Laura La Plante
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"Had I continued to make picture after picture, I'd never have had time to really live and enjoy my family. My career was wonderful, but then, so were the years that followed. . . . I consider myself to be a very lucky person."--La Plante quoted in LOS ANGELES TIMES Obituary, October 16, 1996
Biography
A blonde, bob-haired cornflower of the silent screen, Laura La Plante entered films in 1919 and got her first big break a year later supporting Charles Ray in "The Old Swimmin' Hole." The wholesome-looking ingenue was signed by Universal in 1922, staying with that company until 1930. While she never became as big a star as Norma Talmadge or Clara Bow, La Plante starred in scores of successful films and was a reliable and agreeable player throughout the 20s. She made a series of Westerns with Hoot Gibson in 1922 and 1923, and by later in the decade was starring in her own vehicles, such as "Smouldering Fires" and "Young Ideas" (both 1924), "The Beautiful Cheat" (1925), "Skinner's Dress Suit" (1926), and the horror/comedy "The Cat and the Canary" (1927).
La Plante's career essentially ended with talking pictures, despite a brilliant debut as Magnolia in the part-talkie "Show Boat" (1929). She went on to make another eight talkies, but none were very good. In 1932, La Plante divorced her first husband, director William Seiter, and married producer Irving Asher, with whom she lived in London until the outbreak of WWII. Moving back to the US, she made brief appearances in "Little Mr. Jim" (1946) and "Spring Reunion" (1957) before retiring to Palm Springs with her husband. She died at the age of 91 in October 1996.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Short)
Life Events
1919
Began appearing in bit roles in Christie comedies
1922
Signed by Universal
1927
Had one of her best screen roles in the silent film "The Cat and the Canary"
1929
Co-starred as Magnolia in the part-talkie "Show Boat"
1946
Returned to films with "Little Mr. Jim"
1957
Final screen appearance, "Spring Reunion"
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Had I continued to make picture after picture, I'd never have had time to really live and enjoy my family. My career was wonderful, but then, so were the years that followed. . . . I consider myself to be a very lucky person."--La Plante quoted in LOS ANGELES TIMES Obituary, October 16, 1996
