Known For
Acting
Known Credits
66
Gender
Female
Birthday
November 24, 1897 (128 years old)
Place of Birth
Chadwicks, New York, USA
Helene Chadwick (November 25, 1897 – September 4, 1940) was an American actress in Silent and early sound films.
Chadwick was born in the small town of Chadwicks, New York, which was named for her grandfather. Her mother was a singer who performed on the stage and her father was a businessman.
She began making films for Pathe Pictures in Manhattan, New York. A director was impressed by Chadwick's talent as an equestrian, thus she began acting as a western star, but this did not continue with the exodus of film production from the east to the west coast. Signed by Samuel Goldwyn, Chadwick went to California in 1913 and entered silent movies in 1916. She was a star from 1920 through 1925. At the pinnacle of her acting career, she earned a salary estimated to have been $2,000 per week. From 1929 until 1935, she found success as a character actress when sound was being introduced to films.
In the final five years of her life she was reduced to taking roles as an extra, playing "atmospheric parts". She was always optimistic that her fortunes would turn for the better. Helene made movies with Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, and other studios.
Her most noteworthy performances came in The Long Arm of Mannister (1919), The Cup of Fury (1920), Heartsease (1919), The Sin Flood (1922), Dangerous Curve Ahead (1921), From The Ground Up (1921), The Glorious Fool (1922), Yellow Men and Gold (1922), Dust Flower (1922), Godless Men (1920), and Quicksands (1923).
In January 1919, Chadwick became engaged to Lieutenant William A. Wellman, an American pilot with the Lafayette Flying Corps. He had just returned from France and was cited for bravery for his valour in World War I. The couple had met at a party at the house of a friend. Wellman was signed to play a prominent role in an upcoming movie with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. The couple wed in July 1921, but in the summer of 1923 Chadwick sued Wellman for divorce on grounds of desertion and non-support. At the time of their separation William was directing movies for Fox Film. Wellman directed Wings, the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as many other notable films.
Helene Chadwick died at St. Vincent's Hospital, Los Angeles, California, aged 42, in 1940. Her death was indirectly the result of an accident she suffered in June 1939.
| 1936 | The Perfect Set-Upas Mary (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Frisco Kidas Saloon Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Mary Burns, Fugitiveas Prison Matron (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Mississippias Atendee at Opening (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | A Wicked Womanas Mother (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | School for Girlsas Larson | |
| 1934 | Good Dameas Mrs. Crosby | |
| 1934 | Managed Moneyas Mrs. George Myers | |
| 1933 | Merrily Yoursas Mrs. Rogers | |
| 1933 | Morning Gloryas Secretary (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Employees' Entranceas Attendee at Meeting of Department Heads (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Night Worldas Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | So Big!as Townsperson (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | Hell Boundas Sanford's Sister | |
| 1931 | The Bad Sisteras Amy, Sam's Wife (uncredited) | |
| 1930 | Men Are Like Thatas Clara Hyland | |
| 1929 | Father and Sonas Miss White | |
| 1928 | Say It with Sablesas Helen Caswell | |
| 1928 | Modern Mothersas Adele Dayton | |
| 1928 | Women Who Dareas Stella Mowbray | |
| 1927 | The Bachelor's Babyas Eleanor Carter | |
| 1927 | Stolen Pleasuresas Doris Manning | |
| 1926 | Wise Guys Prefer Brunettesas Helene | |
| 1926 | Dancing Daysas Alice Hedman | |
| 1926 | Hard Boiledas Marjorie Gregg | |
| 1926 | The Still Alarmas Lucy Fay | |
| 1926 | Pleasures of the Richas Mary Wilson | |
| 1925 | The Golden Cocoonas Molly Shannon | |
| 1925 | The Woman Hateras | |
| 1925 | The Re-Creation of Brian Kentas Betty Joe | |
| 1924 | The Dark Swanas Cornelia Quinn | |
| 1924 | The Border Legionas Joan Randle | |
| 1924 | Trouping with Ellenas Ellen Llewellyn | |
| 1924 | Her Own Free Willas Nan Everard | |
| 1924 | Love of Womenas Cynthia Redfield | |
| 1924 | Why Men Leave Homeas Irene Emerson | |
| 1924 | The Masked Danceras Betty Powell | |
| 1923 | Renoas Mrs. Emily Dysart Tappan | |
| 1923 | Quicksandsas The Girl | |
| 1923 | Gimmeas Fanny Daniels | |
| 1922 | The Sin Floodas Poppy | |
| 1922 | The Dust Floweras Letty Gravely | |
| 1922 | Yellow Men and Goldas Bessie | |
| 1922 | The Glorious Foolas Jane Brown | |
| 1921 | Dangerous Curve Aheadas Phoebe (Mabee) Jones | |
| 1921 | The Old Nestas Emily at 22 | |
| 1921 | Made in Heavenas Claudia Royce | |
| 1920 | Godless Menas Ruth Lytton | |
| 1920 | Cupid the Cowpuncheras Macie Sewell | |
| 1920 | The Cup of Furyas Marie Louise - 'Mamise' | |
| 1919 | An Adventure in Heartsas Countess Lucia Bonavia D'Orano | |
| 1919 | The Long Arm of Mannisteras Sylvia De La Mere | |
| 1919 | A Very Good Young Manas Ruth Douglas | |
| 1919 | The Solitary Sinas Mary | |
| 1919 | Girlsas Kate West | |
| 1919 | Go-Get-Em Garringeras Wilma Wharton | |
| 1918 | The Honest Thiefas Edith Marbury | |
| 1918 | The Yellow Ticketas Miss Seaton | |
| 1918 | The Naulahkaas Kate Sheriff | |
| 1918 | The House of Hateas Queenie Kate | |
| 1917 | Vengeance Is Mineas Marion De Long | |
| 1917 | The Angel Factoryas Florence Lamont | |
| 1917 | The Last of the Carnabysas The Kept Woman | |
| 1917 | Blind Man's Luckas Helen | |
| 1917 | The Mystery of the Double Crossas | |
| 1916 | The Challengeas Alberta Bradley |