Edna Purviance

Edna Purviance
Born: Oct 21, 1894
Lovelock, Paradise Valley, NV
Career: 1915-1958
Countries: USA
Genre/Type: Comedy
Biography by Hal Erickson
It is literally impossible to discuss the acting career of Edna Purviance without invoking the name of Charles Chaplin. Purviance was a secretary in San Francisco when she was selected by Chaplin to play his leading lady in his second Essanay short, A Night Out (1915). From that point onward, Purviance worked only for Chaplin, appearing as the object of his affections in such imperishable classics as Police (1916), The Vagabond (1916), Easy Street (1917), The Immigrant (1917), Shoulder Arms (1918), The Kid (1921), and The Pilgrim (1923). Reportedly, the professional relationship warmed into a personal one, with Purviance becoming the first of Chaplin's many lovers. Their ardor had cooled by 1923, though Chaplin continued taking a paternal interest in her career, attempting to establish her as a solo dramatic actress in A Woman of Paris (1923) and the never-released The Sea Gull (1923) (produced by Chaplin and directed by Josef von Sternberg). But by 1925, Purviance had lost interest in acting. Edna Purviance remained on Chaplin's payroll until the day she died; it has been written that she appeared as an extra in Chaplin's final American feature, Limelight (1952), but this is not borne out by either the production call sheets or by the film itself.

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Filmography

Movie/Film Released Rating Role Buy
The Funniest Man in the World 1967 Archival Appearance
30 Years of Fun 1963 Participant [Starring]
Chase Me Charlie 1951 Archival Appearance
Monsieur Verdoux 1947 Actor [Starring]
Education De Prince 1927 Actor [Starring]
A Woman of Paris 1923 Actor [Starring]
The Pilgrim 1923 Actor [Starring]
Pay Day 1922 Actor [Starring]
The Idle Class 1921 Actor [Starring]
The Kid 1921 Actor [Starring]
A Day's Pleasure 1919 Actor [Starring]
Sunnyside 1919 Actor [Starring]
A Dog's Life 1918 Actor [Starring]
The Bond 1918 Actor [Starring]
Triple Trouble 1918 Actor [Starring]
Cure 1917 Actor [Starring]
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Back to the topTop Questions about Edna Purviance

A question I am often asked is how did Edna pronounce her last name. I heard it pronounced different ways over the years. If you watch the 1959 version of The Chaplin Revue , you will clearly hear Charlie Chaplin say Edna's name correctly. ...
Although she was romantically involved with Chaplin for several years, Purviance eventually married John Squire, a Pan-American Airlines pilot, whom she wed in 1938 and who died in 1945. Recently silent films, in black-and-white and colour,...
Edna Purviance was born on October 21, 1895

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