In the early years of the American film industry, the major studios never credited the actors. They feared that if the actors themselves became famous, higher wages would be demanded and film budgets would spiral out of control. Audiences, however, took notice of the brighter stars in films. One of the first actresses who gained fame was Florence Lawrence, known only to her fans as “The Biograph Girl”.
Florence Lawrence quickly sought the fame and money that was rightfully hers. Biograph Pictures refused to put her name on theater marquees, though they did greatly increase her salary. After she made an attempt to find work outside Biograph, she was fired. Rather than a setback, this proved to be a blessing. The precursor to Universal Pictures- Independent Movie Productions- hired her with a promise to include her name on every film she made. The original fears of spiraling film budgets were proven correct. Once Florence was given film credit, everyone in Hollywood wanted it, resulting in superstardom and stratospheric salaries.
Sadly, the fame garnered by Florence would be fleeting. She would never gain the wealth that those who benefitted from her trailblazing received. She dropped off the Hollywood radar after an extended illness and lost most of her fortune after the 1929 stock market crash. Louis B. Mayer, in a publicity gambit, announced that he would hire silent picture stars who had fallen on hard times, a deal that Florence took advantage of. She would commit suicide not long afterwards.
