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Linda Arvidson
1884–1949
A pioneering silent-film actress, she appeared in dozens of early motion pictures and later wrote a firsthand memoir about the birth of the movie industry. Her life also intersected with film history through her marriage to director D. W. Griffith.
1 Audiobook
When the movies were young
by Linda Arvidson
About the author
Born in San Francisco on July 12, 1884, Linda Arvidson became one of the recognizable actresses of the silent era. She worked in the earliest years of American filmmaking and is remembered as part of the circle that helped shape motion pictures when the medium was still brand new.
She appeared in many early films and was married to director D. W. Griffith from 1906 to 1936. Beyond acting, she left behind a valuable personal account of the period in her memoir When the Movies Were Young, which has helped later readers and film historians understand what filmmaking was like in its formative years.
Arvidson died in New York City on July 26, 1949. Today she is remembered not only for her screen work, but also for preserving the atmosphere and personalities of early Hollywood in her own words.