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Florence Turner (January 6, 1885 – August
28, 1946) was an United States|American
actor|actress, who became known as the "Vitagraph
Girl" in early silent film|silent movies.

Born in New York City|New York, New York, she was
pushed into appearing on the theater|stage at age
three by her ambitious mother. Turner became a
regular performer in a variety of productions.

In 1906 in film|1906, she joined the fledgling
film|motion picture business, signing with the
pioneering Vitagraph Studios|Vitagraph movie
studio|Studios. Turner made her debut in Cast Up
by the Sea (1907 in film|1907).

At the time, there were no movie star|stars in
movies. Performers were not even mentioned by
name. Long, drawn out screen credits were not
thought of. There was nothing but the name of the
company and the picture. As the content of movies
evolved from simple incidents, or situations, into
definite stories, some of the heros and heroines
were conceded a vague identity, such as the
"Edison Girl," et cetera.

Though she was known only as the "Vitagraph Girl"
in the early motion picture shorts, Turner became
one of the most popular stars to appear on screen,
particularly with several leading roles opposite
heartthrob Wallace Reid. Sometimes credited as
"Baby Twinkles," over the years she worked with
other great stars of the day, including Buster
Keaton and Florence Lawrence.

As the demand for identification grew, within a
few years she was famous as Florence Turner. In
1913, she left the United States accompanied by
longtime friend Laurence Trimble, who directed her
in a number of movies, and moved to England, where
she and Larry began performing together in London
music halls.

She sometimes wrote screenplays and directed her
own movies, including a number of comedies. She
also organized her own production company, Turner
Films, becoming the first star of the silver
screen to do so. She made more than thirty shorts.
In 1915 in film|1915, she was the top box-office
star.

Turner entertained Allied troops during World War
I. She returned to the U.S. after the Armistice,
but was not as successful as before. In 1920, she
again went to England, where she remained until
moving to Hollywood, California|Hollywood in 1924.

By then, she was thirty-nine years of age and, in
this era of youth and great glamour consciousness,
her starring days were long behind her. She went
on to play secondary roles when she was able to
find work.

In 1928, she acted in a minor role on Broadway
theatre|Broadway in Sign of the Leopard, which ran
for thirty-nine performances.

Turner was placed on the payroll at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM by Louis B. Mayer in the
1930s, but was limited in the assignments offered.
She mostly played bit-parts and worked as an
extra.

She later moved to the Motion Picture & Television
Country House and Hospital|Motion Picture Country
House, a retirement community for the industry in
Woodland Hills, California.

After appearing in more than 160 motion pictures,
Florence Turner died at age sixty-one in Woodland
Hills, an almost forgotten figure. She was
cremated at a mortuary in Hollywood and, at her
request, there was no funeral service.

==Selected filmography==
*Romance of a War Nurse  (1908 in film|1908)
*The Heart of a Clown  (1909 in film|1909)
*Uncle Tom's Cabin (1910 in film|1910)
*Rose Leaves  (1910 in film|1910)
*Birds of a Feather (1911 movie)|Birds of a
Feather  (1911 in film|1911)
*Aunty's Romance  (1912 in film|1912)
*Through the Valley of Shadows  (1914 in
film|1914)
*Fool's Gold (1919 movie)|Fool's Gold  (1919 in
film|1919)
*Hornet's Nest  (1923 in film|1923)
*College (1926 movie)|College  (1926 in film|1926)
*The Sign of the Cross  (1932 in film|1932)
*One Rainy Afternoon  (1936 in film|1936)
*Whisling in Brooklyn  (1943 in film|1943)
*Thousands Cheer  (1944 in film|1944)

==External links==
*http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0877550/ IMDb entry
for Florence Turner
*http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.a
spx?s=1&Type=PN&Tbl=&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=51722&s
earchedFor=Florence_Turner_&SortType=ASC&SortCol=R
ELEASE_YEAR AFI Catalog Silent Films entry for
Florence Turner
*http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=115521 IBDB
entry for Florence Turner