"Hollywood is no place for failures. It's no place for the timid" ~ Lilyan
Lilyan Tashman was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 23, 1896. She was the youngest of ten children and started modeling when she was a teenager. Her acting career began in vaudeville and she appeared in The Ziegfeld Follies. At the age of eighteen she married stage actor Al Lee. The marriage lasted seven years. Lilyan started getting cast in silent films liked Head Over Heels and Manhandled. She usually played supporting roles and found herself typecast as a villain. Lilyan was a lesbian and her numerous affairs with women became notorious. She fell madly in love with actress Greta Garbo who broke her heart. In 1925 Lilyan appeared in ten films including Pretty Ladies and Bright Lights. That same year she decided to marry her best friend, actor Edmund Lowe, who was also gay. The couple lived in a mansion called "Lilowe" where they threw the wildest Hollywood parties. Lilyan's love of clothes and her lavish wardrobe earned her the title of "the best dressed woman on the screen".
She also became known for her violent temper. In 1931 she beat up June Marlowe after finding the actress in her husband's dressing room. Lilyan signed a lucrative contract with Paramount and easily made the transition to sound pictures. She got rave reviews for her comedic roles in The Wiser Sex and Girls About Town. Unfortunately by this time she was suffering from many health problems including bullimia. In 1932 was diagnosed with abdominal cancer but she kept it a secret from the public. She continued to make movies and costarred with Norma Shearer in Riptide. Sadly her illness was getting worse and she was admitted to a New York hospital for surgery. Lilyan died on March 21, 1934 from complications due to cancer. She was only thirty-seven years old. Lilyan was buried at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Dozens of celebrities attended her funeral and her devoted fans nearly caused a riot. Her final film Frankie and Johnny was released two years after her death.
She also became known for her violent temper. In 1931 she beat up June Marlowe after finding the actress in her husband's dressing room. Lilyan signed a lucrative contract with Paramount and easily made the transition to sound pictures. She got rave reviews for her comedic roles in The Wiser Sex and Girls About Town. Unfortunately by this time she was suffering from many health problems including bullimia. In 1932 was diagnosed with abdominal cancer but she kept it a secret from the public. She continued to make movies and costarred with Norma Shearer in Riptide. Sadly her illness was getting worse and she was admitted to a New York hospital for surgery. Lilyan died on March 21, 1934 from complications due to cancer. She was only thirty-seven years old. Lilyan was buried at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Dozens of celebrities attended her funeral and her devoted fans nearly caused a riot. Her final film Frankie and Johnny was released two years after her death.
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