Helene Costello

Helene Costello (June 21, 1906 – January 26, 1957) was an American stage and film actress, most notably of the silent era.

Helene Costello
Costello in the 1920s
Born	(1906-06-21)June 21, 1906 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 26, 1957(1957-01-26) (aged 50) San Bernardino, California, U.S.
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery
Nationality	American
Other names	Helen Costello Miss Helene
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1909–1942
Spouse(s)	John W. Regan ​ ( m. 1927; div. 1929) Lowell Sherman ​ ( m. 1930; div. 1932) Arturo de Barrio ​ ( m. 1933; div. 1939) George Lee Le Blanc ​ ( m. 1940; div. 1946)
Children	1
Parent(s)	Maurice Costello Mae Costello
Relatives	Dolores Costello (sister)

Early life and career

Costello (child) with Mary Maurice, Earle Williams, and the "Vitagraph Dog" Jean in The Church Across the Way, 1912

Born in New York City, Costello was the youngest daughter of the prominent stage and pioneering film actor Maurice Costello and his actress wife Mae Costello (née Altschuk).[1] She had an older sister Dolores who also became an actress and would go on to marry John Barrymore.[2] Costello first appeared on screen, opposite her father, in the 1909 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.[3] She would continue acting in films throughout the 1910s as a child actor and also worked in vaudeville and appeared in stage roles.[4] In 1924, she appeared with her sister Dolores in George White's Scandals. Shortly thereafter, both sisters signed contracts with Warner Bros.[5] Costello reached her peak of public popularity in the mid-1920s and earned a reported $3,000 a week.[6]

Although she had been appearing on screen since her early childhood, Costello was selected as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1927, a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States, which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. In 1928, Costello co-starred in the first all-talking full-length feature film Lights of New York. Later that same year, she was released from her contract with Warner Bros. after she refused to star as a leading lady opposite Rin Tin Tin.[4] Costello's final substantial role was opposite her sister Dolores in the all-star Technicolor musical revue The Show of Shows (1929). Costello and her sister performed in the "Meet My Sister" musical number.

After the advent of sound, Costello's career declined reportedly because her voice did not record well.[4] She was also beset with personal problems including illnesses, an addiction to drugs and alcohol, three divorces, a public custody battle with her third ex-husband and financial difficulties.[6][7] From 1930 to 1934, Costello did not appear in a film. In September 1935, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and returned to the screen in a supporting role in Riffraff (1936).[8] Her final role was a bit part in the 1942 film The Black Swan. Later in 1942, Costello filed for bankruptcy.[6]

Personal life

Costello was married four times, each marriage ending in divorce. Her first marriage was to football player John W. Regan in 1927. They divorced in June 1928.[9] Costello's second marriage was to actor/director Lowell Sherman, whom she married on March 15, 1930, in Beverly Hills.[2] They separated in November 1931 and were divorced in May 1932.[10][11] Costello third marriage was to Dr. Arturo de Barrio, a lawyer who came from a prominent Cuban family. They were married in Havana on January 6, 1933.[12] Their marriage was considered invalid because Costello's divorce from her second husband was not finalized. They married for a second time in June 1933 in Los Angeles.[13] They were divorced in 1939.

Her fourth and final marriage was to artist George Lee Le Blanc, whom Costello married in 1940. The couple had a daughter, Diedre, on February 18, 1941.[14] Costello filed for divorce on August 6, 1947.[15] Shortly after Costello filed for divorce, Le Blanc joined the Merchant Marine. Before leaving, Le Blanc left Diedre in the care of Costello's sister Dolores claiming that Costello was unfit to care for Diedre because of her alcoholism.[16] Costello denied Le Blanc's claim and attempted to regain sole custody in September 1947. During one custody hearing, Costello's father and Lionel Barrymore (Dolores Costello's ex brother-in-law) testified that Costello did not have a drinking problem.[17] In April 1948, Costello was forced to drop her suit due to financial troubles and Le Blanc was awarded temporary custody of Diedre.[18] Costello and Le Blanc were divorced in June 1948.[19]

Death

On January 24, 1957, Costello was admitted to Patton State Hospital under the assumed name of Adrienne Costello for treatment for a drug and alcohol addiction. She died there two days later of pneumonia.[6][7] Her sister, Dolores Costello Barrymore, was with her when she died.[20] Her funeral was held on January 30, after which she was interred in an unmarked grave at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.[21][22]

Other

For her contribution to the motion film industry, Helene Costello has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street in Hollywood.[3]

Comedian Lou Costello, born Louis Cristillo, changed his name in honor of Helene Costello. Coincidentally, both of them were born in 1906.

Selected filmography

Short subject

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1909	Les Misérables	Child	Part 1
1909	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Fairy
1910	The Fruits of Vengeance	Pauline's child
1911	A Quaker Mother	The Harmon Daughter
1911	Her Crowning Glory	Helen, the Child
1911	The Child Crusoes
1911	His Sister's Children	Boker aka Toodle
1911	A Reformed Santa Claus	The Widow's 2nd Child
1912	Captain Jenks' Dilemma	One of Widow Brown's Children
1912	The Meeting of the Ways	One of Tom's Children
1912	In the Garden Fair	Mrs. Rose's Daughter, Helen
1913	Beau Brummel	Child	Uncredited
1913	The Price of Thoughtlessness	Mabel
1913	The Doctor's Secret	Elsa, as a child
1914	Bunny's Mistake	Little Helene
1914	The Barrel Organ	The Child
1915	The Evil Men Do	Beatrice - as a Little Girl
1915	Lifting the Ban of Coventry	Helen Stuyvesant - their child
1916	Billie's Mother

Features

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1912	Cleopatra	Nicola - a Child
1925	Ranger of the Big Pines	Virginia Weatherford
1925	The Man on the Box	Bob's Sister
1925	Bobbed Hair
1926	The Love Toy	Princess Patricia
1926	Wet Paint	She
1926	Don Juan	Rena - Adriana's Maid	Uncredited
1926	The Honeymoon Express	Margaret Lambert
1926	Millionaires	Ida
1926	While London Sleeps	Dale Burke
1927	Finger Prints	Jacqueline Norton
1927	The Fortune Hunter	Josie Lockwood
1927	The Broncho Twister	Paulita Brady
1927	The Heart of Maryland	Nancy
1927	Good Time Charley	Rosita Keene - Daughter
1927	In Old Kentucky	Nancy Holden
1927	Husbands for Rent	Molly Devoe
1928	Burning Up Broadway	Floss
1928	Comrades	Helen Dixon
1928	Phantom of the Turf	Joan
1928	Lights of New York	Kitty Lewis
1928	The Midnight Taxi	Nan Parker
1928	The Circus Kid	Trixie
1928	Broken Barriers	Beryl Moore
1929	When Dreams Come True	Caroline Swayne
1929	The Fatal Warning	Dorothy Rogers
1929	Innocents of Paris	Bit Role	Uncredited
1929	The Show of Shows	Performer in "Meet My Sister" Number
1935	Public Hero No. 1	Undetermined Role	Uncredited
1935	Honeymoon Limited	Mrs. Randall
1936	Riffraff	Maizie
1942	The Black Swan	Woman	Uncredited

References

1. "Early Film Star Dies". Reading Eagle. October 30, 1950. p. 14.
2. "Helene Costello Weds Film Actor". The Pittsburgh Press. March 16, 1930. p. 1.
3. "Hollywood Star Walk: Helene Costello". latimes.com.
4. Lowe, Denise (2005). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films, 1895-1930. Psychology Press. p. 132. ISBN 0-789-01843-8.
5. McCaffrey, Donald W.; Jacobs, Christopher P. (1999). Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 89. ISBN 0-313-30345-2.
6. "Helene Costello, Ex-Actress, Dies". The Milwaukee Journal. January 29, 1957. p. 1.
7. Lowe 2005 p.133
8. Percy, Eileen (September 6, 1935). "Ginger Rogers' Next Retitled". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 16.
9. "Helene Costello Divorces John Regan, Ex-Grid Star". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 28, 1928. p. 2.
10. "Accuses Actress In Divorce Suit". Herald-Journal. December 2, 1931. p. 1.
11. "Helene Costello Is Granted Divorce After Court Drama". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 11, 1932. p. 1.
12. "Helene Costello Weds Havana Lawyer In Cuba". St. Petersburg Times. January 11, 1933. p. 2.
13. "Wed Second Time". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. June 21, 1933. p. 8.
14. "Actress Is Unable To House Child". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 20, 1948. p. 12.
15. "Helene Costello Files Divorce Suit". Reading Eagle. August 7, 1947. p. 28.
16. "Dolores Costello Award Custody Of Her Niece". San Jose Evening News. September 13, 1947.
17. "Old Troupers Testify In Custody Action". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 30, 1947. p. 13.
18. "Actress Is Unable to House Child". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 20, 1948. p. 12.
19. "Ex-Actress Divorced". Toledo Blade. June 4, 1948. p. 28.
20. Associated Press, "Ex-Film Star Helene Costello Dies At Patton", Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Tuesday 29 January 1957, Volume 63, Number 129, page 1.
21. "Few Attend Rites For Helene Costello". Reading Eagle. January 31, 1957. p. 8.
22. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. p. 17. ISBN 0-786-40983-5.

External links

• Helene Costello on IMDb
• Helene Costello at AllMovie