It didn't matter what country you lived in or what language you spoke. The physical beauty of early film actors and actresses drew large and adoring fans. As the fictional silent film star in the classic movie Sunset Boulevard (1950) says, "We didn't need dialogue. We had faces."
Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) began acting at age 12 and touring at 15. He reached the Broadway stage in 1902 and broke into films just as Hollywood began its rapid growth. He starred in allAmerican roles that had a comedic touch. Today, Fairbanks is remembered for his swashbuckling action films such as The Mark of Zorro (1920) and Robin Hood (1922). He performed his own stunts, becoming the "action hero" of his day. He also wrote many of his own screenplays. Fairbanks's son, Douglas Jr., followed in his father's footsteps as an actor.
Theda Bara (1885-1955) was born Theodosia Goodman. She landed her first leading role, as a vampire, in the 1914 film A Fool There Was. Bara was an exoticlooking woman. Popular fan magazines of the day helped spread a rumor that she was the daughter of an Arab sheik and an artist. The stories made Bara a huge box office draw for William Fox's film company. She moved with the company to Hollywood in 1918, where she starred in Cleopatra. It was a studio hit. Bara never made the transition to sound. She made her last silent film in 1926.
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2023 de Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2023 de Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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Putting the Pieces Together
Americans needed to begin to put the past behind them, come together, and plan for the future in the spring of 1865. But Abraham Lincoln, the man best equipped to lead them and who had hoped to restore the country as smoothly and peacefully as possible, had been assassinated.
LAST SHOTS
The last Confederate forces in the Civil War didn’t surrender in the spring of 1865 or on a battlefield.
AND IN OTHER 1865 NEWS
A group of African Americans stop at the White House’s annual public reception on January 1, where they shake hands with President Abraham Lincoln.
A Plot to Kill President the
For several months, actor John Wilkes Booth’s band of conspirators had plotted to capture President Abraham Lincoln and hold him hostage in exchange for Confederate prisoners.
Let the Thing Be Pressed
In June 1864, Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant began a nearly 10-month campaign in Virginia.
HEALING THE NATION
President Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office for the second time on March 4, 1865.
A Helping Hand
The spring season is hard in any agricultural society. Plants and animals are too small to eat.
WAR SHERMAN-STYLE
As far as Union Major General William T. Sherman was concerned, the Civil War had gone on long enough.
PEACE TALKS
The fall of Fort Fisher made clear that the Confederacy’s days were numbered. Southerners were tired and hungry.
FORT FISHER'S FALL
Outnumbered Confederate soldiers inside Fort Fisher were unable to withstand the approach of Union troops by land and the constant Union naval bombardment from the sea.
