Mary Thurman (née Christiansen; April 27, 1895 – December 22, 1925) was an American actress of the

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 ...

era.

Early life

Mary Christiansen was born in

Richfield, Utah Richfield is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Utah, United States, and is the largest city in southern-central Utah. Description As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,201. It lies in the Mormon Corridor, just off ...

on April 27, 1895, one of seven children raised in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

. Her parents were Christian Christiansen and Mary Sophia Nielsen Christiansen, who were both Danish, her father having been born in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. She attended the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

and became a teacher before turning to acting. Thurman married Victor E. Thurman, son of Utah Supreme Court justice Samuel R. Thurman, in 1915. They divorced in 1919.

Career

Thurman's film career began with roles in the comedies of

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 ...

, as one of the

Sennett Bathing Beauties Sennett Bathing Beauties was a bevy of women performing in bathing costumes assembled by film producer Mack Sennett during the silent film era. Description The Sennett Bathing Beauties appeared in Mack Sennett comedy Short film, short subjects, ...

, and featured appearances in ''Bombs!'' (1916) and ''The Fool'' (1925). Her greatest success came when she started working with director

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

. They collaborated on several critically acclaimed films including ''The Sin of Martha Queed'' (1921) and ''A Broken Doll'' (1921). In Dwan's still extant 1923 film ''Zaza'' Thurman is the actress Gloria Swanson fights with. Off screen Thurman and Dwan were engaged for several years. She appeared in nearly sixty Hollywood films from 1915 up until her death in 1925, frequently in those made by

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

Studios.

Death

In 1924 while working on the film '' Down Upon the Suwanee River'' in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, she came down with a serious case of pneumonia. She suffered from the illness and was hospitalized for nearly a year. Thurman died 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 ...

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 ...

on December 22, 1925, in Flower Hospital. Her best friend, actress

Juanita Hansen Juanita Hansen (born Juanita Cecilia Hanson; March 3, 1895 – September 26, 1961) was an American actress who performed in silent films. She became one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties and appeared in a variety of Serial (film), serials throug ...

, was at her side when she died. She was buried in Richfield City Cemetery in her hometown of Richfield, Utah.

Selected filmography

* '' The Lamb'' (1915) * '' Watch Your Neighbor'' (1918) * '' The Poor Boob'' (1919) * '' This Hero Stuff'' (1919) * '' Spotlight Sadie'' (1919) * '' The Prince and Betty'' (1919) * ''

The Scoffer ''The Scoffer'' is a surviving 1920 American silent film, silent drama film produced and directed by Allan Dwan and starring Mary Thurman. It was released through Associated First National Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine, Dr. Stan ...

'' (1920) * '' The Valley of Tomorrow'' (1920) * '' In the Heart of a Fool'' (1920) * ''

Leap Year A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year. The 366th day (or 13th month) is added to keep t ...

'' (1921) * ''

Bare Knuckles ''Bare Knuckles'' is a 1977 blaxploitation film, starring Robert Viharo, Sherry Jackson and Gloria Hendry. The film was written and directed by Don Edmonds. Plot L.A. bounty hunter, Zachary Kane, is on the hunt for a masked serial killer on t ...

'' (1921) * ''

A Broken Doll ''A Broken Doll'' is a 1921 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Monte Blue, Mary Thurman and Mary Jane Irving.Lombardi p.117 Plot The film centers on a ranch hand named Tommy Dawes and a young girl called ...

'' (1921) * '' The Lady from Longacre'' (1921) * '' The Sin of Martha Queed'' (1921) * ''

The Green Temptation ''The Green Temptation'' is a lost 1922 American silent melodrama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and starring Betty Compson. It was written by Julia Crawford Ivers and Monte Katterjohn based upon the short story "The Noose" by Constan ...

'' (1922) * ''

The Bond Boy ''The Bond Boy'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by Henry King and starring Richard Barthelmess. It was produced by Barthelmess and Charles Duell and released through Associated First National Pictures. Plot Cast *Richar ...

'' (1922) * ''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Zaza (play), ''Zaza'' (play), written by French playwrights Pierre Berton and Charles Simon * Zaza (1915 film), ''Zaza'' (1915 film), a film directed by Edwin S. Porter * Zaza (1923 film), ''Zaza'' (1 ...

'' (1923) * '' The Tents of Allah'' (1923) * '' Wife in Name Only'' (1923) * '' Does It Pay?'' (1923) * ''

Those Who Judge ''Those Who Judge'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Patsy Ruth Miller, Lou Tellegen, and Mary Thurman. Plot As described in a film magazine, any romance between Angelique Dean (Miller) and John D ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Truth About Women ''The Truth About Women'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento. The film was not a commercial success. Plot When his son-in-law comes to him with a ...

'' (1924) * ''

Trouping with Ellen ''Trouping with Ellen'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring Basil Rathbone, Gaston Glass, Helene Chadwick, and Mary Thurman. Based on a short story by Earl Derr Biggers that appeared in ''The Saturday Evening Post'', this was Rathb ...

'' (1924) *'' The Law and the Lady'' (1924) * '' Greater Than Marriage'' (1924) * '' Love of Women'' (1924) * '' For Another Woman'' (1924) * ''

Playthings of Desire ''Playthings of Desire'' is a 1924 American silent melodrama film produced and directed by Burton L. King and starring Estelle Taylor. Cast Preservation A print listed as being complete of ''Playthings of Desire'' is located in the Library ...

'' (1924) * '' The Mad Marriage'' (1925) * '' Back to Life'' (1925) * '' The Fool'' (1925) * '' The Necessary Evil'' (1925) * ''

A Little Girl in a Big City ''A Little Girl in a Big City'' is a 1925 silent film drama directed by Burton L. King and starring Gladys Walton. It is based on an off-Broadway play, ''A Little Girl in a Big City'', by James Kyrle MacCurdy. It was Gladys Walton's final film ...

'' (1925) * '' Down Upon the Suwanee River'' (1925) * '' The Wives of the Prophet'' (1926)

References

*''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "Mary Thurman Dead", December 24, 1925, Page 13. *''

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

Tribune'', "From Film Fun To Film Drama", September 19, 1920, Page 53. *''Oakland Tribune'', "Cupid Captures Mary Thurman", Tuesday Evening, December 26, 1922, Page 8.

External links

* *Mary Thurman gravesit
findagrave
,..an
transcript of 1925 Memorial Service,findagrave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thurman Mary 1895 births 1925 deaths Actresses from Utah American film actresses American silent film actresses Deaths from pneumonia in New York City Latter Day Saints from Utah People from Richfield, Utah 20th-century American actresses University of Utah alumni American people of Danish descent