Natalie Talmadge

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Natalie Talmadge
Natalietalmadge.jpg
Born(1896-04-29)April 29, 1896
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 19, 1969(1969-06-19) (aged 73)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1916–1923
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1921; div. 1933)​
Children2
RelativesNorma Talmadge (sister)
Constance Talmadge (sister)

Natalie Talmadge (April 29, 1896 – June 19, 1969) was an American silent film actress who was best known as the wife of Buster Keaton, and sister of the movie stars Norma and Constance Talmadge. She retired from acting in 1923.

Early life and career[]

Talmadge was born in Brooklyn, New York to Margaret L. "Peg" and Frederick O. Talmadge. She was the younger sister of Norma Talmadge and the older sister of Constance Talmadge, both of whom became successful film actresses.

She appeared in D.W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), The Passion Flower (1921) with her sister Norma, and Buster Keaton's Our Hospitality (1923), her final film appearance.

Personal life[]

Marriage and children[]

Talmadge and Buster Keaton on their wedding day, May 31, 1921

Talmadge married actor Buster Keaton on May 31, 1921, at her sister Norma's home in Bayside, Queens.[1] She was Roman Catholic, but the marriage was performed as a civil ceremony.

They had two sons: Joseph "Jimmy" Talmadge Keaton[2] and Robert "Bob" Talmadge Keaton.[3] She spent prodigious amounts on clothes and the Keatons lived in ever more elaborate Beverly Hills homes. After the birth of their second son, Talmadge decided not to have any more children, resulting in the couple staying in separate rooms.[2] Keaton accepted this, and they agreed that he should keep any affairs discreet.[2]

Late in the marriage, Keaton's career began to suffer after his contract with Joseph M. Schenck was sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In the early 1930s he began to struggle with alcoholism, and become more open about his affairs with other women.[citation needed] After the couple's divorce was final on August 10, 1933,[4] Talmadge legally changed their boys' names to Talmadge and denied them any contact with their father. The name-change was especially awkward for Joseph, who was ten years old and already accustomed to his last name.

Talmadge became involved with actor Larry Kent. They lived together for a while in a house bought for her by her sister Constance after the famous Italian-villa house Keaton had built for her was sold in 1933. They also took some vacations together, but the romance did not last.

Later years and death[]

Natalie Talmadge was in frail health during her final years and was a resident of the Santa Monica Convalescent Home. She died of heart failure on June 19, 1969 at Santa Monica Hospital.[5] She is buried in the Abbey of the Psalms in the Talmadge Room at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[6]

Filmography[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Talmadge, Margaret L. (1924). The Talmadge Sisters: Norma, Constance, Natalie; an Intimate Story of the World's Most Famous Screen Family. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. p. 174.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Smith, Imogen Sara (2008). Buster Keaton: The Persistence of Comedy. Gambit Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 0967591740. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Robert Talmadge, Social Security Death Index via ancientfaces.com, Dec. 7, 2015
  4. ^ "Gets Final Decree From Keaton". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 11, 1933. p. 18. ProQuest 100887746. Retrieved April 8, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ "Deaths Elsewhere: Natalie Talmadge". Toledo Blade. June 20, 1969. p. 20.
  6. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub2001. p. 152. ISBN 0-786-40983-5.

Sources[]

  • Smith, Imogen Sara (2008). Buster Keaton: The Persistence of Comedy. Gambit Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9675917-4-2.
  • Marion Meade (1995), Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase, (ISBN 0-306-80802-1).
  • 1900 United States Federal Census, Brooklyn Ward 8, Kings, New York; Roll T623_1047; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 109.
  • 1910 United States Federal Census, Brooklyn Ward 29, Kings, New York; Roll T624_982; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 933; Image: 948.

External links[]

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