Margaret Leahy (17 August 1902 – 17 February 1967) was a British actress. After winning a

beauty contest A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...

, Leahy made only one film.

Life and film career

In 1922, sisters

Constance Talmadge Constance Alice Talmadge (April 19, 1898 – November 23, 1973) was an American silent film star. She was the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Early life Talmadge was born on April 19, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, to poor par ...

and

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

Joseph Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York City ...

and film director

Edward Jose Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

held a contest in England to find a new leading lady. The contestants reputedly numbered nearly 80,000, and the competition resulted in three girls thought suitable: Leahy, Katherine Campbell, and

Agnès Souret Jeanne Germaine Berthe Agnès Souret (21 January 1902 – 30 September 1928) was a French actress and dancer who was the winner of the inaugural Miss France competition in 1920. Biography Jeanne Germaine Berthe Agnès Souret was a French-Basq ...

who proceeded to travel to Hollywood at the end of 1922. Born in London, Leahy was described by

, as "the most ravishing girl in England". Although it was said by her publicity that the young beauty queen had acted in English and French films in Europe, this proved to be untrue, especially after director

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president ...

had her dismissed from '' Within the Law'' (1923), which was supposed to be Leahy's big film debut, claiming that the actress could do nothing that an actress was supposed to do. Leahy was selected as one of 13

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

in 1923, probably due to the help of producer

, Norma Talmadge's husband, who had signed a three-year contract with the girl. Following this, Schenck handed Margaret over to his brother-in-law

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

to appear in his next comedy as Schenck believed it did not take much for an actress to be a comedian. Leahy's only film, ''

Three Ages ''Three Ages'' is a 1923 black-and-white American feature-length silent comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton and Wallace Beery. The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in (unlike ''The Saphead'', in which he only ...

'' (1923), directed by Buster Keaton, did absolutely nothing to improve her already crumbling film career. Leahy's role was not given much attention, and she never acted again. Following this one film, Leahy remained in California and got married instead of returning to England. She later became an interior decorator. She apparently committed suicide in Los Angeles at age 64.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Margaret Leahy's Story
at the

International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton. Mission According to the Damfinos, their mission is "t ...

1902 births 1967 deaths Actresses from London English silent film actresses Suicides in California 20th-century English actresses WAMPAS Baby Stars British expatriate actresses in the United States 1967 suicides {{England-screen-actor-stub