Olive Thomas

Olive Thomas (1894–1920) was an American silent-film actress and Ziegfeld Follies performer whose screen career made her a prominent star in the 1910s.

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Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.: An American theatrical producer who created the Ziegfeld Follies revue. He hired Thomas for the Follies, launching her public career.
The Flapper: A 1920 American silent comedy-drama starring Olive Thomas as a rebellious young woman. Its title role helped associate Thomas with the emerging flapper image.
Ziegfeld Follies: A series of elaborate American theatrical revues produced in New York from 1907 to 1931. Thomas’s modeling and dancing in the Follies brought her to the attention of film producers.
Paris Green: A highly toxic copper arsenite pigment once used in paints, pesticides, and other products. Thomas died in Paris after accidental exposure to mercury bichloride, not Paris Green; the distinction corrects a recurring confusion.
Jack Pickford: A Canadian-American silent-film actor and younger brother of Mary Pickford. Thomas married Pickford in 1916; their relationship became central to accounts of her life.
The Spite Bride: A 1919 American silent comedy film starring Olive Thomas. The film illustrates her work in light comedy before her final year.
New York City: The largest city in the United States and a major center of theater, finance, and media. Thomas moved to New York as a young woman and found work in modeling and theater.
Mercuric chloride: A highly toxic inorganic mercury compound formerly used as a disinfectant and in other applications. Thomas died in Paris after accidentally ingesting this compound in 1920.
Mary Pickford: A Canadian-American actress and film producer who became one of early Hollywood’s most influential stars. Pickford’s family connection to Jack linked Thomas to a leading figure in silent cinema.
The Girl from His Town: A 1918 American silent drama starring Olive Thomas. This feature shows her established as a leading actress in the late 1910s.