Costello and her sister performed in the "Meet My Sister" musical number. After the advent of sound, Costello's career declined reportedly because her voice did not record well. She was also beset with personal problems including illnesses, an addiction to drugs and alcohol, three divorces, a public custody battle with her third ex-husband and financial difficulties.Lowe 2005 p.133 From 1930 to 1934, Costello did not appear in a film. In September 1935, she signed a contract with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

and returned to the screen in a supporting role in '' Riffraff'' (1936). Her final role was a bit part in the 1942 film '' The Black Swan''. Later in 1942, Costello filed for bankruptcy.

Personal life

Costello was married four times, each marriage ending in divorce. Her first marriage was to football player John W. Regan in 1927. They divorced in June 1928. Costello's second marriage was to actor/director Lowell Sherman, whom she married on March 15, 1930, in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. They separated in November 1931 and were divorced in May 1932. Costello's third marriage was to Dr. Arturo de Barrio, a lawyer who came from a prominent Cuban family. They were married in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Merchant Marine. Before leaving, Le Blanc left Diedre in the care of Costello's sister Dolores claiming that Costello was unfit to care for Diedre because of her alcoholism. Costello denied Le Blanc's claim and attempted to regain sole custody in September 1947. During one custody hearing, Costello's father and

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

(Dolores Costello's ex brother-in-law) testified that Costello did not have a drinking problem. In April 1948, Costello was forced to drop her suit due to financial troubles and Le Blanc was awarded temporary custody of Diedre. Costello and Le Blanc were divorced in June 1948.

Death

On January 24, 1957, Costello was admitted to

Patton State Hospital Patton State Hospital is a forensic psychiatric hospital in San Bernardino, California, United States. Though the hospital has a Patton, California address, it lies entirely within the San Bernardino city limits. Operated by the California Dep ...

under the assumed name of Adrienne Costello for treatment for a drug and alcohol addiction. She died there two days later of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. Her sister, Dolores Costello Barrymore, was with her when she died. Her funeral was held on January 30, after which she was interred in an unmarked grave at Calvary Cemetery in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...

Other

For her contribution to the motion film industry, Helene Costello has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 1500

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, and Melrose Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine being symbolic of Hollywood itself. The intersection has be ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. Comedian

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First?". Abbott and Cos ...

, born Louis Cristillo, changed his name in honor of Helene Costello. Coincidentally, both of them were born in 1906.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Costello, Helene 1906 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American child actresses American film actresses American silent film actresses American stage actresses American vaudeville performers Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles) Deaths from pneumonia in California Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Warner Bros. contract players Drug-related deaths in California Alcohol-related deaths in California