Marie Prevost

 Marie Prevost, born Marie Bickford Dunn (November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937)

Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was discovered by Mack Sennett who signed her to contract and made her one of his "Bathing Beauties" in the late 1910s. Prevost appeared in dozens of Sennett's short comedy films before moving on to feature-length films for Universal. In 1922, she signed with Warner Bros. where her career flourished as a leading lady. She was a favorite of director Ernst Lubitsch who cast her in three of his comedy films: The Marriage Circle (1924), Three Women (1924) and Kiss Me Again (1925). After being let go by Warner Bros in early 1926, Prevost's career began to decline and she was relegated to secondary roles. She was also beset with personal problems, including the death of her mother in 1926 and the breakdown of her marriage to actor Kenneth Harlan in 1927, which fueled her depression. She began to abuse alcohol and binge eat, resulting in a weight gain that made it difficult for her to secure acting jobs. By 1935, Prevost was only able to secure bit parts in films. She made her last onscreen appearance in 1936. She continued to drink, which led to her early demise. On January 21, 1937, Prevost died of acute alcoholism at the age of 40. Her body was not discovered until January 23rd after neighbors complained about her dog's incessant barking. Her body was cremated, and the ashes stored with family. At the time of death, Prevost's estate was valued at a meager $300, as she had squandered more of her earnings. Prevost's fate, as well as that of others, prompted the Hollywood community to create the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital to provide medical care for employees of the television and motion picture industry.