Eleanor d'Abbadie d'Arrast

From cover girl to movie star, Eleanor Boardman led a charmed life. Boardman was popular during the silent film era and is best remembered for her role in King Vidor's classic silent film "The Crowd" (1928). She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 6922 Hollywood Boulevard.

She was born on August 19, 1898 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended an art school, before leaving for New York as a teenager to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. Once there Eleanor was selected as the "Eastman Kodak Girl", and a series of photos of Eleanor put out by that company attracted the attention of Hollywood director King Vidor who she would eventually marry after his divorce from actress Florence Vidor.

In 1922 Eleanor won a film contract with Goldwyn Pictures and moved to Hollywood to start her career. She was honored as a WAMPAS (Western Associated Motion Picture Advertisers) Baby star that year. Later she signed a contract with M-G-M. Although she made a number of silent films, mostly playing elegant ladies of fashion, such as her role in the now lost "Bardelys the Magnificent" (1926) with John Gilbert, it is for King Vidor's classic silent film "The Crowd" (made in 1926 - released in 1928) that Eleanor will be best remembered. Her performance was outstanding and flawless as the plain Mary, the wife of the "common man", played by the ill-fated actor James Murray.

During her marriage to King Vidor, Eleanor had two daughters. In 1931 the couple divorced and a custody battle for the girls ensued for a number of years, even after Eleanor moved to Europe and married director Henri d'Abbadie d'Arrast, a marriage that lasted until his death in 1968. Her last film was made in 1935 in Spain with Henri as director. After Henri died, Eleanor moved from Europe to Montecito, California, to a home she designed herself. She remained there until her death from old age on December 12, 1991.

Sources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Boardman
• http://www.things-and-other-stuff.com/movies/profiles/eleanor-board...
• http://www.goldensilents.com/stars/eleanorboardman.html