Olive Thomas was a famous silent-film actress, model, and Ziegfeld girl who died at the age of 25 in Paris. Her death was ruled as an accident, but there are many theories and speculations about what really happened. Was it a suicide, a murder, or a tragic mistake? This article will explore the facts and the myths surrounding Olive Thomas’ cause of death.
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Who was Olive Thomas?
Olive Thomas was born as Oliva R. Duffy in Pennsylvania in 1894. She married Bernard Krug Thomas at 16, but they separated two years later. She moved to New York City and worked as a department store clerk and an illustrator’s model. In 1914, she won a beauty contest and became a Ziegfeld girl, performing in the famous Ziegfeld Follies and the risqué Midnight Frolic. She also started a successful career in silent films, appearing in more than 20 features between 1916 and 1920.
In 1916, she married Jack Pickford, the younger brother of Mary Pickford, the most popular actress of the time. Their marriage was turbulent and scandalous, as they were both known for their wild parties, affairs, and drug use. They often traveled to Europe and Hollywood, living a lavish lifestyle. However, they also faced some tragedies, such as the death of Jack’s best friend Thomas Ince in 1919, which was rumored to be a murder by William Randolph Hearst.
How did Olive Thomas die?
On August 25, 1920, Olive and Jack arrived in Paris for their second honeymoon. They stayed at the luxurious Hotel Ritz and enjoyed the nightlife of the city. On the night of September 5, they went to several nightclubs and returned to their hotel around 3 a.m.. According to Jack, he went to bed while Olive stayed up to read some letters. He was awakened by her screams and found her in the bathroom, holding an empty bottle of mercury bichloride, a highly toxic substance that Jack used as a treatment for his syphilis.
Olive had apparently mistaken the bottle for a sleeping potion or a tonic and drank some of it. The poison burned her throat and stomach and caused acute nephritis, a kidney inflammation. She was rushed to the American Hospital in Paris, where she suffered for five days before dying on September 10, 1920. Her death was officially ruled as an accident, and Jack was cleared of any wrongdoing. He accompanied her body back to New York, where she was buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery.
What are the theories and controversies?
Olive Thomas’ death was one of the first major Hollywood scandals and attracted a lot of media attention and speculation. Some of the theories and controversies that emerged are:
- Suicide: Some people believed that Olive killed herself intentionally, either because of depression, guilt, or jealousy. Some of the possible motives were: her unhappiness with her marriage, her affair with Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., the producer of the Ziegfeld Follies, her fear of contracting syphilis from Jack, or her discovery of Jack’s infidelity with a French actress2. However, there was no evidence of a suicide note or a motive, and Olive was reportedly in good spirits and looking forward to her future projects before her death.
- Murder: Some people suspected that Jack killed Olive deliberately, either by poisoning her or by forcing her to drink the mercury bichloride. Some of the possible motives were: his resentment of her success, his desire to inherit her fortune, his involvement with another woman, or his anger over her affair with Ziegfeld. However, there was no evidence of a struggle, a weapon, or a motive, and Jack was devastated by her death and never recovered from it.
- Mistake: Some people argued that Olive’s death was a genuine accident, caused by her confusion, fatigue, or intoxication. Some of the possible factors were: the dim lighting in the bathroom, the similarity of the bottles, the lack of labels or warnings, the influence of alcohol or drugs, or the unfamiliarity with the French language. However, there was no evidence of how much she drank, what she drank, or why she drank it, and the bottle was clearly marked with a skull and crossbones and the word “poison” in French.
What is the legacy of Olive Thomas?
Olive Thomas’ death was a shock to the public and the film industry, and marked the end of an era of innocence and glamour. Her death also raised awareness of the dangers of mercury bichloride, which was widely used as a medication for syphilis and other diseases, and led to its ban in many countries. Her death also inspired several works of fiction, such as the novel The Girl on the Velvet Swing by Simon Baatz, the film The Flapper by Alan Crosland, and the musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1921 by Irving Berlin.
Olive Thomas’ life and career were largely forgotten by the mainstream audience, but she is remembered by some film historians and enthusiasts as one of the first sex symbols and flappers of the silent era. She is also considered as one of the first victims of the Hollywood curse, a phenomenon that refers to the premature deaths of many celebrities in the entertainment industry. Her ghost is said to haunt the New Amsterdam Theatre, where she performed in the Ziegfeld Follies, and the Hotel Ritz, where she died.
Olive Thomas’ cause of death remains a mystery, but her story is a fascinating and tragic one that reflects the highs and lows of the early Hollywood. She was a beautiful, talented, and ambitious woman who achieved fame and fortune, but also faced challenges and temptations that ultimately led to her downfall. She was a star that burned bright and fast, but left a lasting impression on those who knew her and loved her.
