Pearl White was an American stage and silent cinema actress known for her daring stunts in a variety of films. ‘Peerless Fearless Girl’ and ‘Heroine of a Thousand Stunts’ are two of her nicknames. She began her acting career on stage when she was six years old and went on to appear in silent films and serials. She is best remembered for her role in ‘The Perils of Pauline,’ in which she did all of the stunts herself until she was forced to utilize a stunt double due to recurrent injuries. She grew raised on a farm and became relatively athletic, which greatly aided her in doing her own stunts, much to the delight and admiration of both her directors and spectators. She was the most well-known female silent film star at one point. She is a well-known figure in American film history, having played a pivotal role in the evolution of filmmaking and the role of women in it. She tried more melodramatic roles later in her career, but the films didn’t do well at the box office. She moved to France and died at the age of 49 15 years later.
Childhood and Adolescence
Pearl White was born in Green Ridge, Missouri, on March 4, 1889, to Edgar and Inez White. Pearl had four brothers and sisters, and her father was a farmer. She lost her mother when she was three years old.
The family then relocated to Springfield, Missouri in quest of a better life, but they were unsuccessful. She began her theater career at the age of six, performing the role of ‘Eva’ in ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ in order to support her family.
She began her career as a circus equestrienne at the age of thirteen, but she was forced to leave due to a spinal injury.
When she was in high school, she joined the Diemer Theater Company and performed plays with them at night.
A Career of Pearl White
At the age of 18, Pearl White dropped out of high school and joined the Trousedale Stock Company to perform in their nightly shows. She kept her day job as well. She soon became a full-time employee of the company and began traveling around the American Midwest.
She sung American songs for a while and toured South America, performing in casinos and dance halls. Her voice weakened as a result of a throat ailment she had in 1910.
She had a long career in little roles before being discovered by the Powers Film Company in New York. She made her film debut the following year, in a Pat Powers in the Bronx series, where she honed her physical humor and stunt technique.
Pathé Frères gave her a part in ‘The Girl from Arizona’ in 1910. She worked at Lubin Studios and other independent studios the following year.
She worked with Crystal Film Company for a handful of slapstick comedy shorts from 1912 through 1914. She went on to work for Eclectic Film Company, a Pathé subsidiary, afterwards. Louis J. Gasnier directed the film serial ‘The Perils of Pauline,’ in which she starred. The show was a huge hit, and it made her famous.
‘The Exploits of Elaine’ (1914-1915), ‘The New Exploits of Elaine’ and ‘The Romance of Elaine’ (1915), ‘The Iron Claw’ (1916), ‘Pearl of the Army’ (1916-1917), ‘The Fatal Ring’ (1917), ‘The House of Hate’ (1918), ‘The Lightening Raider’ (1919), and ‘The Black Secret’ (1920) were among her bigger hits over the next five (1919-1920). In these serials, she did risky stunts.
By 1919, she had become tired with film serials and desired to act in dramatic roles. She appeared in twelve drama pictures for Fox Film Corporation during the next two years, although none of them were successful.
Her final picture, ‘Terreur,’ was released in France in 1924 (in the United States as ‘The Perils of Paris’). She appeared in the ‘London Review’ at the Lyceum Theatre in London the following year.
She left the movies in 1924 and invested her fortune on a nightclub, a resort casino, and a ten-race-horse stable.
Major Projects of Pearl White
‘The Perils of Pauline,’ a 1914 serial, stars Pearl White as the protagonist. The plot included a lot of action, which she delivered flawlessly.
‘The Exploits of Elaine’ (1914-1915), ‘Pearl of the Army’ (1916-1917), ‘The House of Hate’ (1918), ‘The Black Secret’ (1919-1920), and others were enormous hits between 1914 and 1920, in which she did perilous exploits like racing vehicles, swimming across rivers, flying planes, and so on.
Achievements & Awards
At 6838 Hollywood Blvd., she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal History and Legacy
From 1907 to 1914, Pearl White was married to actor Victor Sutherland, and from 1919 to 1921, she was married to actor Wallace McCutcheon. She didn’t have any children.
Following her retirement, she became involved with Theodore Cossika, a Greek businessman. They bought a house in Egypt and traveled to far-flung places together.
She died of liver failure caused by chronic drinking on August 4, 1938, at the age of 49. She was laid to rest in the Cimetière de Passy.
Theodore Cossika received the most of her estate. She left the rest of her estate to her father, nieces, and nephews, as well as $73,000 to charity.
She is a pivotal player in the development of American cinema. Her works are generally thought to be gone; an abridged nine-reel version of ‘The Perils of Pauline’ exists, and ‘The Exploits of Elaine’ is saved at the United States National Film Registry.
For executing perilous stunts in countless film serials, she is known as the ‘Peerless Fearless Girl’ and the ‘Heroine of a Thousand Stunts.’
Estimated Net Worth
Pearl is one of the wealthiest movie actresses and one of the most well-known. Pearl White’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
At the Trousdale Stock Company, she met her first husband, Victor Sutherland.
She was the most popular silent film female star between 1914 and 1915.
Wallace McCutcheon Jr., her second husband, suffered from mental illness and eventually committed suicide.
She sustained numerous injuries while performing stunts and relied on booze to alleviate her persistent pain. She was hospitalized for alcoholism in 1933 and developed an addiction to her treatment medications.