Lillian Drew

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Lillian Drew
Lillian Drew, actress.jpg
Lillian Drew, from a 1916 publication
Born
Lillian Margaret Flannery

August 1882
Chicago, Illinois
DiedFebruary 4, 1924 (aged 41)
Chicago, Illinois
OccupationActress
SpouseE. H. Calvert

Lillian Drew (August 1882 – February 4, 1924), born Lillian Margaret Flannery, was an American actress during the silent film era.

Contents

Early life

Lillian Margaret Flannery was born in Chicago, [1] [2] the daughter of Patrick J. Flannery and Marguerite M. Flannery. All of her grandparents were born in Ireland.

Career

Drew made more than eighty silent films, mostly short films, for Essanay Studios in Chicago and Chattanooga. [3] [4] She was known for her riding skills, [5] and preference for "heavy dramatic" roles. [2] Her first film was The Broken Heart  [ it ] (1913) with Ruth Stonehouse. She appeared with Gloria Swanson in The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915). Other films with Drew include Blind Man's Bluff  [ it ] (1914), [2] The Clutch of Circumstance  [ it ] (1915), In the Palace of the King  [ it ] (1915), A Million for a Baby  [ it ](1916), [3] Money to Burn  [ it ] (1916), [6] The Secret of the Night (1916), The Other Man (1916), [7] My Country, 'Tis of Thee  [ it ] (1916) [8] The Woman Always Pays  [ it ](1916), [9] Vultures of Society  [ it ] (1916), Uneasy Money (1918), and Ruggles of Red Gap (1918). Her last movie was Children of Jazz (1923) with Ricardo Cortez. She worked as a dressmaker in her last years. [10]

Personal life

Lillian Drew married fellow actor and director E. H. Calvert in 1907. They had a son, William Calvert, who became a child actor. The Calverts were separated, and she was recovering from an injury, when she died in Chicago in 1924, from an overdose of barbital, aged 41 years. [10] Her death was ruled accidental by a coroner's jury. [11] [12]

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References

  1. "Lillian Drew, of the Essanay Company". Motion Picture Classic. 2: 34. March 1916.
  2. 1 2 3 "Today's Best Photo Play Stories". Chicago Tribune. 1914-05-26. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Essanays for September". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1521. September 2, 1916.
  4. "Baby Named for Lillian Drew". The Day Book. 1915-05-13. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Who's Who in the 'Movies'--Lillian Drew of Essanay". The Day Book. 1914-03-14. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Essanay Plans for October". Moving Picture World. 29: 2128. September 30, 1916.
  7. "General Film Company Specials". Moving Picture World. 29: 945. August 5, 1916.
  8. "Essanay Offers a Number of Good Shorts for August". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1085. August 12, 1916.
  9. "'The Woman Always Pays' (Essanay)". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1854. September 16, 1916.
  10. 1 2 "Poison Kills Lillian Drew ex-Film Star". Chicago Tribune. 1924-02-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Accident Verdict for Lillian Drew". Belvidere Daily Republican. 1924-02-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Lillian Drew's Death Due to Mistake in Taking Medicine". Chicago Tribune. 1924-02-21. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-04-13 via Newspapers.com.