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190:. She was the first film actor to form her own production company. Her productions were primarily feature-length films, making her one of the earliest adopters of the feature film. Gardner's work was distinct for frequently centering female characters. Gardner is also considered one of the screen's first
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Gardner frequently acted in her own productions. Trained as a dancer, Gardner was known for her physically expressive performances. Her sensual, commanding portrayal of female characters was entirely new at the time, leading to her classification as the screen's first
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Some sources state that
Gardner married for a second time to Charles Gaskill, the director of many of her films. Gardner's granddaughter and biographer, Dorin Gardner Schumacher, states that this is incorrect and that Gardner never divorced Duncan C. Pell Sr.
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Gardner produced eleven feature films through The Helen
Gardner Picture Players. In 1914, competition from better funded studios forced her to permanently close her production company. In 1915, she returned to Vitagraph briefly before signing with
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with capital provided by
Gardner's mother. It was the first film production company to be owned by an individual actor. Gardner hired former Vitagraph collaborator Charles L. Gaskill as a director and scenarist. Gardner's first production was
245:(1912), one of the first American full-length films. Following Cleopatra's success, Gardner continued to release popular films, specializing in feature-length motion pictures of at least five or six reels in length.
206:. She spent much of her youth in European boarding schools, taking an interest in performance and often participating in private theatricals. Gardner continued pursuing theater while attending the
297:. The marriage took place shortly after Gardner's 18th birthday and one week after Pell's divorce from his first wife, Anna. Duncan and Anna Pell's divorce was covered in the gossip columns of
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303:. The couple had one child in 1904. Gardner left Pell in 1906 to continue her acting career but they never divorced. They remained married until Pell's death in 1964.
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In 1912, following her success with
Vitagraph Studios, Gardner formed her own production company: The Helen Gardner Picture Players. The company was established in
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Gardner embarked on an acting career, she married socially prominent businessman Duncan Clarkson Pell Sr., on October 16, 1902, in
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where she had previously lived with her estranged husband. Gardner died in
Orlando on November 20, 1968, at the age of 84.
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265:. Beyond personal performance, Gardner's work was frequently centered on female stories. Her three most popular films —
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174:(September 2, 1884 – November 20, 1968) was an American stage and film
210:. After graduating, she studied under Broadway actress and playwright
1275:(2 ed.). McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. p. 189.
226:. Gardner received widespread critical acclaim for her performance.
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player. Her breakthrough role came in 1911, when she portrayed
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1439:"The Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1912) - Lantern"
1414:"The Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1912) - Lantern"
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1495:"Few Remember Days When Film Queen Lived Among Us"
1464:"Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1915) - Lantern"
1359:"Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1913) - Lantern"
1140:Producer, costume designer, editor (uncredited)
1183:Pieces of Silver: A Story of Hearts and Souls
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691:Mrs. Smartly - a Woman Who Wants to Reduce
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1534:Wallace Dickinson, Joy (March 25, 2001).
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202:Gardner was born to a wealthy family in
1507:"Marriage Announcement: Gardner-Pell",
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154: 1902; died 1964)
1536:"Early Screen Queen Turns Heads Again"
960:The Girl with the Hole in Her Stocking
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462:Lois Pearson Harmon - A Quaker Wife
1686:20th-century American screenwriters
1681:20th-century American women writers
1636:Screenwriters from New York (state)
676:Rose Leigh - a Young Schoolteacher
477:Rose Leigh - a Young Schoolteacher
661:Mrs. Fred Hart - the Jealous Wife
315:In the 1950s, Gardner returned to
277:— all center female protagonists.
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1666:Artists from Binghamton, New York
1497:. orlandosentinel.com. p. 1.
883:Alixe; or, The Test of Friendship
230:The Helen Gardner Picture Players
222:in the film version of the novel
208:American Academy of Dramatic Arts
100:American Academy of Dramatic Arts
1651:Actors from Binghamton, New York
1626:American women costume designers
1271:Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001).
1199:The Strange Story of Sylvia Gray
1035:The Strange Story of Sylvia Gray
672:She Came, She Saw, She Conquered
473:She Came, She Saw, She Conquered
1606:Actresses from New York (state)
1601:20th-century American actresses
917:Lispeth, Vampire of the Desert
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1641:American silent film actresses
1563:at Women Film Pioneers Project
1306:"Letters: The Lady Was a Vamp"
1214:The Moonshine Maid and the Man
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1676:American women film producers
1099:Madeleine Jekyll/Madame Hyde
1080:Snatched from a Burning Death
1661:People from Tappan, New York
1656:American women screenwriters
1520:"What's Doing in Society?",
1009:Nancy North - the Butterfly
488:The Death of King Edward III
1218:Nancy - the Moonshine Maid
1137:Cleopatra - Queen of Egypt
1095:Miss Jekyll and Madame Hyde
841:Louise Lennox - a Novelist
826:Abbasah, the Caliph's Wife
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1621:American costume designers
811:Song Bird, a Young Indian
432:Bessie Black - the Sister
1142:Credited as Miss Gardner
1039:Sylvia Gray/Silvery Gray
948:Dusa - a Daughter of Pan
753:Credited as Miss Gardner
706:Sue - Harry's Sweetheart
552:Elfie - Ross' sweetheart
141:Duncan Clarkson Pell, Sr.
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1646:American stage actresses
1493:Wallace Dickinson, Joy.
932:Save - the Wife of Cain
717:The Love of John Ruskin
593:The Girl and the Sheriff
1616:American film actresses
1229:The Sleep of Cyma Roget
732:The Love of John Ruskin
567:Madge of the Mountains
295:West Haven, Connecticut
214:. In 1910 she became a
1538:. orlandosentinel.com.
1065:The Still, Small Voice
837:The Heart of Esmeralda
687:A Problem in Reduction
641:A Reformed Santa Claus
563:Madge of the Mountains
428:For Her Brother's Sake
398:The Wooing of Winifred
1468:lantern.mediahist.org
1443:lantern.mediahist.org
1418:lantern.mediahist.org
1389:Turner Classic Movies
1363:lantern.mediahist.org
1273:Silent Film Necrology
913:Vampire of the Desert
311:Later years and death
1338:search.lib.umich.edu
1334:"U-M Library Search"
1203:Sylvia Gray/Silvery
1167:A Princess of Bagdad
1020:Underneath the Paint
747:The Old Silver Watch
657:Where the Money Went
443:Barriers Burned Away
367:A Tale of Two Cities
323:Selected filmography
204:Binghamton, New York
172:Helen Louise Gardner
61:Binghamton, New York
47:Helen Louise Gardner
1671:Women film pioneers
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1050:The Breath of Araby
990:And There Was Light
582:The Mountain Woman
417:Audrey, an actress
383:The Inherited Taint
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1524:, January 26, 1904
1522:The New York Times
1511:, October 26, 1902
1509:The New York Times
1385:"Cleopatra (1912)"
1383:Feaster, Felicia.
1310:The New York Times
1151:A Sister to Carmen
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503:For Love and Glory
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271:A Sister to Carmen
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944:A Daughter of Pan
807:An Innocent Theft
796:Malcolm's mother
792:An Innocent Theft
736:Mrs. John Ruskin
275:A Daughter of Pan
216:Vitagraph Studios
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128:Years active
72:November 20, 1968
57:September 2, 1884
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1576:Helengardner.org
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975:Fleur de Lys
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882:
867:Becky, Becky
866:
856:Lydia Borne
851:
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761:
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629:Becky Sharp
623:
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548:Regeneration
547:
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507:Rose Seaton
502:
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447:John's wife
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263:Louise Glaum
253:, predating
247:
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212:Maude Fulton
201:
180:screenwriter
171:
170:
118:screenwriter
91:Miss Gardner
74:(1968-11-20)
18:
1691:Pell family
1596:1968 deaths
1591:1884 births
1473:December 4,
1448:December 4,
1423:December 4,
1368:December 4,
1343:December 4,
1233:Cyma Roget
822:The Miracle
624:Vanity Fair
374:Uncredited
224:Vanity Fair
220:Becky Sharp
1585:Categories
1259:References
1054:Clothilde
646:The Widow
387:The nurse
255:Theda Bara
53:1884-09-02
1391:. tcm.com
1190:Producer
1174:Producer
1158:Producer
1132:Cleopatra
1108:Features
1005:Butterfly
996:Producer
981:Producer
966:Producer
951:Producer
935:Producer
721:The wife
522:The wife
402:Winifred
283:Universal
267:Cleopatra
242:Cleopatra
136:Spouse(s)
131:1910–1924
1571:AllMovie
162:Children
898:Eureka!
874:Writer
766:Sabina
702:Her Boy
608:Freshet
578:Arbutus
176:actress
156:
148:
144:
1279:
1245:Sandra
1155:Margo
1122:Notes
1116:Title
887:Alixe
871:Becky
781:Linda
342:Notes
336:Title
198:Career
82:, U.S.
63:, U.S.
1240:1924
1225:1920
1210:1914
1195:1914
1179:1914
1163:1913
1147:1913
1127:1912
1119:Role
1113:Year
1091:1915
1076:1915
1069:Musa
1061:1915
1046:1915
1031:1914
1016:1914
1001:1914
986:1914
971:1914
956:1914
940:1913
924:1913
909:1913
894:1913
879:1913
863:1913
848:1912
833:1912
818:1912
803:1912
788:1912
773:1912
758:1912
743:1912
728:1912
713:1912
698:1912
683:1912
668:1912
653:1912
636:1911
619:1911
604:1911
589:1911
574:1911
559:1911
544:1911
529:1911
514:1911
499:1911
484:1911
469:1911
454:1911
439:1911
424:1911
409:1911
394:1911
379:1911
362:1911
347:1910
339:Role
333:Year
192:vamps
150:(
146:
110:Actor
1556:IMDb
1475:2023
1450:2023
1425:2023
1397:2019
1370:2023
1345:2023
1317:2019
1277:ISBN
273:and
261:and
251:vamp
186:and
69:Died
43:Born
37:1911
1569:at
1554:at
1587::
1483:^
1466:.
1441:.
1416:.
1405:^
1387:.
1361:.
1336:.
1325:^
1308:.
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269:,
257:,
194:.
182:,
178:,
152:m.
120:,
116:,
112:,
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1285:.
165:1
55:)
51:(
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