Lila Lee
| Lila Lee | |
|---|---|
Lee circa 1920
|
|
| Born |
Augusta Appel (or Apple) July 25, 1901 Union Hill, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 1973 (aged 72) Saranac Lake, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1918–1967 |
| Spouse(s) |
James Kirkwood, Sr. (m. 1923; divorce 1931) Jack R. Peine (m. 1934; divorce 1935) John E. Murphy (m. 1944; divorce 1949) |
| Children | James Kirkwood Jr. |
Lila Lee (July 25, 1901 – November 13, 1973) was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras.
Lila Lee was born Augusta Wilhelmena Fredericka Appel or Augusta Apple in Union Hill, New Jersey (now part of Union City), into a middle-class family of German immigrants who relocated to New York City when Lila was quite young. Searching for a hobby for their gregarious young daughter, the Appels enrolled Lila in Gus Edwards' kiddie review shows where she was given the nickname of "Cuddles"; a name that she would be known by for the rest of her acting career. Her stagework became so popular with the public that her parents had her educated with private tutors. Edwards would become Lee's long-term manager.
In 1918, she was chosen for a film contract by Hollywood film mogul Jesse Lasky for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, which later became Paramount Pictures. Her first feature The Cruise of the Make-Believes garnered the seventeen-year-old starlet much public acclaim and Lasky quickly sent Lee on an arduous publicity campaign. Critics lauded Lila for her wholesome persona and sympathetic character parts. Lee quickly rose to the ranks of leading lady and often starred opposite such matinee heavies as Conrad Nagel, Gloria Swanson, Wallace Reid, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, and Rudolph Valentino. Lee bore more than a slight resemblance to Ann Little, a former Paramount star and frequent Reid co-star who was leaving the film business and at this stage in her career an even stronger resemblance to Marguerite Clark.
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