Marie Prevost

Lore & Background

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. She 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, her career declined and she was relegated to secondary roles. She was 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 weight gain that made it difficult to secure acting jobs. By 1935, she was only able to secure bit parts. She made her last onscreen appearance in 1936. After years of drinking, Prevost died of acute alcoholism at age 40 in January 1937. Her estate was valued at $300.

Reader's Guide

Prevost was born in Sarnia, Ontario, to Hughina Marion (née Bickford) and Arthur 'Teddy' Dunn. Her father worked as a railway conductor and was killed when gas seeped into the St. Clair Tunnel. Her mother later married Frank Prevost, and the family moved to Denver. In 1900, Hughina gave birth to another daughter, Marjorie, called Peg. Frank Prevost, a miner and surveyor, frequently moved the family around the country. After living in Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nevada; and Fresno, California, the family settled in Los Angeles. Hughina and Frank later divorced. Frank died in September 1933 and bequeathed Marie $1. Prevost attended Manual Arts High School. By 1915, she worked as a secretary at a law firm representing Keystone Film Company. While running an errand at Keystone Studios, she was asked to appear in a bit part for His Father's Footsteps. Mack Sennett was impressed and signed her as a Bathing Beauty at $15 per week. She married socialite Henry Charles 'Sonny' Gerke in June 1918; they soon separated, and she kept the marriage secret. Her career rose at Keystone, with lead roles in Yankee Doodle in Berlin (1919) and Love, Honor, and Behave (1920). In 1921, she signed with Universal for $1,000 per week. Irving Thalberg took an interest and publicized her. In 1922, she signed with Warner Bros. at $1,500 per week. She dated and later married actor Kenneth Harlan; a publicity stunt involving their marriage on the set of The Beautiful and Damned backfired when her first marriage was revealed. After Warner Bros. did not renew her contract in early 1926, her mother died in an automobile accident on February 5, 1926. Prevost began drinking heavily. She separated from Harlan in 1927. Howard Hughes cast her in The Racket (1928), her last leading role. She later signed with MGM but only got secondary parts. Her last on-screen appearance was in Ten Laps to Go (1936).

Did You Know?

• Prevost's stepfather Frank Prevost bequeathed her $1 upon his death in 1933.
• She burned her bathing suit at Coney Island in a publicity stunt arranged by Irving Thalberg.
• Her first marriage to Henry Charles Gerke was kept secret until he filed for divorce in 1923.
• Prevost's estate at her death was valued at only $300.