Elaine Hammerstein

Elaine Hammerstein (June 16, 1897 – August 13, 1948) was an American silent film and stage actress.

Elaine Hammerstein
Hammerstein, 1921
Born(1897-06-16)June 16, 1897
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 13, 1948(1948-08-13) (aged 51)
Tijuana, Mexico
Years active1913–1926
Spouse(s)James Walter Kays (m.1926)
Parent(s)Arthur Hammerstein
Jean Allison Hammerstein
Dorothy Dalton (stepmother)
RelativesOscar Hammerstein I (grandfather)
William Hammerstein (uncle)
Oscar Hammerstein II (cousin)

Early Life

Elaine Hammerstein was born on June 16, 1897 in Philadelphia, the daughter of Jean Allison Hammerstein and opera producer Arthur Hammerstein. She was the granddaughter of Oscar Hammerstein I, the niece of William Hammerstein, and the cousin of Oscar Hammerstein II. She later became the stepdaughter of fellow actress Dorothy Dalton when her father married Dalton in 1924.

Her father once remarked he was more interested in his daughter's career than in his own. When Hammerstein's parents divorced, Jean Allison did not ask for permanent custody of Elaine but instead requested that her daughter be allowed to choose for herself when she reached the age of maturity.

Career

She appeared in her first Broadway production in 1913, at the age of 17. This was a musical entitled High Jinks, which featured actor Snitz Edwards. After school she was given a position in production work by her father. In 1915 she performed on Broadway a second time, in The Trap. In the drama she acted opposite actor Holbrook Blinn.

Hammerstein in Shadowland magazine (September 1919)

From this work Hammerstein went into motion pictures. She appeared in 44 movies from 1915 until 1926. Among her film credits are The Girl From Nowhere (1921), The Drums of Jeopardy (1923), Reckless Youth (1922), Broadway Gold (1923), and The Midnight Express (1924), opposite William Haines. With the latter film, the studio tried to promote Hammerstein and Haines as a couple, however, in real life, Haines was a gay man.

Elaine Hammerstein - Jan 1919

Marriage and retirement

Hammerstein wed James Walter Kays in Los Angeles, California, on June 10, 1926.[1] Kays was a Los Angeles fire commissioner[1] and had also served as finance director for the California Democratic Party.[2]

Upon her marriage, Hammerstein retired from acting.[2] Her last film appearance is in the Columbia Pictures drama Ladies of Leisure (1926).

Death

In August 1948, while returning from a trip to the Mexican border town of Tijuana, the Kays and three friends were traveling at high speed up a curving hillside road when they struck an oncoming car. The six occupants of the Mexican vehicle all survived with minor injuries, but Hammerstein and her companions were trapped when their car skidded off the embankment and tumbled down the hill. Hammerstein, Kays and their three passengers – Los Angeles residents Jane Shafer Richards, Gladys Goldie Hall, and Richard Garvey Jr. – were all killed.[2][3]

At the time of their deaths, Hammerstein was 51 years old and her husband was 66. They are interred at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.[4]

Selected filmography

More than half of Elaine Hammerstein's films are lost. This list identifies films that survive, in whole or in part.[5]

Film poster
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References
  1. "Only Members of Immediate Family at Wedding Ceremony". The Times. San Mateo, CA. UP. June 10, 1926. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  2. "Five Prominent L.A. Residents Killed in Crash". The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, CA. August 15, 1948. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  3. "Five Killed in Crash". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, MO. AP. August 14, 1948. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  4. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3 ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 312. ISBN 9781476625997.
  5. "Paint and Powder (1925) - NitrateVille.com". www.nitrateville.com.
  • Indianapolis Star, 'I Couldn't Think of Promising to Stay Married!', The Sunday Star Magazine Section, September 10, 1922, page 77
  • The New York Times, 'Auto Crash Kills Pioneer Film Star', August 15, 1948, page 30
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