Iris Stuart (born Frances McCann; February 2, 1903 – December 21, 1936) was a motion picture actress of the

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 ...

era. Selected as a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1927, she had a brief career between 1926 and 1927 before retiring from acting. She died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

in 1936.

Early life

Born as Frances McCann, she attended secretarial school before becoming a magazine cover girl who was much favored by artists. Her picture was used as a model for a jewelry advertisement.

Career

She was signed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

associate producer

B.P. Schulberg B. P. Schulberg (born Percival Schulberg, January 19, 1892 – February 25, 1957) was an American pioneer film producer and film studio executive. Biography Born Percival Schulberg in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he took the name Benjamin from t ...

to a long-term contract with

Famous Players Famous Players Limited Partnership, DBA Famous Players, is a Canadian-based subsidiary of Cineplex Entertainment. As an independent company, it existed as a film exhibitor and cable television service provider. Famous Players operated numerous m ...

in July 1926. She was first cast in a

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...

film entitled '' Stranded in Paris'' (1926). She played "Theresa Halstead", the films' second lead. She obtained the role quite by accident. Director Arthur Rosson asked to view a screen test of another actress and the projection operator mixed up the reels. Rosson quickly decided on Stuart for the part. The story was adapted from a play called ''Jenny's Escapade''. In January 1927 she was selected with twelve other young actresses as a WAMPAS ''Baby Star'' of 1927. Some of the other women named were

Sally Phipps Sally Phipps (born Byrnece Beutler; May 25, 1911 – March 17, 1978) was an American actress. Early life and career The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Edward Bogdon, Sally Phipps was born Nellie Bernice Bogdon in Oakland, California on M ...

Natalie Kingston Natalie Kingston (born Natalia Ringstrom; May 19, 1905 – February 2, 1991) was an American actress. Background Kingston was born as Natalia Ringstrom in Vallejo, California, and raised in San Francisco. She was of Spanish, Hungarian, an ...

Sally Rand Sally Rand (born Helen Gould Beck; April 3, 1904 – August 31, 1979) was an American burlesque dancer, vedette, and actress, famous for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck ...

, and

Helene Costello Helene Costello (June 21, 1906 – January 26, 1957) was an American stage and film actress, most notably of the silent era. Early life and career Born in New York City, Costello was the youngest daughter of the prominent stage and pioneering ...

Illness and later career

Stuart suffered from

, and her health declined so rapidly that physicians advised her to admit herself to a southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

sanitarium in February 1927. Her constitution was fragile and was weakened further by work and nervous strain. She returned to films in December 1927 against the wishes of her family. Stuart signed a new contract with Paramount-Famous-Lasky Corporation in January 1928. Her first role in her comeback was not immediately decided upon. The following month she secretly wed wealthy New York magazine publisher, Bert A. Mackinnon, in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. She took out a marriage license using her true name, Iris McCann. The couple postponed plans for a honeymoon and resided temporarily at the Ambassador Hotel in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Death

Stuart died in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1936, aged 33, of tuberculosis. She is interred at the

Gate of Heaven Cemetery Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave. in Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York, as a Roman Catholic burial site. Among its famous residents is b ...

Hawthorne, New York Hawthorne is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 4,586 at the 2010 census. History The village was originally known as Hammond's Mill ...

Filmography

References

Works cited

*''Los Angeles Times'', ''Magazine Cover Girl Busy'', September 17, 1926, Page A8. *''Los Angeles Times'', ''New Baby Stars Stud Film Firmament'', January 7, 1927, Page A1. *''Los Angeles Times'', ''Illness May Bar Path To Stardom'', February 24, 1927, Page A1. *''Los Angeles Times'', ''Baby Star Returns To Film City'', December 3, 1927, Page A1. *''Los Angeles Times'', ''Iris Stuart, Bride of Magazine Publisher'', January 4, 1928, Page A15. *''Los Angeles Times'', ''Iris Stuart Signs Contract'', January 17, 1928, Page A10. *''Port Arthur News'', ''Hollywood'', Sunday, January 1, 1928, Page 16.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart Iris Actresses from New York (state) American silent film actresses 1903 births 1936 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York) Tuberculosis deaths in New York (state) Paramount Pictures contract players WAMPAS Baby Stars