Edna Purviance
Olga Edna Purviance was an American actress of the silent film era. She was the leading lady in many of Charlie Chaplin's early films and in a span of eight years, she appeared in over 30 films with him.
Life and career
1895–1913: Early life
Purviance was born in Paradise Valley, Nevada, to English immigrant Louisa Wright Davey and American vintner to the western mining camps Madison Gates Purviance. When she was three, the family moved to Lovelock, Nevada, where they assumed ownership of a hotel. Her parents divorced in 1902, and her mother later married Robert Nurnberger, a German plumber. Growing up, Purviance was a talented pianist.She left Lovelock in 1913, and moved in with her married sister Bessie while attending business college in San Francisco.
1914–1927: Film career
In 1915, Purviance was working as a secretary in San Francisco when actor and director Charlie Chaplin was working on his second film with Essanay Studios, working out of Niles, California, 28 miles southeast of San Francisco, in Southern Alameda County. He was looking for a leading lady for A Night Out. One of his associates noticed Purviance at a Tate's Café in San Francisco and thought she should be cast in the role. Chaplin arranged a meeting with her and, although he was concerned that she might be too serious for comedic roles, she won the job.Chaplin and Purviance were romantically involved during the making of his Essanay, Mutual, and First National films of 1915 to 1917. Purviance appeared in 33 of Chaplin's productions, including the 1921 classic The Kid. Her last credited appearance in a Chaplin film, A Woman of Paris, was also her first lead role. The film was not a success and effectively ended Purviance's career. She went on to appear in two more films: Sea Gulls, also known as A Woman of the Sea and Éducation de Prince, a French film released in 1927, just before she retired from acting.
1927–1958: Retirement and later years
Romantically involved with Charlie Chaplin for several years, Purviance eventually married John Squire, a Pan-American Airlines pilot, in 1938. They remained married until his death in 1945.Death
On January 13, 1958, Purviance died from throat cancer at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Hollywood. Her remains are interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.In popular culture
She was portrayed by Penelope Ann Miller in the film Chaplin and by Katie Maguire in the film Madcap Mabel.In the TV series Peaky Blinders, the character Tatiana Petrovna played by Gaite Jansen is said to resemble her.
Filmography
Short subjects
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
| 1915 | A Night Out | The Headwaiter's Wife | ||
| 1915 | The Champion | Trainer's Daughter | ||
| 1915 | In the Park | Nursemaid | ||
| 1915 | A Jitney Elopement | Edna | ||
| 1915 | The Tramp | Farmer's Daughter | ||
| 1915 | By the Sea | Man in Top Hat's Sweetheart | ||
| 1915 | Work | Maid | ||
| 1915 | A Woman | Daughter of the House | ||
| 1915 | The Bank | Edna, a Secretary | ||
| 1915 | Shanghaied | Daughter of the Shipowner | ||
| 1915 | A Night in the Show | Lady in the Stalls with Beads | ||
| 1915 | Burlesque on Carmen | Carmen | ||
| 1916 | Police | Daughter of the House | ||
| 1916 | The Floorwalker | Manager's secretary | ||
| 1916 | The Fireman | The Chief's Sweetheart | ||
| 1916 | The Vagabond | Girl Stolen by Gypsies | ||
| 1916 | The Count | Miss Moneybags | ||
| 1916 | The Pawnshop | Daughter | ||
| 1916 | Behind the Screen | The Girl | ||
| 1916 | The Rink | The Girl | ||
| 1917 | Easy Street | The Mission Worker | ||
| 1917 | The Cure | The Girl | ||
| 1917 | The Immigrant | Immigrant | ||
| 1917 | The Adventurer | The Girl | ||
| 1918 | A Dog's Life | Bar Singer | ||
| 1918 | Triple Trouble | Maid | ||
| 1918 | The Bond | Charlie's Wife | ||
| 1918 | Shoulder Arms | French Girl | ||
| 1919 | Sunnyside | Village Belle | ||
| 1919 | A Day's Pleasure | Mother | ||
| 1921 | The Idle Class | Neglected Wife | ||
| 1922 | Pay Day | Foreman's Daughter | ||
| 1923 | The Pilgrim | Miss Brown |