Florence Vidor

Florence Vidor (née Cobb, later Arto; July 23, 1895 – November 3, 1977) was an American silent film actress.

Florence Vidor
Vidor, 1920
Born
Florence Cobb

(1895-07-23)July 23, 1895
Houston, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 3, 1977(1977-11-03) (aged 82)
Pacific Palisades, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active1916–1929
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1915; div. 1924)​
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1928; div. 1945)​
    Children3

    Early life

    Vidor was born in Houston[1] on July 23, 1895,[2] to John and Ida Cobb. Her parents had married in Houston on March 3, 1894, but divorced only three years later.[3] Ida remained in Houston and soon married John P. Arto, a real estate man who later served as deputy chief of the city's fire department.

    Career
    Vidor in Alice Adams (1923)

    Florence Vidor started working in silent movies through the influence of her husband, film director King Vidor, whom she had married in 1915. She signed her first contract with Vitagraph Studios in 1916. Her early fame was due to her role in the 1921 film Hail the Woman. Throughout the 1920s, she was a major box office attraction for Paramount Pictures. Her career ended with the advent of sound films. In 1929 she became so frustrated by the difficulties of making the partial sound film Chinatown Nights that she retired from acting before the production was completed. Director William A. Wellman had to use a voice double to complete some of her scenes.[4]

    Personal life and death

    Florence and King Vidor divorced in 1924. They had a daughter, Suzanne.[5] Despite the end of their marriage, Florence continued to use Vidor as her surname.

    Vidor married classical violinist Jascha Heifetz on August 20, 1928, in New York City.[5] They had two children together[6] and Heifetz also adopted Suzanne before divorcing in 1945.

    On November 3, 1977, Vidor died at her home in Pacific Palisades, California, aged 82.[1]

    Selected filmography

    References
    1. "Florence Vidor, 82, A Silent-Film Star, Is Dead on Coast". The New York Times. November 6, 1977. p. 44. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
    2. Wing, Ruth (1924). The Blue Book of the Screen. Blue Book of the Screen, Incorporated. pp. 256–257. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
    3. Houston Post, 15 June 1897, p. 6
    4. Eyman, Scott. The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926-1930. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997.
    5. "Jascha Heifetz Is Wed to Florence Vidor; Quietly Married Film Star Here on Aug. 20". The New York Times. August 28, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
    6. "Heifetz sues for divorce". The New York Times. United Press. December 28, 1945. p. 20. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
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