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Olive Borden
Born	July 14, 1906(1906-07-14) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 1, 1947 (aged 41) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active	1924– 1934
Spouse(s)	Theodore Spector (1931 – 1932) John Moeller (1934 – 1941)

Olive Borden (July 14, 1906 – October 1, 1947) was an American actress in silent and early talkies. Nicknamed "The Joy Girl",^[1] Borden was known for her jet-black hair and overall beauty.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Later years and death 5 Filmography 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Early life

Olive Borden was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1906. Her birth name was often reported erroneously as Sybil Tinkle until the 1990s when it was discovered that another woman with the same name had been confused with Borden.^[2] Borden's father died when she was a baby and she was raised by her mother, Sibbie, in Norfolk and Baltimore, Maryland where she also attended Catholic boarding schools.^[3] She was a distant relative of Lizzie Borden.^[4] As a teenager, she persuaded her mother to take her Hollywood to pursue a career in show business.

[edit] Career

Borden began her career as one of Mack Sennett's bathing beauties in 1922 and was soon appearing as a vamp in Hal Roach comedy shorts. Producer Paul Bern chose her for a role in his film The Dressmaker In Paris. She was signed by Fox after being named a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1925 (along with cousin Natalie Joyce). Borden quickly became one of their most popular and highest paid stars earning a salary of $1,500 a week. She had starring roles in 11 films at Fox including Three Bad Men and Fig Leaves both costarring her then-boyfriend George O'Brien. During this time she worked with some directors who would go on to achieve major fame, including John Ford, Howard Hawks and Leo McCarey.

When Fox cut her salary in 1927, she walked out on her contract. By this point she was a major star but she found it difficult to make the transition from silent films to "talkies". She worked to get rid of her Southern accent but could not overcome her reputation as being difficult. She was still in demand as an actress and continued to work for Columbia and RKO. Borden cut her trademark hair into a short bob and turned herself into a modern flapper. She made several movies in the early 1930s but her career stalled. Her last screen credit came in 1934 in the film Chloe, Love Is Calling You. She moved to New York and had a brief stage career which was derailed by her numerous personal problems. For a while she made a living working the vaudeville circuit.

[edit] Personal life

Borden had two failed marriages. She married a stockbroker named Theodore Spector in March 1931. He was arrested for bigamy in 1932 when it was discovered he had married Borden before divorcing his first wife. The marriage was annulled. She married her second husband, electrician John Moeller, in 1934. That marriage ended in divorce seven years later.

From 1926 until 1930 she had been romantically involved with actor George O'Brien and the press reported they were engaged. She also dated director Marshall Neilan and producer Paul Bern. For most of her life Borden lived with her mother, Sibbie.

[edit] Later years and death

In 1943, Borden joined the WAC where she has received an army citation for bravery in turning over an enemy ammunition truck.^[5] After her discharge she attempted an unsuccessful comeback in films. Borden's final years were spent in the skid row section of Los Angeles scrubbing floors at the Sunshine Mission, a home for destitute women.^[6]

Borden died on October 1, 1947 from a stomach ailment and pneumonia at the age of 41. The only possession she had when she died was a signed photo of herself.^[7] She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Her mother Sibbie was interred in the grave next to her.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Olive Borden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. She was one of the first eight stars chosen to receive a star in 1958. Her name was drawn randomly from hundreds of nominees.

[edit] Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1924	Neck and Neck
	Wide Open
	Air Pockets
	Why Men Work
	Should Landlords Live?
	Too Many Mamas
	The Royal Razz
	Just a Good Guy
1925	Should Husbands be Watched?	The New Maid
	The Dressmaker from Paris
	Bad Boy	Undetermined Role	Uncredited
	Tell It to a Policeman
	Good Morning, Nurse
	The Happy Warrior	Ima
	The Overland Limited	Ruth Dent
1926	The Yankee Señor	Manuelita	Alternative title: The Conquering Blood
	My Own Pal	Alice Deering
	Yellow Fingers	Saina
	3 Bad Men	Lee Carlton
	Fig Leaves	Eve Smith
	The Country Beyond	Valencia
1927	The Monkey Talks	Olivette
	Secret Studio	Rosemary Merton
	The Joy Girl	Jewel Courage
	Pajamas	Angela Wade
	Come to My House	Joan Century
1928	The Albany Night Boat	Georgie
	Virgin Lips	Norma
	Gang War	Flowers	Alternative title: All Square
	Stool Pigeon	Goldie	Alternative title: The Decoy
	Sinners in Love	Ann Hardy
1929	Love in the Desert	Zarah
	The Eternal Woman	Anita	Lost film
	Half Marriage	Judy Paige
	Dance Hall	Gracie Nolan
	Wedding Rings	Eve Quinn	Alternative title: The Dark Swan
1930	Hello Sister	Vee Newell
	The Social Lion	Gloria Staunton
1932	The Divorce Racket	Marie Douglas
1933	Hotel Variety		Alternative title: The Passing Show
	Leave It to Me	Peavey	Alternative title: Help
	The Mild West	Baby Doll	Short film
1934	The Inventors		Uncredited
	Chloe, Love Is Calling You	Chloe (Betty Ann Gordon)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Olive Borden at the Internet Movie Database
• Olive Borden at Allmovie
• Oliveborden.com
• Olive Borden at Silent Ladies
• Olive Borden at Find a Grave

Persondata
NAME	Borden, Olive
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Actress
DATE OF BIRTH	July 14, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH	Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH	October 1, 1947
PLACE OF DEATH	Los Angeles, California, U.S.