Lillian Drew (August 1882 – February 4, 1924), born Lillian Margaret Flannery, was an American actress in silent films.

Early life

Lillian Margaret Flannery was born in Chicago, the daughter of Patrick J. Flannery and Marguerite M. Flannery. All of her grandparents were born in Ireland.

Career

Drew made more than eighty silent films, mostly short films, for

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

in Chicago and Chattanooga. She was known for her riding skills, and preference for "heavy dramatic" roles. Her first film was ' (1913) with

Ruth Stonehouse Ruth Stonehouse (September 28, 1892 – May 12, 1941) was an actress and film director during the silent film era. Her stage career started at the age of eight as a dancer in Arizona shows. Early life Ruth Stonehouse was born to James Wesley ...

. She appeared with Gloria Swanson in '' The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket'' (1915). Other films with Drew include (1914), (1915), (1915), (1916), (1916), (1916), '' The Other Man'' (1916), (1916) (1916), (1916), '' Uneasy Money'' (1918), and ''

Ruggles of Red Gap ''Ruggles of Red Gap'' is a 1935 American comedy western film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, and ZaSu Pitts and featuring Roland Young and Leila Hyams. It was based on the best-selling 1915 ...

'' (1918). Her last movie was ''

Children of Jazz ''Children of Jazz'' is a lost 1923 American comedy silent film directed by Jerome Storm and adapted from Harold Brighouse's play by Beulah Marie Dix. The film stars Theodore Kosloff, Ricardo Cortez, Robert Cain, Eileen Percy, Irene Dalton an ...

'' (1923) with

Ricardo Cortez Ricardo Cortez (born Jacob Kranze or Jacob Krantz; September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career. Early years Ricardo Cortez was born Jacob K ...

. She worked as a dressmaker in her last years.

Personal life

Lillian Drew married fellow actor and director

E. H. Calvert Elisha Helm Calvert (born William Helm; June 27, 1863 – October 5, 1941) was an American film actor and director. He appeared in more than 170 films, as well as directing a further 60 titles. Biography He was born William Helm in Madison, Wi ...

in 1907. They had a son, William Calvert, who became a child actor. The Calverts were separated, and she was recovering from an injury, when she died in Chicago in 1924, from an overdose of

barbital Barbital (or barbitone), marketed under the brand names Veronal for the pure acid and Medinal for the sodium salt, was the first commercially available barbiturate. It was used as a sleeping aid (hypnotic) from 1903 until the mid-1950s. The chemic ...

, aged 41 years. Her death was ruled accidental by a coroner's jury.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drew, Lillian 1882 births 1924 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Chicago