Vivienne Osborne (born Vera Vivienne Spragg; December 10, 1896 – June 10, 1961) was an American stage and film actress known for her work in Broadway theatre and in silent and sound films.[1]

Vivienne Osborne
Osborne in 1921
Born
Vera Vivienne Spragg

(1896-12-10)December 10, 1896
DiedJune 10, 1961(1961-06-10) (aged 64)
NationalityAmerican
Other namesVivian Osborne
OccupationActress
Years active1905–1946
Spouse
Francis Worthington Hine
(m. 1925; div. 1934)

Career

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Osborne began her career on stage when she was 5 years old, and by the time she was 18 years old, she had spent many years touring throughout Washington with a stock theater company. She made her Broadway debut in The Whirlwind (1919),[2] and her screen debut in 1919 in a film that never was released. She continued work on Broadway, and appeared in films when not working theater.[1]

Osborne's first silent film was in The Gray Brother, but the film did not have distribution and never was released. From March through December 1928, she appeared in the Florenz Ziegfeld musical version of The Three Musketeers.[3] It was after her performance that Douglas Fairbanks Sr. offered her a role in The Iron Mask (1929), his last silent film, made as a sequel to his 1921 film The Three Musketeers.[1] Rather than accept the offer, she chose to remain in New York City and continue her career. She signed with Paramount Studios in 1931 and was assigned to character roles,[1] but left to sign with Warner Studios to get better roles. She then left Warners and signed a three-year contract with Radio Pictures.[4] She alternated between film and stage roles for the rest of her career.[1]

Of her work in the musical The Three Musketeers, Theatre Magazine wrote her voice was "of true operatic quality."[5] Of her work as Mary Boyd in the 1931 film Husband's Holiday, Spokesman-Review wrote "Vivienne Osborne does fine work," and noted the several scenes which "tugged at the heartstrings" that were well done by Osborne and her co-star Juliette Compton.[6]

Filmography

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Silent films
Sound films
 
With Lawrence Grossmith in The Silver Fox - Arts and Decoration Magazine 1921

Broadway theater

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  • Order Please (October 9, 1934 – October 1934) as Phoebe Weston
  • As Good as New (November 3, 1930 – December 1930) as Mrs. Violet Hargrave
  • The Royal Virgin (March 17, 1930 – March 1930) as The Countess of Rutland
  • Week-End (October 22, 1929 – October 1929) as Marga Chapman
  • The Three Musketeers (March 13, 1928 – December 15, 1928) as Lady De Winter[3]
  • One Glorious Hour (April 14, 1927 – May 1927) as Maria
  • Fog (February 7, 1927 – May 1927) as Eunice[10]
  • ‘’The Harem’’ (June 1925) Replaced Lenore Ulric as Carla
  • Aloma of the South Seas (April 20, 1925 – June 1925) as Aloma
  • Houses of Sand (February 17, 1925 – March 1925) as Miss Kane
  • The Blue Bandanna (June 23, 1924 - July 1924) as The Girl
  • New Toys (February 18, 1924 – March 1924) as Ruth Webb[11]
  • Scaramouche (October 24, 1923 – December 1923) as Climene
  • The Love Child (November 14, 1922 – April 1923) as Aline De Mar
  • The Silver Fox (September 5, 1921 – December 1921) as Frankie Turner
  • The Bonehead (April 12, 1920 – May 1920) as Jean Brent
  • The Whirlwind (December 23, 1919 – February 1920) as Bessie Van Ashton

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Denise Lowe (2005). An encyclopedic dictionary of women in early American films, 1895-1930. Psychology Press. pp. 415–416. ISBN 0-7890-1843-8. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  2. ^ "Vivienne Osborne". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Stanley Green, Kay Green (1966). Broadway musicals, show by show (5, illustrated ed.). Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 63. ISBN 0-7935-7750-0. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  4. ^ Harriet Parsons (September 13, 1932). "Warners, Edward Robinson Cross Swords". Rochester Evening Journal And The Post Express. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  5. ^ Arthur Hornblow, Perriton Maxwell (1928). Theatre magazine, Volumes 47-48. The Theatre Magazine Company. p. 39.
  6. ^ "Spokane Maid Liberty's Star". Spokesman-Review. December 18, 1931. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  7. ^ Harry Keyishian (2006). Screening Politics: The Politician in American Movies. Scarecrow Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-8108-5882-7. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  8. ^ Rob Wagner (Winter 1972). Liberty. Vol. 1. Liberty Library Corporation. p. 18. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  9. ^ Gary D. Rhodes, George E. Turner (2006). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. pp. 168–169, 298. ISBN 0-7864-2762-0. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  10. ^ Ruth Hunter (1945). Come back on Tuesday. C. Scribner's Sons. pp. 87–88. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  11. ^ Burns Matle (March 1, 1924). "Vivienne Osborne, Maid from Spokane, Featured". Spokesman-Review. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
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