| Early movies had no stories, no stars and no | | | | the eventual founder of Universal Studios. By |
| sound. A popular movie in the 1890's was two | | | | 1909 he was sick of buying movies from Thomas |
| girls getting undressed by a lake. Right | | | | Edison and had decided to make his own. |
| before their last garments came off, a train | | | | Laemmle would listen each night, as his |
| came by to block your view. In the next scene | | | | patrons would leave his theater; many would |
| the two girls were swimming in the lake. The | | | | excitedly discuss the actors on the screen. |
| film was a hit throughout the country. | | | | He decided if he was going to produce his own |
| | | | pictures he would sell them by creating a |
| One old farmer went and saw this same movie | | | | star. |
| for weeks and weeks. One day the theater | | | | |
| manager came down and said," Say old timer. | | | | He wasted no time in hiring a twenty-year-old |
| Every day we show the same film with the | | | | actress named Florence Lawrence known to the |
| girls, the train and the lake and every day | | | | public as the Biograph Girl after the studio |
| you keep coming back." "Well sonny, one of | | | | she worked for. One tale had the four-foot |
| these days I'm hoping the train will be | | | | Laemmle conducting a midnight raid of |
| late!" | | | | Biograph where he carried his new star away |
| | | | over his shoulder. He then announced her real |
| Many of the early film actors were quite | | | | name and 250-dollar week salary to the new |
| content to stay anonymous, reasoning that the | | | | fan magazines then arranged for her to |
| new flickers were a novelty and would damage | | | | mysteriously disappear. "My competitors will |
| their reputation on the legitimate stage. | | | | stop at nothing to ruin me. They've kidnapped |
| They were often expected to work all day | | | | poor Florence, perhaps even killed her!" he |
| long. Their duties included hammering nails, | | | | told the press. |
| painting the set, picking up trash, and | | | | |
| lifting heavy equipment. There were no | | | | For the next few weeks Americans followed the |
| trailers or perks or glamour or big houses. A | | | | saga in the newspapers, there were several |
| casting director might meet a newspaper boy | | | | false reports of foul play. One account had |
| on the street and hire him as an lead actor | | | | Florence killed by a streetcar. Then, as |
| for five dollars a day. Ladies of the evening | | | | pre-arranged by Carl Laemmle, Florence |
| were often given jobs simply because they | | | | "miraculously" resurfaced in St. Louis were |
| provided their own wardrobes. Not knowing | | | | she was mobbed, her clothes ripped off by |
| their real names, the movie going public | | | | hired fans. And so Florence Lawrence gained a |
| would give their favorite actor's appropriate | | | | huge following. Movies with her name on the |
| nicknames such as "the waif" or "the cowboy". | | | | marquee started selling like hot cakes. |
| The growing curiosity surrounding the | | | | |
| identities lead to the birth of movie fan | | | | A few years later she was working on a film |
| magazines such as Photoplay in 1909. But | | | | when a fire broke out on the set. Young |
| fearing that their players would demand huge | | | | Florence courageously risked her life to save |
| salaries the producers still refused to | | | | her fellow actors and the incident left her |
| release their names. | | | | temporarily paralyzed. By the time she |
| | | | recovered no one would hire her. But though |
| One of the most prominent movie theater | | | | she ended up in obscurity, Florence Lawrence |
| owners was a former clothing store manager | | | | was the first movie star. |
| from Oshkosh, Wisconsin named Carl Laemmle, | | | | |