Kay Laurell (born Ruth Leslie; June 28, 1890 – January 31, 1927) was an American stage and

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 and

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

. Laurell began her career as an artists' model. After catching the eye of

Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

, she was cast in the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

'' where she debuted in 1914. A popular performer who was noted for her beauty, she was called "one of the most beautiful women on the stage". In 1918, Laurell left the ''Follies'' to embark on an acting career. She went on to appear in stage productions on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, and made three

s. In the 1920s, Laurell moved to Europe where she continued her stage career. She died during childbirth at the age of 36 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Early life

Laurell was born in 1890 (some sources state 1894) in

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

. She left Erie at the age of 16 to pursue a career in show business 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 ...

. She initially found work as telephone operator before she was hired as an artists' model. During her stint as a model, she posed for artists and illustrators including

Howard Chandler Christy Howard Chandler Christy (January 10, 1872 – March 3, 1952) was an American artist and illustrator. Famous for the "Christy Girl" – a colorful and illustrious successor to the "Gibson Girl" – Christy is also widely known for his ico ...

and

William Glackens William James Glackens (March 13, 1870 – May 22, 1938) was an American realist painter and one of the founders of the Ashcan School, which rejected the formal boundaries of artistic beauty laid-down by the conservative National Academy of De ...

. It was during this time that Ruth Leslie changed her name to Kay Laurell. In 1914,

saw Laurell while she was appearing in a

tableau Tableau (French for 'little table' literally, also used to mean 'picture'; tableaux or, rarely, tableaus) may refer to: Arts * ''Tableau'', a series of four paintings by Piet Mondrian titled '' Tableau I'' through to ''Tableau IV'' * ''Tableau vi ...

staged at the annual Illustrators' Ball. Ziegfeld was impressed by Laurell's appearance and offered her a spot in the ''

''.

Career

''Ziegfeld Follies''

Laurell made her stage debut in the ''Ziegfeld Follies of 1914''. The following year, she caused a sensation when she appeared in the opening scene of the 1915 ''Follies'' as a semi-nude

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

. The scene was designed by

Joseph Urban Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872 – July 10, 1933) was an Austrian-American architect, illustrator, and scenic designer. Life and career Joseph Urban was born on May 26, 1872, in Vienna. He received his first architectural commission at age 19 wh ...

and featured an elaborate set with a pool surrounded by greenery. Laurell rose out of the water flanked by two golden elephants with raised trunks from which water poured. According to Doris Eaton Travis' 2003 autobiography ''The Days We Danced'', Laurell became known for "those naked-above-the-waist poses". At that time, performers were permitted to appear nude onstage as long as they did not move. This

loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit, a narrow verti ...

in the law inspired stage producers and set designers to come up with more inventive and elaborate ways to feature nudity in their shows. Eaton Travis later recalled, "The story was that Ziegfeld asked for a volunteer to be naked above the waist, and Kay Laurell was the first to consent. Hers became the most revealed breasts on Broadway in that era." During this time, Laurell's popularity grew and she was often noted for her physical beauty and perfect figure. She was referred to as "one of the most beautiful women on the stage" and "the prettiest chorus girl on Broadway." Florenz Ziegfeld stated that Laurell was the embodiment of feminine beauty. In May 1916, Laurell married

Winfield Sheehan Winfield R. Sheehan (September 24, 1883 – July 25, 1945) was a film company executive. He was responsible for much of Fox Film Corporation's output during the 1920s and 1930s. As studio head, he won an Academy Award for Best Picture for the film ...

, the former secretary to

Rhinelander Waldo Rhinelander Waldo (May 24, 1877 – August 13, 1927) was appointed the seventh New York City Fire Commissioner by Mayor William Jay Gaynor on January 13, 1910. He resigned on May 23, 1911, less than two months after the deadly Triangle Shirtwaist ...

, in London. Shortly after the marriage, Laurell retired from the stage. In July 1917, she filed for legal separation from Sheehan citing "cruelty". KayLaurellZiegfeldBoobless

After separating from Sheehan, Laurell resumed her career and returned to the ''Follies'' in June 1918. She was again featured in the opening scene, this time posing as "The Spirit of the Allies" atop a lighted, spinning globe. As

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

was still on, the globe showed Europe in flames. One of the more memorable tableau scenes of that year's ''Follies'' featured patriotic and war imagery designed by

Ben Ali Haggin James Ben Ali Haggin III (20 April 1882 – 2 September 1951) was an American portrait painter and stage designer. Life A grandson of the multi-millionaire James Ben Ali Haggin, he was born in New York City. After extensive education, he beg ...

. Social historian Allen Churchill later described the scene, "Actors in

battle dress A combat uniform, also called field uniform, battledress or military fatigues, is a casual type of uniform used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for everyday fieldwork and combat duty purposes, as opposed to dress ...

stood frozen in the act of tossing grenades, bayoneting cringing

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

...Follies Girls as

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

nurses, waifs in war-torn undress and goddess of war. Dominating the vivid scene was Miss Kay Laurell representing the Spirit of the Allies, her costume in enough disarray to expose one...breast." While the ''Follies'' typically featured light-hearted themes, audiences enjoyed the war themed scene of the 1918 ''Follies''. The show ran until the

Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

in November 1918. Kay Laurell-1915-newspaper-A

Stage and films

Like many other

Ziegfeld girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Descripti ...

s, Laurell attempted to parlay the success she found in the ''Follies'' into an acting career. In 1919, she made her film debut in ''The Brand'', opposite Russell Simpson. Later that same year, she played a supporting role in '' The Valley of the Giants'', starring

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...

. Laurell received positive reviews for her acting, but would only make one more silent film, ''Lonely Heart'', in 1921. Laurell focused mainly on stage work for the remainder of her career. In 1922, she joined the production of ''Ladies Night''. She remained with the play for a season before headlining the

circuit with stock companies in

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. In December 1924, she joined the cast of ''Quarantine''. The play ran for a total of 151 performances at

Henry Miller's Theatre The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre ...

through April 1925. Laurell then co-starred in ''Nocture'', which premiered at the Punch and Judy Theatre in

on February 16, 1925. The play ran for three performances before closing later that month. She later moved to Europe where she found work in a French stock company in Paris. Laurell then moved to

. By this period, her career began to decline and her roles were no longer reported in theater trades.

Personal life

In May 1916, Laurell married

. The couple separated in July 1917 but never divorced. Sheehan later became the general manager and vice president at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. While separated from Sheehan, Laurell began a relationship with Joseph Whiteside Boyle, a businessman and the son of Klondike Joe Boyle. The couple planned to marry after both obtained divorces from their respective spouses. In 1926, Laurell became pregnant.

Death

On January 31, 1927, Laurell died in

at the age of 36. Laurell's death was initially attributed to

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

. In 1930, the press discovered that Laurell had actually died while giving birth to her first and only child. The child, a boy named Joseph K. Boyle, survived.

Estate

Before her death, Laurell drew up a will leaving her property and personal effects to Joseph Whiteside Boyle (who was presumed to be the child's father) and named him the

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used. Overview An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...

of her estate. Laurell left her $100,000 estate to Boyle because she was unaware that her son, who was born

out of wedlock Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

, could legally inherit her assets. However, one month before Laurell's death, the

Legitimacy Act 1926 The Legitimacy Act 1926 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It mee ...

was passed in England which allowed her son to inherit her assets. A similar law in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(where Laurell also had bank accounts and property) also allowed her son to inherit his mother's estate. Concerned for the child's welfare, Laurell's brother Raleigh J. Leslie, sought a letter of administration for her estate naming Joseph K. as her

next of kin A person's next of kin (NOK) are that person's closest living blood relatives. Some countries, such as the United States, have a legal definition of "next of kin". In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, "next of kin" may have no legal d ...

. He later dropped the matter after discovering that the boy's father, Joseph Whiteside Boyle, had been caring for the child since birth and had no plans to claim Laurell's estate. One month after Laurell's death, her mother Mrs. A.A. Leslie, died in Erie, Pennsylvania. Laurell's mother was never told of her daughter's death as she was dying at the time. Upon Mrs. Leslie's death, she left her Erie, Pennsylvania home and assets to Laurell which were subsequently inherited by Laurell's son.

Stage career

Filmography

In popular culture

H.L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

said Laurell possessed "all the arts of the really first-rate

harlot Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

" and was "the most successful practitioner of her trade of her generation in New York." He said, "Much of what I got from her, in fact, went into ''

In Defense of Women ''In Defense of Women'' is H. L. Mencken's 1918 book on women and the relationship between the sexes. Some laud the book as progressive while others brand it as reactionary. While Mencken did not champion women's rights, he described women as ...

''", his 1918 book. Playwright Channing Pollock wrote, however, "Kay could have gone far if she had been willing to exchange her favors for advancement, but she didn't 'want to get ahead that way'."Channing Pollock, ''Harvest of My Years - An Autobiography'', page 356

References

External links

* *
Kay Laurell's 1920 passport photo
at

Flickr Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laurell, Kay 1890 births 1927 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania American artists' models American expatriates in the United Kingdom Female models from Erie, Pennsylvania American silent film actresses American stage actresses Deaths in childbirth Actors from Erie, Pennsylvania Vaudeville performers Ziegfeld girls