Mary Miles Minter | |
|---|---|
 Minter in 1923 | |
| Born | Juliet Reilly April 25, 1902 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 1984 (aged 82) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Juliet Shelby |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1907–1923 |
| Spouse |
Brandon O. Hildebrandt
(m. 1957; died 1965) |
| Mother | Charlotte Shelby |
| Relatives | Margaret Shelby (sister) |
| Signature | |
 | |
Mary Miles Minter (born Juliet Reilly; April 25, 1902[1][2]– August 4, 1984) was an American actress, and one of the leading ladies who established the early Hollywood star system.[3] She appeared in 53 silent films from 1912 to 1923.
In 1922, Minter was involved in a scandal surrounding the murder of director William Desmond Taylor, for whom she professed her love. Gossip implicated her mother, former actress Charlotte Shelby, as the murderer, and as a result Minter's reputation was tarnished. She gave up her film career in 1923.[4]
- ^ Louisiana Birth Certificate, Caddo Parish, No. 119, Book A, Page 97, Birth Date: April 25, 1902, Name: Mary M. Reilly [sic – Original Caddo birth record was recorded as "J.H. Riley's Child"], Sex: Female, Place of Birth: Shreveport, Father: J. Homer Reilly [sic – Original Caddo birth record recorded his name as "J.H. Riley"], Born: Texas, Age: 25, Mother: Pearl Miles, Born: Louisiana, Age: 23.
- ^ SSDI: Name: Mary O. Hildebrandt, Birth: April 25, 1902, Issued: California, Death: August 1984
- ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 150“The final major leading lady who helped to create the star system.”
- ^ O’Dell, 1970 p. 156: “Obviously, [the murder] was in many ways responsible for the end of the career...of Mary Miles Minter (who was suspected of having an affair with Taylor).”