Lillian Drew

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Lillian Drew
A white woman with dark hair set in waves
Lillian Drew, from a 1916 publication
Born
Lillian Margaret Flannery

August 1882
Chicago, Illinois
DiedFebruary 4, 1924 (aged 41)
Chicago, Illinois
OccupationActress
SpouseE. H. Calvert

Lillian Drew (August 1882 – February 4, 1924), born Lillian Margaret Flannery, was an American actress in silent films.

Early life[edit]

Lillian Margaret Flannery was born in Chicago,[1][2] the daughter of Patrick J. Flannery and Marguerite M. Flannery. All of her grandparents were born in Ireland.

Career[edit]

Drew made more than eighty silent films, mostly short films, for Essanay Studios in Chicago and Chattanooga.[3][4] She was known for her riding skills,[5] and preference for "heavy dramatic" roles.[2] Her first film was The Broken Heart [it] (1913) with Ruth Stonehouse. She appeared with Gloria Swanson in The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915). Other films with Drew include Blind Man's Bluff [it] (1914),[2] The Clutch of Circumstance [it] (1915), In the Palace of the King [it] (1915), A Million for a Baby [it](1916),[3] Money to Burn [it] (1916),[6] The Secret of the Night(1916), The Other Man (1916),[7] My Country, 'Tis of Thee [it] (1916)[8] The Woman Always Pays [it](1916),[9] Vultures of Society [it] (1916), Uneasy Money (1918), and Ruggles of Red Gap (1918). Her last movie was Children of Jazz (1923) with Ricardo Cortez. She worked as a dressmaker in her last years.[10]

Personal life[edit]

Lillian Drew married fellow actor and director E. H. Calvert in 1907. They had a son, William Calvert, who became a child actor. The Calverts were separated, and she was recovering from an injury, when she died in Chicago in 1924, from an overdose of barbital, aged 41 years.[10] Her death was ruled accidental by a coroner's jury.[11][12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lillian Drew, of the Essanay Company". Motion Picture Classic. 2: 34. March 1916.
  2. ^ a b c "Today's Best Photo Play Stories". Chicago Tribune. 1914-05-26. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Essanays for September". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1521. September 2, 1916.
  4. ^ "Baby Named for Lillian Drew". The Day Book. 1915-05-13. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Who's Who in the 'Movies'--Lillian Drew of Essanay". The Day Book. 1914-03-14. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Essanay Plans for October". Moving Picture World. 29: 2128. September 30, 1916.
  7. ^ "General Film Company Specials". Moving Picture World. 29: 945. August 5, 1916.
  8. ^ "Essanay Offers a Number of Good Shorts for August". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1085. August 12, 1916.
  9. ^ "'The Woman Always Pays' (Essanay)". The Moving Picture World. 29: 1854. September 16, 1916.
  10. ^ a b "Poison Kills Lillian Drew ex-Film Star". Chicago Tribune. 1924-02-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Accident Verdict for Lillian Drew". Belvidere Daily Republican. 1924-02-21. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Lillian Drew's Death Due to Mistake in Taking Medicine". Chicago Tribune. 1924-02-21. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-04-13 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]