Mildred Considine (1887–1933) was an American screenwriter and actress active during

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 ...

's silent era.

Biography

Origins

Mildred was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

to John Considine (a big-time

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 ...

promoter and theater manager who attracted a fair amount of controversies in his day) and Julia Nussbaumer. Her parents divorced when she was young after her mother found out that her father—who spent a good deal of time working in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

—had taken up with another woman. She spent most of her childhood with her mother and stepfather in Chicago, where she later attended the Academy of Fine Arts.

Theatrical career

Given her family's vaudeville background, it was not surprising Mildred was writing and performing at venues in Chicago and around the country from a young age. Her work began to attract notice, and in 1913, she sued her father for , alleging that he was interfering with

booking agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds work for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various entertainment ...

s at theaters around the country to prevent her from being booked.

Hollywood ambitions

Mildred been writing scenarios since she was 15, and had acted in a number of

Essanay Essanay Studios, officially the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, was an early American film, motion picture movie studio, studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago by George Kirke Spoor and Broncho Billy Anderson, Gilbert M. Anderson, ...

shorts as a teenager. By 1917, she had been hired by

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898, in Brooklyn, New York, to poor p ...

as a scenario editor. That same year, her first scripts, ''

Panthea ''Panthea'' is a genus of the owlet moth family, Noctuidae. The word ''Panthea'' is from Greek, meaning "all of gods" .''Panthea''

'' and '' Framing Framers'', were produced and released. She later wrote for
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
Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...
, although her relationship with the latter star would turn sour in 1921 when Mildred alleged that Pickford had ripped off one of her scripts in '' Through the Back Door'' and not given proper credit. She would also sue
Zelda Sears Zelda Sears (née Paldi; January 21, 1873 – February 19, 1935) was an American actress, screenwriter, novelist and businesswoman. Early life and background She was born as Zelda Paldi near Brockway Township, St. Clair County, Michigan, into ...
on similar grounds.

Death
She died in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Illinois on November 15, 1933, aged 46.

Relatives
Her half brother, John Considine Jr., would end up being a film producer; his sons, Tim and
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, forged successful careers for themselves as actors.

Selected filmography
* ''
Panthea ''Panthea'' is a genus of the owlet moth family, Noctuidae. The word ''Panthea'' is from Greek, meaning "all of gods" .''Panthea''
'' (1917) * '' Framing Framers'' (1917) * '' The Ghosts of Yesterday'' (1918) * '' A Romance of the Underworld'' (1918) * '' All Wrong'' (1919) * '' Under Suspicion'' (1919) * ''
Let's Be Fashionable ''Let's Be Fashionable'' is a lost 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by Mildred Considine and Luther Reed. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Wade Boteler, Grace Morse, George Webb, and Wilbur ...
'' (1920) * ''
The Girl of My Heart ''The Girl of My Heart'' is a lost 1920 American silent adventure-drama film directed by Edward LeSaint and starring Shirley Mason, Raymond McKee and Martha Mattox.Solomon p.266 Plot Cast * Shirley Mason as Joan * Raymond McKee as Rodney Wh ...
'' (1920) * '' Hearts and Masks'' (1921) * ''
The Bride's Play ''The Bride's Play'' is a 1922 American silent romance film produced by William Randolph Hearst as a starring vehicle for Marion Davies. It was directed by George Terwilliger and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is an extant film that is p ...
'' (1922) * '' The Dangerous Little Demon'' (1922) * ''
The Real Adventure ''The Real Adventure'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by King Vidor, based on the best-selling novel by Henry Kitchell Webster that was serialized in 1915 and published as a book in 1916. A print of the film is held by the Ci ...
'' (1922) * '' Heroes of the Street'' (1922)

References

External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Considine, Mildred American women screenwriters 1887 births 1933 deaths Screenwriters from Illinois 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American screenwriters