Helen Louise Prettyman Arnold (August 17, 1890 – February 19, 1976) was a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

actress who appeared in motion pictures from 1916 to 1918.

Early life and career

Helen Louise Prettyman was born on August 17, 1890 to Thomas Jefferson Prettyman (1856–1935) and Mary A. Graves (1858–1940). She had three siblings, Mabel (1884–1920), Lewis Alfred (1886–1961), and Thomas Jefferson Jr. (1888–1967). Helen married Richard M. Arnold Jr. on April 2, 1910 in Clark, Indiana. Arnold was a member of the cast of the 1891 production of "Nerves" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City. The play ran from January 19, 1891 to April 1891. Arnold played Viola Campbell in a 1916 production of ''The Witching Hour'' filmed in

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

. The film starred

C. Aubrey Smith Sir Charles Aubrey Smith (21 July 1863 – 20 December 1948) was an English Test cricketer who became a stage and film actor, acquiring a niche as the officer-and-gentleman type, as in the first sound version of ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937) ...

and

Marie Shotwell Marie Shotwell (March 21, 1880 – September 18, 1934) was an American actress of the stage and screen. Biography Shotwell was in motion pictures beginning in 1915 with roles in ''God's Witness'', ''The Taming of Mary'', ''Under Southern Skies ...

. The movie was an adaptation of a play written by

Augustus Thomas Augustus Thomas (January 8, 1857 – August 12, 1934) was an American playwright. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri and son of a doctor, Thomas worked a number of jobs including as a United States House of Representatives Page, page in the 4 ...

. One review described it as better than the stage drama which preceded it, while retaining the mood of strangeness. Arnold was said to be "an attractive Viola". In June 1916, Arnold was among the winners of a ''Beauty and Brains'' contest held by ''

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film (another name for ''photoplay'') fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded '' Motion Picture Story,'' a magazine also directed at fans. For mo ...

'' magazine. Arnold made ''Two Men and a Woman'' (1917) with

Christine Mayo Christine Mayo (December 25, 1883 – January 9, 1961) was a silent film actress. Biography Mayo was featured in vamp roles produced by Fox Film Corporation, Metro Pictures, World Film Corporation, and Ivan Film Productions, Inc.''Famous Mov ...

and

Rubye De Remer Rubye De Remer (born Ruby Burkhard; January 9, 1892 – March 18, 1984) was an American dancer and actress in silent films. She began her stage career with the ''Midnight Frolic'', a Florenz Ziegfeld show, in New York City. Film actress Her fir ...

. The Ivan Film Productions, Inc., release is directed by

William J. Humphrey William Jonathan Humphrey (January 2, 1875 – October 4, 1942) was an American actor and film director. Born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, William Humphrey was a well-known member of the early stock company of Vitagraph Studios. Without th ...

. Arnold made two other

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

films, ''One Law For Both'' (1917) and ''

The Call of Her People ''The Call of Her People'' is a 1917 silent film spectacle directed by John W. Noble and starring Ethel Barrymore. It was produced and distributed by Metro Pictures. The story is based on a play by Edward Sheldon. Cast *Ethel Barrymore - Egypt * ...

'' (1917), which starred

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...

. Arnold's final film credit is for a role in the Italian film ''Il Doppio volto'' (1918).Helen Arnold
at IMDb The 1920 census listed Helen as living in the household of Edward Firkon under the name Helen Firkon. Helen died on 19 February 1976 in Los Angeles.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Helen American silent film actresses American film actresses 1890 births 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses 1976 deaths