Leatrice Joy
Biography
Leatrice Joy was an American actress whose career flourished in the silent film era. Born in New Orleans, she entered the movies after joining the Nola Film Company in 1915, and from 1916 into 1917 she starred in about twenty Black Diamond one-reel comedies that Paramount distributed across the country. She moved to Hollywood in late 1917 and appeared in comic shorts with Billy West and Oliver Hardy, then signed with Samuel Goldwyn and worked opposite Mary Pickford in The Pride of the Clan. By 1920 she had achieved leading-lady status, often playing strong-willed independent women. Cecil B. DeMille brought her to Paramount in 1922 and cast her in Saturday Night, and she followed him to Producers Distributing Corporation. With the arrival of sound her film work declined, though she later appeared in Love Nest (1951).
91years old at death
- Born New Orleans
- Died Riverdale
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 30 years1921 to 1951
Every film, newest first
- 1951Love NestIMDb rating 6.2
- 1923The Ten CommandmentsIMDb rating 6.8
- 1922ManslaughterIMDb rating 6.3
- 1921The Ace of HeartsIMDb rating 6.8
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First role
Between April 1916 and November 1917, Joy starred in about 20 one-reel Black Diamond Comedies made by the United States Motion Picture Corporation in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, often playing a character named Susie.
Big break
Cecil B. DeMille sought out Joy and signed her to Paramount Pictures in 1922. He cast her that year in the hit high-society drama Saturday Night, with Conrad Nagel as her co-star, and promoted her as a leading protegee.
A change of course
In 1926, Joy made the impulsive choice to cut her hair very short. DeMille was publicly angry since she could no longer portray traditional feminine roles, so the studio created projects promoting the Leatrice Joy bob seen in Made for Love, Eve's Leaves, The Clinging Vine, For Alimony Only, and Vanity.
Languages
Joy's career started to falter when talkies arrived, perhaps because her heavy Southern accent seemed unfashionable beside other actresses' refined "Mid-Atlantic" diction. From 1929 to 1931 she toured in vaudeville to improve her voice and handle dialogue better.
Leatrice Joy movies on Netflix
Most often with
Cecil B. DeMille directed two of these films. Four actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Raymond Hatton's page
Julia Faye's page
Edythe Chapman's page
James Neill's page
All films by Cecil B. DeMille
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.