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  • Olive Thomas was born poor in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Olive left school at 15 to help support her family.
  • Olive decided to move to New York City in 1914. She won New York's Most Beautiful Girl contest.
  • Olive joined Florenz Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic in 1916 and began an affair with him.
  • Olive wanted Florenz to leave his wife Billie Burke (pictured), but he wouldn't consider it.
  • Olive left him and became a silent film star. Florenz, still smitten with Olive Thomas, commissioned a nude portrait of her.
  • Olive and Jack Pickford, a famous actor, eloped on October 26, 1916. Their marriage was known to be tumultuous.
  • Jack was involved in a Navy scandal shortly after getting married.
  • The couple couldn't spend much time togther due to their careers. They decided to sail to Paris for a belated honeymoon.
  • They threw lavish champagne parties on the ship.
  • The couple spent their honeymoon partying in Montmartre.
  • On September 5th Olive and Jack visited The Dead Rat and the infamous heaven and hell nightclubs.
  • Did Olive see the magic trick where a beautiful woman is turned into a revolting corpse at Cabaret du Neant?
  • Did Olive drink faux poison drinks and smell the dead flowers laced with cocaine??
  • Olive drank poison around 3 a.m. at the Ritz Hotel that night. It's unclear if Jack was there at the time or if he was out.
  • She died a few days later. The lure of Parisian nightlife was initially blamed for her death.
  • Friends of Miss Thomas refused to credit the suicide theory.
  • A cocaine dealer, chambermaids, waiters, and porters were questioned. Jack was unreachable.
  • Olive had been suffering from nervous depression. She drank enough mercury bichloride to kill twenty-five men.
  • A friend in their party says: "I can't tell you what happened though, because I can't remember a thing after 2 a.m."
  • She drank three-quarters of a bottle of bichloride solution prescribed for external use.
  • Jack Pickford, the man who had everything, even syphilis?
  • Mercury bichloride was used to treat syphilis. It was also used as a cleaning solution.
  • A $300,000 life insurance policy had been taken out on Olive's life, but it was taken out by her producers, not by Jack.
  • This article says she is semi-comatose and unable to recognize her husband, but Jack claimed she spoke to him.
  • Everybody's Sweetheart, Olive's last film.
  • Rumors of drugs and champagne orgies!
  • Did she drink sleeping potion, syphilis medication or a cleaning fluid? Did Jack leave his poison flask out on purpose?
  • Jack's statement (at left). Were Jack and Olive fighting or in love? Were they drinking heavily or "only a little?"
  • Jack, worried by all the rumors, suggested an autopsy. Meanwhile, friends (like Florenz) deplored the mutilation.
  • Olive sails back to America, as a corpse.
  • Olive is buried in a crypt in New York City, marked only by the name Pickford.
  • Is this why she haunts? Buried alone in a crypt without her own name on it. Jack was buried in California.
  • Jack seen here with Marilyn Miller, Florenz Ziegfeld's biggest star and his latest obsession. Marilyn also lost her spouse in 19
  • Marilyn blamed Florenz for her husband's death. Florenz fired him and separated the love birds.
  • In 1922 Jack and Marilyn got engaged, much to Florenz's discontent. He spread rumors about Jack to the press.
  • Marilyn publicly denies Florenz's claims about Jack and wants out of her contract with him. The marriage only lasts five years.
  • Thirteen years after Olive died Jack dies, a ruined man, in the same Paris hospital, with the same cause of death, nephritis.
  • The Epilogue: Olive and five other Ziegfeld girls had made a pact in 1916.
  • Most Ziegfeld girls ended up broke, on drugs, alcoholic -- or dead!
  • This article states that Olive committed suicide although that was never proven.
  • Lilyan Tashman died by virtually starving herself. Martha Mansfield burned to death. Bessie Poole liked the bottle too much.
  • Effie (Fifi) Alsop took to drugs and went insane. The moral of this story? It doesn't pay to be "glorified" by Mr. Ziegfeld.
Speakeasy Dollhouse - Smoosh & Smoosh presentsCynthia von Buhler’s Speakeasy Dollhouse "Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic: An immersive extravaganza"
Producers Cynthia von Buhler, Russell Farhang and PJ Mead Director, Writer Cynthia von Buhler Dance Choreographer Delysia La Chatte Music Arranger Alphonso Horne Music Directors Alphonso Horne, Jennifer Vincent, Moses Patrou Song Writer Billy Butler Set Designer Cynthia von Buhler Costume Designer Carmela Lane Shadow Puppet Designer Erin Orr Silent Filmmaker Bibiana Stage Manager Saby Moore Technical Director Joe Kehoe Production Manager Jalana Sloatman Directorial Consultant Alison Wright Chandelier Designer Anya Sapozhnikova Magic Trick Designer Steve Zakszewski Aerial Choreographers Anya Sapozhnikova, Melissa Aguerre Production Assistants Erich Winzer, Ryan Salvato Sound Designer Ryan O’Hare Lighting Designer Nick Jones Set Builders Steve Zakszewski, Champion Sailmakers, Roman Lojano House Sound Shorty Bernabeu House Lighting, Rigging Manager Dougie Vierling House Lighting Manny Pagen Mixologist Bootleg Greg
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