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Lina BasquetteAmerican actress, silent film star
Date of Birth: 19.04.1907
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Lena Baskett: A Hollywood Star and a Private Tragedy
- Child Star and Prima Ballerina
- Hollywood Stardom
- Scandalous Personal Life
- Retirement and Dog Breeding
- Later Life and Legacy
Lena Baskett: A Hollywood Star and a Private Tragedy
Lena Copeland Baskett, born on April 19, 1907, in San Mateo, California, lived an extraordinary life that spanned over 75 years in the entertainment industry.
Child Star and Prima Ballerina
As a child, Lena began her career as a dancer and performer. She joined the "Ziegfeld Follies" at age 9 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming "America's Prima Ballerina" in 1923. Ballet icon Anna Pavlova offered to mentor her, but her mother declined the offer, believing that show business and film held greater financial rewards.
Hollywood Stardom
Lena signed her first movie contract at age 9, and by 1928, she was one of the 13 "WAMPAS Baby Stars." She gained recognition for her role in Frank Capra's "The Younger Generation" and went on to star in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Godless Girl," which earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Scandalous Personal Life
Lena's private life was as tumultuous as her career. She had nine marriages and was known for her romances with wealthy and famous men, including her first husband, Sam Warner, a co-founder of Warner Brothers. Her numerous divorces, legal battles, and suicide attempts earned her the title of "Queen of Screen Tragedy."
Retirement and Dog Breeding
As her Hollywood career waned, Lena retreated to a farm in Pennsylvania, where she became a successful professional dog breeder. She found solace in her animals, declaring, "Some people find salvation in religion. I found it in dogs."
Later Life and Legacy
Lena Baskett passed away on September 30, 1994, at the age of 87. Her films "Serenade," "Rose of the Rio Grande," and "A Night for Crime" remain classics of silent cinema. Despite her tumultuous personal life and relatively short film career, Lena Baskett left a lasting impact on Hollywood and is remembered as a talented actress and a complex figure.
