Mary Miles Minter
| Mary Miles Minter | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
Juliet Reilly April 25, 1902 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 1984 (aged 82) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Other names | Juliet Shelby |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1907–1923 |
| Spouse(s) | Brandon O. Hildebrandt (m. 1957; his death 1965) |
| Parent(s) |
Charlotte Shelby Joseph Homer Reilly |
| Relatives | Margaret Shelby (sister) |
Mary Miles Minter (April 25, 1902 – August 4, 1984) was an American actress. She appeared in 54 silent era motion pictures from 1912 to 1923.
In 1922, Minter was involved in scandal surrounding the murder of director William Desmond Taylor, for whom she professed her love. Although gossip implicated her mother, former actress Charlotte Shelby, as the murderer, Minter's reputation was tarnished, and she gave up her movie career in 1923.
She was born Juliet Reilly in Shreveport, Louisiana, the younger of two daughters born to Joseph "Homerun" Reilly (1877–1958) and Lily Pearl Miles (later known as Broadway actress Charlotte Shelby; 1877–1957). Her sister was Margaret Reilly, who later became an actress using the name Margaret Shelby.
At the age of five, she accompanied her sister, Margaret, on an audition because no babysitter was available. She was noticed by the director and given her first part. She began her stage career and was frequently employed afterward, widely noted for both her talent and visual appeal. To avoid child labor laws while the 10-year-old was appearing in a play in Chicago, in 1912, Charlotte Shelby obtained the birth certification of her elder sister's deceased daughter from Louisiana, and Juliet became Mary Miles Minter.
In her screen debut, in which she was billed as Juliet Shelby, she appeared in the 1-reel drama short The Nurse (1912). From there her new stage name was applied and Minter was starred in the role as Viola Drayton, the fairy, in the 5-reel feature length drama The Fairy and the Waif (1915).
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