Alice White

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Birth Name: Alva White

Born: 24 August 1904 Died: 19 February 1983

Country of origin: United States

Height: 5' 3"

Relationship Status: Single

Lists

149 votes

My Favourite Old Hollywood Hairstyles (519 items)
list by Blue Pineapple

Published 14 years, 6 months ago

15 comments

85 votes

Pin-Ups (early 1900s) (27 items)
list by Danie

Published 16 years, 3 months ago

9 comments

80 votes

Tribute to Glamorous Actresses of the Yesterday (257 items)
list by xolmis

Published 9 years, 1 month ago

3 comments

71 votes

vintage covergirls (77 items)
list by Blue Pineapple

Published 14 years, 8 months ago

3 comments

62 votes

The Beauty of Silence (500 items)
list by Onion Jack

Published 11 years, 8 months ago

1 comment

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Alice White Videos

Movie Legends - Alice White (Star)

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Added 11 years ago

Alice White Marie Prevost Sweethearts On Parade

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Added 10 years ago

Alice White~Hollywood's Forgotten Star of the 20's 30's & 40's

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Added 11 years ago

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Photos

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Description: Alice White was born Alva Violet White on August 24, 1904 in Paterson, New Jersey, the daughter of Audley White and Marian Alexander. Her father abandoned the family and her mother, a former chorus girl, died in 1915. She was raised by her grandparents in New Jersey. Alice attended an all-girls school in Connecticut and went to Roanoke College in Virginia. When she was a teenager the family moved to California where she attended Hollywood high school. She started working as a secretary but lost several jobs for being too "sexy". Eventually Alice was hired by Charlie Chaplin to be a script girl. He encouraged her to Alice White was born Alva Violet White on August 24, 1904 in Paterson, New Jersey, the daughter of Audley White and Marian Alexander. Her father abandoned the family and her mother, a former chorus girl, died in 1915. She was raised by her grandparents in New Jersey. Alice attended an all-girls school in Connecticut and went to Roanoke College in Virginia. When she was a teenager the family moved to California where she attended Hollywood high school.

She started working as a secretary but lost several jobs for being too "sexy". Eventually Alice was hired by Charlie Chaplin to be a script girl. He encouraged her to try acting and she made her film debut as an extra in The Thief Of Bagdad. She was offered a contract at First National and starred in the 1927 drama The Sea Tiger (1927). The studio told Alice she needed to lose weight. Then she was given starring roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928) and Show Girl (1928). Alice had a bubbly onscreen personality and was often compared to Clara Bow. Her short blonde hair and flapper style would become her trademark. Audiences fell in love with Alice but critics were rarely impressed with her acting. It was rumored her singing voice was dubbed. She had serious romances with aviator Dick Grace and actor Donald Keith. In 1931, she took a break from making movies. The studio claimed she was unhappy with her salary and had become difficult to work with.

She became involved in a love triangle with British-born actor John Warburton and producer Sy Bartlett. She accused Warburton of beating her so badly she needed reconstructive surgery on her nose. Warburton told the press that White and Bartlett hired two thugs to disfigure him. A grand jury refused to indict but the bad publicity hurt her reputation. She married Bartlett in 1933 and tried to make a comeback. Unfortunately she could only get minor roles in films like Gift of Gab (1934). In 1936, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for two months. The following year her marriage ended. She married screenwriter Jack Roberts in 1941 but they divorced eight years later. In court she said he "threw things and wasn't very nice". The couple spent years fighting over alimony. Her last film role was in Flamingo Road (1949).

For many years she lived with musician William Hinshaw. With her movie star days behind her she went back to work as a secretary. In 1957, she fell off a ladder and landed on a pair of scissors. The accident left her blinded for several months. When she recovered she was offered a role on an episode of The Ann Sothern Show (1958). This was her final acting appearance. As she grew older, she stayed out of the spotlight but continued to answer fan mail she received from around the world. She died on February 19, 1983 after suffering a stroke. She had no children and left no immediate survivors. ... (more)