Clarine Seymour was a silent film starlet who partied too hard and died tragically young
She was born on December 9, 1898 in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents, Albert and Florence Seymour, were devout Methodists. During her childhood she performed in church plays with her mother. In 1916 her father became ill and was forced to close his successful ribbon manufacturing company. To help support her family she got a job as a movie extra at Thanhouser studios. Clarine appeared in films with Pearl White and Mollie King. Hal Roach offered her a contract in 1917 and she moved to Los Angeles. She played the female lead in a series of comedy films starring Toto the clown. After a few months Hal Roach fired her for refusing to do some dangerous stunts. Clarine sued him for breaking her contract and was awarded more than $1,300 in damages. D.W. Griffith gave her a supporting role in his 1919 drama The Girl Who Stayed Home. Then she played a seductive native woman opposite Richard Barthelmess in The Idol Dancer. Her performance got rave reviews and she was featured on the cover of Motion Picture magazine.
She loved playing dramatic roles and said she never wanted to do comedy again. Clarine became close friends with Mabel Normand. The two women started partying and doing drugs together. In early 1920 D.W. Griffith signed her to a new four year contract rumored to be worth two million dollars. She also became engaged to William M. Merrick, a wealthy silk manufacturer. Then in March of 1920 she went to New York City to begin filming the romantic drama Way Down East. Clarine became very ill on April 21 and was hospitalized due to "intestinal strangulation". She underwent surgery but her condition got worse and she developed pneumonia. Tragically on April 25, 1920 she died at the young age of twenty-one. Clarine was buried at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, New York. There were rumors that her death was caused by a botched abortion or from exposure to freezing temperatures during the filming of Way Down East. Her former boss Hal Roach blamed her partying lifestyle for her death.
