By Phil Posner
In 1914, Charles Chaplin began his film career at Keystone Studios in Los Angeles. Among his many famous co-stars in some of his 35 films made that year were Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Charley Chase. There were many lesser-known actors as well and many have been identified, but one actress's name remained a mystery, despite having appeared in 17 of the 35 films, some in highly featured roles. This petite but buxom young actress, who debuted in a minor role in "His Favorite Pastime", went on to perform roles in half of Chaplin's Keystones.
Playing key parts such as the pretty patient in "Laughing Gas", Garlico's assistant in "The Property Man", the love interests in "Recreation" and "His New Profession", Clarice the secretary in "The New Janitor" and the landlady in "Those Love Pangs", she has never been properly credited. She is often mistakenly cited as Minta Durfee, Norma Nichols or Rhea Mitchell. In her last Chaplin/Keystone appearance as one of King Lowbrow's cave girl wives in "His Prehistoric Past", she is assumed by some to be the actress credited as Gene Marsh, but I am informed by Swedish silent film expert Bo Berglund that Marsh actually plays the first wife with whom Chaplin interacts and that Marsh went on to co-star with Harold Lloyd in some of his 1915-1916 comedies.
Now, thanks to David Kiehn and Brent Walker we have a pretty convincing case to make to identify her. Jump to Answer
Below are a few frame captures of our “Unknown Heroine”:
As Charlie's patient in "Laughing Gas"
As a cave girl in "His Prehistoric Past"
As a spectator at the races in "Mabel's Busy Day"
As Miss Poor in “His Musical Career” with Frank Hayes.
As Garlico’s Assistant in “The Property Man”
As Charley Chase’s Girlfriend in "His New Profession".
She appeared in at least one Roscoe Arbuckle comedy at Keystone, "Leading Lizzie Astray". Below are two frame captures from the film , which has an abundance of Chaplin/Keystone players in smaller or background roles. The stills below identify a few of them:
l. to r.:front: Minta Durfee, Mack Swain, Charles (Chase) Parrot, Dixie Chene, Helen Carruthers.rear: Harry McCoy, Charles Lakin, Fritz Schade, Al St. John, Cecile Arnold, Charles Bennett (sailor), Frank Hayes (partially hidden), Glen Cavender.
l-r: Harry McCoy Charles Lakin, Fritz Schade, Mack Swain, Charley Chase, Glen Cavender, Helen Carruthers.
Here is a list of her appearances in Chaplin’s Keystones:
His Favorite Pastime- Member of Household
Caught in the Rain - Chambermaid
Mabel's Busy Day - Spectator
Laughing Gas - Pretty Patient
The Property Man - Garlico's assistant
Recreation - Girl in Park
The Masquerader- Actress
His New Profession- Nephew's girlfriend
The Rounders - Diner
The New Janitor - Secretary
Those Love Pangs - Landlady
Gentlemen of Nerve- Spectator with checkered coat
His Musical Career - Miss Poor
His Trysting Place - Clarice
Tillie's Punctured Romance- Maid and Waitress
Getting Acquainted - Lover in Park
His Prehistoric Past - The Queen
Other non-Chaplin Keystone appearances included Ambrose's First Falsehood, Mabel's Blunder and Cursed by His Beauty.
For synopses of the Chaplin films and complete cast lists, please see the Keystone section of my Chaplin Filmography.
The Real Norma Nichols, co-star of "Dough and Dynamite"
Thanks to Brent Walker and David Kiehn, we have what I consider an extremely strong probability of an identification of our "Unknown Heroine" - actress Helen Carruthers.
These pictures come from an article in the Morning Oregonian which reports a suicide attempt by a young actress who had worked at Selig, Keystone and Essanay. Apparently despondent over the failure of her vaudeville act and lonesome, the 23 year old swallowed 30 bichloride of mercury tablets. This drug was popularly used as a treatment for syphillis. If it's true that she was in Niles as well as Edendale then she must have gone over to Essanay at roughly the same time as Chaplin (although he spent his first month or two in Chicago). I reprint the articles below..
From the Morning Oregonian May 6, 1915.
In His Prehistoric Past.
So there we have it. Although the photos are not perfect - I encourage anyone with access to an Oregon newspaper archive to find a clear hard copy of the paper - by comparing them to photos and frame captures of our "Unknown Heroine", in my opinion we have the most likely identity in Helen Carruthers. Unless some contrary evidence appears in the near future the author shall be amending his Chaplin Filmography to credit her.
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