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from1837to1945 · 1 month ago

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<Frank Mayo's biography> (written by me)

Part 1 Lormy's childhood, his grandfather and his screen stardom

Upper picture - Frank Mayo I (Frank Maguire Mayo) Center - Frank Mayo II (Edwin F. Mayo) Bottom - Frank Mayo III (Frank Lorimer Mayo) (Photoplay, May 1920)

Frank Mayo's grandfather Frank Maguire Mayo was one of the pioneers in American theatrical circles. He "created the virile, wholesome, tenderly humorous role of Davy Crockett, hunter and woodsman in the never-to-be-forgotten play. Later he repeated his former success in 'Pudd'nhead Wilson,' the play dramatized from Mark Twain's famous book by the same name."(*Motion Picture Magazine, Jan 1919)

The little boy on the left is Edwin Mayo, and the standing man on the right is his father, Frank Maguire Mayo. (*David Carroll, "The Matinee Idols," 1972, p.47)

He had one son named Edwin and two daughters named Eleanor and Deronda. Edwin Mayo was likely born in California around 1862. He had divorced his first wife Jennie Bartine in Sep 2, 1886, and later he married an actress, Frances Graham(e) in Sep 12, 1888.

Her real name was Frances Johnstone. She was the daughter of George Lorimer Johnstone, Sr. and Frances J. Hoy, a couple married in Ohio in December 1857; Frances Johnston was born in Newport, Kentucky, between 1866 and 1869.

"What do you mean—Frank? Dear old granddad had to be 'old Frank' because father was 'young Frank.' Now what am I? I happened to be christened Lorimer Frank, so from now on I am Lorimer Mayo." -Frank Mayo(*Motion Picture Magazine, Jan 1919)

Frank Mayo was born in 28 June, 1889. He was the only child. Lormy said that he made his stage debut at the age of five in his grandfather's company. It was 'Davy Crockett' play and In the cast of eleven, nine were members of the family, either Mayos or Johnstones.

One of the earliest articles to name Frank Mayo III was from May 20, 1892. It says, "Three generations of Mayos, Frank, his son Edwin and grandson Master Leon appeared in Davy Crockett last Saturday night."(*Crawfordsville Star, Crawfordsville, Indiana, May 20, 1892) And Lormy was the only grandson born during Frank Maguire Mayo's living years. If we accept his own birth year of 1889, which he himself wrote on his draft cards and in many other records, he would have been 3 year old when this article was written.

When Lormy was 6 year old, he was playing with grease-paint and was smearing all over his face with it, only to be caught by a property man. He grabbed Lormy by the back of his neck and threw him on the stage. In his role, he had to enter rubbing his eyes as if he had been asleep, and, when he dropped his hands, his grandfather took one look at Lormy's face and whispered, 'Get off this stage!' At the end of the act his grandfather came back to the wings, where Lormy sat huddled in his mother's arms, and told him that he is fired. This started Lormy's sobs, and he asked mother if we really would starve now he was fired. But next day, he was re-engaged.(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920)

Later, when Lormy became an motion picture actor in the United States, he was asked, what your grandfather and your father would have thought of motion picture as an art. he replied, "I fear grandfather would never have considered them seriously, for he was too much of the old school to welcome such a radical step. But I'm sure father would have welcomed them as a marvelous means of perpetuating the work of great actors."(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920)

Lormy continued to work as an actor until his grandfather died June 8, 1896. Lormy was on the train with him when he died.(*Moving Picture World, 1 Jan 1916) Lormy was placed in a military school in Peekskill, New York.(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920)

Lormy remembered Belle Stoddard Johnston (wife of Lormy's uncle, Paul Manifee Johnstone) as “like a mother to me than aunt.” He said, "At the time I was sent to school at Peekskill my mother and father were both on the road, while my aunt had married Manifee Johnstone and decided to retire from the stage for a while. So I was left in my aunt's care for many years. Whenever my parents played in any city near New York my aunt would take me to visit them, and always on Christmas and at Easter time we would join my father and mother wherever they happened to be."(*The Canaseraga Times, Canaseraga, New York, Oct 1, 1920) Decades later, Lormy wrote "Isabelle Johnstone(aunt)" on the space 'Name and address of person who will always know your address' on his WW2 draft registration, and here 'Isabelle Johnstone' may have meant Belle Stoddard.

Later, his father died February 18, 1900. Lormy claimed that after his father's death, he and his mother clung to each other in their grief and spent several years traveling thru Europe and later settled in Liverpool.(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920) But actually his mother remarried in May 25, 1903, to an Englishman named Henry Butler Hardrige Palmer in Manhattan, New York City. Then it makes perfect sense that the three of them ended up living in the England.

In 1907, a boy named Spencer Palmer was born to Henry Butler Hardrige Palmer and Frances Johnston in Rock Ferry, Cheshire. Spencer Palmer was baptized on February 24, 1907, in Bebington, where Bebington College, where his half brother Lormy attended(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920), was located.

Meanwhile, Lormy's uncle, George Lorimer Johnstone, Jr., who worked as a producer at the Santa Barbara Film Company(=American Film Manufacturing Company), invited Lormy to join him, so Lormy left his mother in England for the United States to join his uncle.(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920)

"When I sailed from Liverpool the last time, I watched my mother standing on the wharf until she was lost in the fog, and the memory of those moments calls up every ounce of emotion in me." -Frank Mayo(*Motion Picture Magazine, Sep 1920)

In terms of his early career, Mayo worked first at American Film Manufacturing Company, then at Selig. And then, he was at Balboa during 1915-17. At Balboa, his frequent leading lady was Ruth Roland. Mr. Mayo was described as "a very quiet, unassuming young man."(*The Moving Picture World, 23 Jan 1915) During his very early film career, he unintentionally rode on his grandfather's coattails. One article said, "His grandfather, Frank Mayo, one of the foremost American actors of a generation ago, is still remembered for his sterling characterizations in 'Davy Crockett' and 'Puddin' Head Wilson.' Although American born, Americans do not know much of this young man, for the greater part of his professional life has been spent abroad."(*Moving Picture World, 1 Jan 1916)

"He is a grandson of that sterling American actor of the same name who was known to all theatergoers a quarter of a century ago. The young man is an actor worthy of his name. He has a pleasing appearance; he possesses magnetism." -Moving Picture World, 20 Nov 1915

Lormy was likely signed with World in 1918. At World, Mr. Mayo was usually portrayed as villain characters and often co-starred with June Elvidge.

That's Carl Laemmle, hat off and in hand, and the tall man on the far right is Frank Mayo.(*Picture Show, Sep 11, 1920)

Since about 1919, Lormy started to work for Universal. But there wasn't enough insistent demand for Mayo to warrant owner of Universal Pictures, Carl Laemmle's giving him a raise and retaining his service.(*Screenland, Feb 1924)

Lormy said, referring to the Universal-produced film The Brute Breaker (1919). "We made 'The Brute Breaker.' It happened to be a success—and, because there was a climatic fight in it, the verdict at the studio seems to be 'fights for Mayo.' I should like to have a chance to show the public that I can at least try to do something else than fight. I do not care about playing society-man types. Pretty boys are out of my line. I wouldn't play a pretty-boy part because I hate the type."(*Pantomime, Feb 25, 1922)

He seems to have signed with Goldwyn around January, 1923. "Out of Universal, Mayo sold his services to Goldwyn for several times the amount he received at Universal City. But he didn't sign as a star; he signed as a supporting player. In other words, Goldwyn considers Frank Mayo several times more valuable to have around the studio than did Universal."(*Screenland, Feb 1924)

His career took a downward spiral at least since 1925. "He's tall, dark, with grey eyes; has a most impressive manner, and looks just a wee bit bored with life in general," one person described him of the time.(*Screenland, May 1925)

<Frank Mayo's biography> (written by me)

Part 2 About his complicated relationships with women and his ideal images of them

Joyce Moore and Frank Mayo in a group photo of Balboa Players at a ball at the Hotel Virginia. (*The Moving Picture World, 4 March 1916)

His first wife was Joyce Eleanor Moore. They were married in England.(*Photoplay, Apr 1917) Later, they moved to America and worked at Balboa Studios. One article describes Joyce Moore's conjugal pastime was throwing lamps at her husband.(*Motion Picture Magazine, January 1922) In 1919, they are separated. In 1920, Joyce Moore charged Dagmar Godowsky, a vamp-type actress and a daughter of famous pianist Leopold Godowsky, with being the home-breaker.(*Photoplay, May 1920)

Frank Mayo received interlocutory decree of divorce. 3 days later, he married Dagmar Godowsky in Tia Juana, Mexico, because California laws require a divorced person to wait one year before marrying again. In other words, he married Dagmar before his divorce decree became final. The wedding day was October 1, 1921. Like Rudolph Valentino, Henry Walthall, he was investigated for bigamy. Unlike the general press, movie magazines incorrectly reported that Frank Mayo had married Dagmar after his divorce was finalized, which gave Mayo and Dagmar's marriage considerable support. The disgrace was that his picture appeared in the newspaper next to Henry Walthall's photo while he was investigated for bigamy, and the problem was that Lormy had no reason to flee to another country and marry whereas Henry Walthall had reason to flee to another state and marry(his mistress, Mary Charleson, had already given birth to his baby eight months earlier), so unlike Henry Walthall's marriage, Lormy's marriage could only be seen as bigamy no matter how they look at it. It must have left a huge stain on his career.

”Often, when the subject of Mrs. Mayo's career is broached, there is a friendly argument between husband and wife, for Frank wishes her to be content as the wife of a man who adores her."(*Pantomime, Feb 25, 1922) In response to Dagmar Godowsky's question, “But Frank, do married women have no rights? Must I sit at home just because I am your wife?” Lormy is said to have replied, “You must.”(*Pantomime, Feb 25, 1922) He once said, "I don't believe a woman should work after she is married.(*Photoplay, June 1922) I personally think that home life is happier for a woman's remaining in the home and making a career of domestic life; yet I sympathize with my wife's ambitions, and I know we shall continue to be happy no matter what happens."(*Picture-Play, April 1922) His idealized image of a woman seems to reflect Belle Stoddard Johnstone rather than his mother.

Frank Mayo and Dagmar Godowsky (Picture-Play, April 1922)

In 1923, Joyce attempted to have the decree of divorce set aside. Joyce Moore said that she was not notified of the divorce proceedings. Frank Mayo said that she was.(*Photoplay, January 1923)

In 1925, one article reported that "Here it is almost the season for brides and not a single film star has announced her engagement. More of them seem to be contemplating divorce. Dagmar Godowsky is getting one from Frank Mayo but it seems to be that the papers have been full of that for years."(*Picture-Play, Jun 1925) The event that cemented Dagmar Godowsky's decision to divorce was her husband's involvement with Anna Luther.

Anna Luther (Motion Picture Magazine, August 1918)

"Anna Luther was a Keystone-Triangle leading lady during 1915-16, who left for Foxfilm comedies and feature films in the 1920s."(*Brent E. Walker, Mack Sennett's Fun Factory, p.591) Dagmar Godowsky named Anna Luther as co-respondent in a suit brought against Frank Mayo in March 1925. Dagmar Godowsky discovered her husband with Anna Luther in his apartment. She claimed that her husband was wearing only a bathrobe and Anna Luther was trying to get dressed in a hurry.

When Dagmar said, “Now I can get my divorce.”, Frank Mayo reportedly said, “But why bother about that?” Dagmar then said, “You and I were never legally married and so the courts have nothing to say about parting us.”(*The Troy Sunday Budget, Troy, New York, Jul 12, 1925)

Meanwhile, Anna Luther claimed that she had been friends with Frank Mayo since the days when she was still at Keystone Studios and was merely comforting Mayo, who was suffering from a headache. "It looks pretty funny to me, Don't forget that Dagmar herself was the co-respondent in Frank Mayo's first divorce suit," unashamed but witty Anna Luther said.

In the same year, 1925, Frank Mayo applied for $2500 attorney fees to permit Joyce Moore to appear in connection with a suit between them over a property settlement that they had entered into in 1923. Joyce Moore was said to be in England and without means to come to America and appear in the suit over the contract under which Frank Mayo was to pay her $150 a week alimony. Joyce Moore also filed a motion after the interlocutory decree was entered, asking her default be set aside on the ground that she had been unable to come to America and fight the divorce suit. She was said to have been working at the time in Paris, France, as a chorus girl at a salary of $25 a week. During the arguments in the new case it developed that a final decree of divorce had never been entered.(*Photoplay, January 1925)

However, I think that only movie fans were unaware that their divorce was not yet final but the parties (Frank Mayo and Joyce Moore) were aware of that. (There were reports in the general press outside of movie magazines that Frank Mayo's marriage was being investigated for bigamy.)

This is what made marriage between Mayo and Godowsky was annulled.

In May 29, 1925, He is granted a final decree of divorce from Joyce Moore.

An article about the preview of the 1927 film Ragtime, directed by Scott Pembroke, reveals that the hostess of the preview was Joyce Moore. The article describes Joyce Moore as “Mrs. Frank Mayo” and “known in stage and screen circles as Joyce Mayo”.(*Moving Picture World, 27 Aug 1927)

Margaret Shorey (The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida, Dec 7, 1925)

In August 25, 1928, Frank Mayo married vaudeville performer Margaret Louise Shorey. The wedding took place in Lynchburg, Virginia, where the two were filling a stage engagement.(*Picture-Play, Jul 1929) They lived together according to United States Census, 1930 and United States Census in 1940.

Lormy wrote "Isabelle Johnstone(aunt)" on the space 'Name and address of person who will always know your address' on his WW2 draft registration.

Lormy may have married English-born woman named Evelyn according to the United States Census, 1950.

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