Evelyn Nesbit Movies
A former artist's model turned "Floradora Girl," Evelyn Nesbit (née Florence Nesbit) married Philadelphia society scion Harry K. Thaw in 1906. After dining at the famous Madison Square Garden roof a few months later, Thaw shot and killed Evelyn's reputed lover, famed architect Stanford White. Amazingly, this tragedy not only turned into the era's foremost cause célèbre but made a quasi-star of Nesbit , whose performance on the witness stand at her husband's trial was worthy of one of Broadway's better actresses. The case itself became the focal point of several films, at least one of which -- the Lubin company's The Unwritten Law (1907) -- still survives. Nesbit herself reportedly made her own screen debut in yet another depiction of the affair, the plainly titled The Great Thaw Trial (1909). Thaw, who was given an extremely lenient sentence due to friends in high places, answered back with Escape from the Asylum (1913), from actor/producer Hal Reid, after which curiosity finally seems to have been satisfied. Evelyn, meanwhile, toured vaudeville and starred in The Threads of Destiny (1915), which featured her young son Russell Thaw and future husband Jack Clifford. Even more significant was the aptly titled Redemption (1917), in which Nesbit played a young mother forced to confess a past indiscretion to her son. She chose to bill herself Evelyn Nesbit-Thaw for this much hyped melodrama and the ensuing notoriety earned her a contract with Fox, who obviously saw her as something of a real-life Theda Bara. The result was a series of potboilers whose titles -- I Want to Forget (1918), Her Mistake (1918), Thou Shalt Not (1919), and The Fallen Idol -- once again played up her somewhat soiled reputation. Sometime in the late 1910s, Nesbit made her final film, The Hidden Woman, again with little Russell, but it sat on the shelves for years before being dumped on the States' Rights market in 1922. More than 30 years later, Nesbit's old studio, Fox, hired her as a "consultant" on The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), a highly fictionalized account of the Thaw affair featuring Joan Collins as Evelyn, Ray Milland as Stanford White, and Farley Granger as Harry. According to a friend, Nesbit was ill and nearly destitute at the time and in dire need of the salary. Years after her death, Evelyn Nesbit once again became the focal point of a fictive account of the Thaw affair, this time when author E. L. Doctorow incorporated the scandal into Ragtime, his sprawling indictment of the so-called "Gilded Age." Milos Forman's 1981 screen version featured Elizabeth McGovern as Evelyn, with author Norman Mailer as White and Robert Joy as Thaw. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1922
Her fortune lost, a society woman flees to a settlement in the Adirondacks in this obscure silent melodrama produced and directed by Allan Dwan. When Ann Westley (Evelyn Nesbit takes pity on little Johnny Randolph (Russell Thaw), her unconventionality provokes the local community in general and local reformer Iron MacLoid (Murdock MacQuarrie) in particular. Happily, Ann finds a champion in handsome Bart Andrews (Crauford Kent), who saves her from a fate worse than death at the hands of the brutal Bill Donovan (Albert Hall). After reuniting little Johnny with his parents (Jack Evans and Mary Alden), Bart asks Ann to become his wife. Produced in the late 1910s, The Hidden Woman was the final film of Evelyn Nesbit, the infamous "Girl in the Red Velvet Swing." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1919
According to trade paper Motion Picture News, "Evelyn Nesbit seems to have found a fitting subject for her subdued emotions" with this drama; in translation, it means that Nesbit wasn't much of an actress. Luckily, as Motion Picture News so eloquently points out, she doesn't have to do a whole lot here. While it's not typical Nesbit fare -- more often her films banked on her past as "the girl in the red velvet swing" whose crazed husband killed her ex-lover -- the subject matter is nonetheless pretty sensational for its era. It was based on a best-selling book by Elizabeth Robins. Nesbit is "the Elder Sister" who comes to London with her younger sibling, Bettina (Lillian Hall), to visit an aunt they've never met. Somehow word of their arrival filters down to a woman of very questionable character, and she meets them at the station, claiming to be the aunt. The innocent country girls (keep in mind that Nesbit was 35 when she made this picture) go with her to a strange house where the windows are barred. Then they sit down with some men that the "aunt" claims are dinner guests. One of the men tells the elder sister that she and Bettina have found themselves in a house of ill-repute, and he helps her to escape. She successfully makes her way to her real aunt, however, they can't go back for Bettina, because the she has carelessly forgotten to find out the house's address. After weeks go by and there's no sign of Bettina, it is clear that she has become but a statistic. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Could anyone imagine Evelyn Nesbit -- former Floradora girl and ex-wife of wealthy, insane murderer Harry K. Thaw -- as a Hawaiian princess? Probably not, but Fox cast her as one anyway in this exploitative drama. Princess Laone (Nesbit) has been introduced to Santa Barbara society by Mrs. Parrish (Lillian Lawrence). But Mrs. Parrish isn't exactly a fine, upstanding matron -- she associates with smuggler Stephen Brainard (Lyster Chambers), and when her nephew, Keith (Sidney Mason), falls in love with Laone, she tries to convince the girl to kill herself. Keith saves Laone from drowning, but when he has to go to his dying father, Mrs. Parrish convinces her that he has jilted her. Brainard convinces Laone to return to Hawaii and marry him. On the trip over, she realizes that the yacht is loaded with stolen jewels. Keith returns and finds out that Brainard has Laone and goes after them in a steamer. He tracks down Laone before she can marry Brainard and they are reunited. Brainard, however, has Keith arrested as a smuggler. Laone knows better, and she holds up his crew with a gun until the customs officers arrive. Brainard is arrested, while Keith is released and joins with Laone. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1919
Evelyn Nesbit's big claim to fame was that in 1906, her crazed husband, Harry K. Thaw, murdered her former lover, Stanford White. Nesbit forged a film career out of her notoriety during the 1910s, and Fox, which released many of her pictures, cast her in exploitation films. This one, typical of the bunch, says a lot about 1910s morality. Ruth (Nesbit) is a nice country girl who lives with her mother (Florida Kingsley) and father (Ned Burton) in a farmhouse. She falls in love with "a rural swain" (Eddie Lawrence), who convinces her to run away with him. Although they elope to a neighboring city, a wedding is never performed. Ruth's mother is sick over her daughter's disappearance, and the village minister (Crawford Kent), who always liked Ruth, tracks her down and brings her back home. He returns her to the choir, but the parishioners protest the presence of a "fallen woman" in their church. The minister is so disgusted by their attitude that he leaves the church and takes Ruth with him. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1918
Fox signed Evelyn Nesbit purely for sensational value. Even at this late date, she was still notorious as the cause for what was considered in 1906 to be "the crime of the century" -- the murder of her ex-lover, architect Stanford White, by her husband Harry Thaw. So most of the films she made for the studio were sheer exploitation. This one, however, was surprisingly good. Nesbit plays Varda Deering, a dancer who is involved with August Von Grossman (Alphonz Ethier), a suspicious character under scrutiny by the U.S. Secret Service. When she meets Lieutenant John Long (Henry Clive), he falls for her, and she for him. But he won't stand for her dealings with Von Grossman so eventually he leaves her. What he doesn't realize is that the Secret Service has contacted her and asked her to spy on Von Grossman for them. She has agreed, and becomes involved in his espionage, all for the benefit of the U.S. government. It turns out that the chauffeur is also working for the Secret Service, and he lends a hand to Varda. With the help of her aides, she breaks into Von Grossman's safe, gets the needed information and takes off in a car. The spies pursue, but are conveniently killed when their car runs afoul of an express train. With the escapade over, Varda can finally explain all to her now-understanding Lieutenant. Nesbit's young son, Russell Thaw, had a bit part as the chauffeur's kid -- a touch that must have delighted Fox's press agents. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1918
This is yet another sensationalistic Fox melodrama which banks on the name of once-notorious former showgirl Evelyn Nesbit. Colette (Nesbit) is a model and she poses for two artist brothers, Don (Robert Walker) and Andrien Walcott (Irving Cummings). Andrien, a hunchback, creates a beautiful portrait of her which is seen by evil Bulgarian Prince Vacarra (Eugene Ormonde). The prince tracks her down and locks her in his apartment with two choices: Either become his wife or his mistress. Colette chooses to be his wife. War breaks out and the prince takes Colette to Bulgaria, where he joins his regiment and a son, Rudolph (Russell Thaw), is born. Vacarra returns home and takes his family back to the States. He horribly abuses Colette but he is even worse to his son. Colette once again encounters Don Walcott, and the prince's mountain lodge happens to be near the Walcotts' bungalow. One night, Colette knocks her husband out cold and takes her son to the Walcotts. She pawns her jewels for an operation for Andrien, who is going blind, and that's how the prince tracks her down. He takes Rudolph, intending to throw him over a cliff. But Andrien rips the bandages from his eyes and battles him. The two men fall off the cliff and are killed, and Colette finds happiness at last with Don. Just in case the surname sounds familiar, yes, Russell Thaw was the son of Nesbit and ex-husband Harry Thaw, who was institutionalized after shooting Nesbit's former lover, Stanford White. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1917
Mrs. Loring (Evelyn Nesbit) has a happy marriage, a charmingly precocious son (Russell Thaw), and a past. Her husband already knows about the affair she had with John Brooks and has accepted it. But Brooks -- who was Mrs. Loring's partner when she was a vaudeville performer -- returns and hounds her. She has him arrested but then withdraws her complaint. A load of scandalous publicity ensues, however, and it kills both Mr. Loring and Mrs. Brooks. Mrs. Loring is left penniless and struggles for a long time until she becomes a successful modiste under an assumed name. The Loring son, now grown, makes friends with the adult Brooks boy, and becomes engaged to the Brooks daughter. But when Brooks finds out who the boy's mother is, he refuses to let his family visit with him anymore. When Loring asks why, Brooks tells him to ask his mother. He does, and Mrs. Loring tearfully explains all. The Brooks and Lorings are reunited when the Loring boy saves Brooks' son from being killed. Russell Thaw, the young boy at the beginning of the picture, was Evelyn Nesbit's son in real life. This was one of many films of a sensational nature that Nesbit did -- they're the type of films one would expect from the former showgirl who became famous after her husband, Harry Thaw, murdered her former lover, architect Stanford White. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1917
In an unsuccessful attempt to break out of her vampire mold, Theda Bara plays a sweet young thing in this picture adapted from the 1880 novel Moths by Ouida. Bara's character, Vere Herbert, lives with her wicked mother, Lady Dolly (Marie Curtis), who is living in sin with Lord Jura (Glen White). Although Vere is in love with an opera singer, Lucien Correze (Harry Hilliard), Lady Dolly convinces her that marrying the dissolute Prince Zouroff (Walter Law) will save her father's honor. But the Prince makes her miserable and insists on having his mistress, Jeanne deSonnaz (Caille Torrez), live with them. Vere won't stands for this and packs up her nurse (Alice Gale) to go live at the Prince's Siberian estate. Lucien wants Vere to divorce the Prince and marry him. However, a duel between the Prince and Lord Jura ends up killing both men, making this a moot point, and Lucien and Vera are free to marry. The novel's original ending, in which Lucien and Vere go live together without the benefit of a marriage certificate would have been more typical of Bara's style. But she was trying very hard to play the good girl in this picture (even though she apparently wouldn't give up the heavy kohl eyeliner, as stills from the film illustrate). This effort was poorly received (in reality, the thirty-something Bara was too old for this part, anyway), and the fact that the United States entered World War I the week it was released didn't help, either. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1914
After gaining nationwide notoriety as the catalyst in a sensational murder trial, model/actress Evelyn Nesbit Shaw was besieged with vaudeville and motion picture offers. Contrary to claims made in the 1981 film Ragtime, Shaw did not make her film debut in a slapstick "beach" comedy, but instead in the 5-reel Lubin drama Threads of Destiny. The star was cast as Miriam Grunstein, a young Russian Jewish girl who suffers no end of trouble after her mother is killed in a pogrom and her father is shipped off to Siberia. "Rescued" by Russian secret service head Ivan Romanoff, Miriam is raised in a convent, little suspecting that Romanoff plans to make her his mistress. Forewarned of this in a message sent by her dying father, Miriam escapes to America, where she becomes the wife of a handsome rancher, himself a Russian expatriate. After eight years of domestic bliss, however, the girl's happiness is shattered when Ivan Romanoff comes back into her life. Things move swiftly to a literally explosive climax involving a gang of Nihilists bent on killing both Miriam and Ivan. Russell William Thaw, the real-life son of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, is cast as the heroine's offspring in this heavily plotted effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
