People active in the silent era and people who keep the silent era alive. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

Photograph: Silent Era image collection.

Barbara La Marr
(same as Barbara Deely, Barbara La Marr Deely)

Born 28 July 1896 in Yakima, Washington, USA, as Reatha Dale Watson.
Died 30 January 1926 in Altadena, California, USA, of complications from tuberculosis and nephritis.

Married Jack Lytell, 1913; until Jack’s death, 1914.
Married Lawrence Converse, 2 June 1914; annulled, June 1914.
Married actor Phil Ainsworth, 13 October 1916; divorced 1918.
Married actor Ben Deeley, 1918; divorced 1921.
Married actor Jack Dougherty, 5 May 1923; until Barbara’s death, 30 January 1926.

Barbara La Marr was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest until her family moved to California when she was a teenager.

Barbara began her motion picture career by writing and selling story ideas for Fox Film Corporation in 1920, Presumably, she also was looking for acting opportunities as her screen debut came in September 1920 for Anita Stewart Productions, Incorporated. Soon, Barbara caught the eye of Douglas Fairbanks who cast her in a supporting role in The Nut (1921) and as Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers (1921). At Universal, Barbara was also directed by John Ford in Desperate Trails (1921) and, at Metro, by Rex Ingram in The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) and Trifling Women (1922).

Now playing leading roles, Barbara worked almost exclusively for Associated First National Pictures, Incorporated, and their production affiliate Sawyer-Lubin Productions. Barbara La Marr’s final film, The Girl from Montmartre (1926), was released the day after her death.

References: Website-IMDb; Website-Wikipedia.