Eleanor Boardman
Olive Eleanor Boardman (August 19, 1898 – December 12, 1991) was an American film actress of the silent era.
Olive Eleanor Boardman was born on August 19, 1898, the youngest child to George W. Boardman and Janice Merriam "Jennie" Stockman Boardman. She had two older sisters named Merriam and Esther. In 1920, she was working as a contractor.
Educated in Philadelphia, Boardman originally acted on stage, but she lost her voice while starring in The National Anthem. She then entered a nationwide contest for new actors and actresses for silent films. She was chosen from among 1,000 competitors by Goldwyn Pictures as their "New Face of 1922". Her initial screen test was unsuccessful, but a second test resulted in a contract. After several successful supporting roles, she played the lead in Souls for Sale in 1923. That same year, Boardman's growing popularity was reflected by her inclusion on the list of WAMPAS Baby Stars.
She appeared in more than 30 films during her career, including director King Vidor's The Crowd (1928). Her performance in that film is widely recognized as one of the outstanding performances in American silent film. In 1932, after some success in sound films, she parted ways with MGM. Her final film was The Three Cornered Hat, which was made in Spain in 1935. After that production, she retired from acting and retreated from Hollywood. Her last appearances were in an interview filmed for Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's British documentary series Hollywood (1980) and the series MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992).
Acting
Movie
The Crowd
as Mary Sims
1928
Movie
Show People
as Roxalanne (uncredited)
1928
Movie
Souls for Sale
as Miss Remember Steddon
1923
Movie
Tell It to the Marines
as Norma Dale
1926
Movie
1925 Studio Tour
as Self
1925
Movie
The Circle
as Elizabeth Cheney
1925
Movie
Bardelys the Magnificent
as Roxalanne de Lavedan
1926
Movie
The Squaw Man
as Lady Diana Kerhill
1931
Movie
Mamba
as Helen von Linden
1930
Movie
She Goes to War
as Joan Morant
1929
Movie
Proud Flesh
as Fernanda
1925
Movie
The Wife of the Centaur
as Joan Converse
1924
Movie
Redemption
as Lisa Protasoff
1930
Movie
Wine of Youth
as Mary Hollister
1924
Movie
The Great Meadow
as Diony Hall
1931
Movie
The Only Thing
as Thyra, Princess of Svendborg
1925
Movie
The Turmoil
as Mary Vertrees
1924
Movie
Land of Liberty
as (archive footage)
1939
Movie
The Day of Faith
as Jane Maynard
1923
Movie
True As Steel
as Ethel Parry
1924
Movie
The Silent Accuser
as Barbara Jane
1924
Movie
Sinners in Silk
as Penelope Stevens
1924
Movie
Three Wise Fools
as Rena Fairchild / Sydney Fairfield
1923
Movie
The Way of a Girl
as Rosamond
1925