Clark, Marguerite (1883–1940)

American stage and silent-screen actress. Born Helen Marguerite Clark in Avondale, Ohio, on February 22, 1883; died in New York City on September 25, 1940; educated in public schools and in a convent school in St. Martin, Ohio; married Harry P. Williams (a New Orleans businessman), in August 1918 (died 1936).

Selected films:

Wildflower (1914); The Goose Girl (1915); Molly Make-Believe (1916); Snow White (1917); Prunella (1918); Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1918); All-of-a-Sudden Peggy (1920); Scrambled Wives (1921).

Marguerite Clark, who at one time rivaled Mary Pickford as the darling of silent pictures, began her career on the stage, making her New York debut in 1900 in the chorus of The Belle of Bohemia. With the role of Polly, opposite DeWolf Hopper in Mr. Pickwick (1903), her popularity continued to grow and would continue to do so over the next decade. She had roles in Babes in Toyland, The Pied Piper, Baby Mine, and Snow White (a production for children), and in 1914 signed on with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players (which later became Paramount). Her first film effort, Wildflower (1914), was a huge success, and she went on to perform a succession of innocent maiden roles well into her 30s, becoming one of the most beloved and highly paid stars of the silent era. In two of her films, The Prince and the Pauper and Topsy and Eva, she played double roles. Her performances in the stage and film versions of Snow White were said to have influenced the future Walt Disney animated version. Clark retired from films after her marriage to New Orleans businessman Harry P. Williams, appearing in her last movie, Scrambled Wives, in 1921. After her husband's death in 1936, she managed his air-service business before selling it to a larger airline. The actress died in September 25, 1940, in New York City.