Additions and changes since this site went live in 1999
October 2009
Derek Boothroyd sent a still from The Voice from the Minaret and an ad from the Stanford Theater for Graustark, and three lobby cards from The Ghosts of Yesterday. Thanks!
August 2009
I obtained Norma's will and added some addresses from that to the addresses page, plus an address i found for Peg Talmadge in a newspaper clipping.
May 2009
I clipped an excerpt of Norma from the radio program Thirty Minutes in Hollywood and posted the file here and linked it to the home page
May 2009
Derek Boothroyd sent scans of a Photoplay clipping and a Screenland Magazine cover which i put in the Picture gallery, the former also went on the page for Within the Law., and a picture with snipe from Camille..
April 2009
Derek Boothroyd sent scans of a Swedish program for Camille. which has lots of pictures.
March 2009
Derek Boothroyd sent a from notice Vitagraph's Exhibitors Plan Books from 1917 with a picture of Norma, which i put in the Picture gallery.
February 2009
I was able to see the mysterious Troublesome Step-Daughters and Stenographer Troubles and add viewing comments for them. Jim Carper kindly send me scans of Gladys Hall's 1931 interview with Norma, which i added to the page where i have the article typed up. I was alerted to a YouTube video that has a short tour of the Vitagraph property and a clip from A Tale of Two Cities, so i added references to the filmography and to the 1911 shorts page, as well as to the and added links to pictures and a video on the Vitagraph studios on the addresses page, where i also added a link to some pictures of the smokestack. Also Derek Bothroyd provided a lobby card for The Way of a Woman.. Thanks to Jane of the Historical Ziegfeld site for identifying several photos by Alfred Cheney Johnston in the Picture gallery ,
December 2008
I forgot last time to add the Moving Picture World review for O'Hara, Squatter and Philosopher, so i added that to the page of 1912 reviews. Added Moving Picture World articles on Battle Cry of Peace, and reviews, descriptions, or advertisements for The Crown Prince's Double, The Missing Links, The Children in the House, The Devil's Needle, Poppy, The Law of Compensation, The Heart of Wetona, The Probation Wife, The New Moon, The Way of a Woman, The Isle of Conquest, She Loves and Lies, The Woman Gives, The Branded Woman, By Right of Purchase, and The Safety Curtain. I added a picture of Norma and George Jessell to the Pictures page. Derek Boothroyd provided more articles, clippings, and photos including the short story adaptation for Photoplay of Smilin' Through, an advertisement and photo for Kiki, an advertisement for Panthea, lobby cards for The Eternal Flame, By Right of Purchase, clippings on New York Nights,some advertisements and clippings that i put on the Pictures page, an article called A Day with Norma Talmadge from Motion Picture Magazine (which turned up a new address for the addresses page--and i also added a new link to the Talmadge Apartments), plus some clippings with the interior of the West Adams house, an article on a fan club and clippings on The New Moon Eve Brown contributed some pictures of Virginia Withey, which i added to Constance's page. Also updated the bibliography. Oh, and i found a clipping of Eugene O'Brien with an inset of a scene from The Only Woman that was on the back of a clipping of Pauline Frederick that i was posting on that site. So i scanned it as well and added it.
November 2008
Ok, i'm finally getting back to this. I've added a favicon to to the site (though i'm not sure it works from all pages) and corrected various typos on various pages. It's just been announced that Constance's film East is West has been discovered and is being restored by the Nederlands Filmmuseum, so i added that info to Constance's page. Stanford gave me some new server space! So i'm adding stuff to the site again. I put up the Moving Picture World reviews of Norma's Vitagraph short films (linked to the filmography) . Derek Boothroyd sent several pictures: a lobby card for Children in the House, a color picture of DuBarry,, a Vargas cover for the Pictures page a review of The Lady,, an article on Forbidden City,, an article on Norma by Adele Whitely Fletched called Norma ... a Woman ... a Paradox ... a Riddle, and two articles: What I Think of Constance / What I think of Norma from Movie Magazine in 1926. A bunch more, too, but i'm out of time now and will need to upload them next month
I also removed the latest Donnell Center Talmadge program from the home page. For future reference, here's the program
, and i linked a blog post about it to the home page
April 2008
The Donnell Media Center in New York is showing some of Norma Talmadge's movies this summer. I added the schedule temporarily to the home page. Other than that, i haven't had any time to add stuff to the site, and i'm out of server space so i've got a moratorium on adding new pictures. I do hope to work on the reviews of her Vitagraph films this summer. I'm also thinking that due to the small server space, perhaps i should put overflow pictures (and maybe even all the pictures on Flickr and refer people back to the site for more info. (i wouldn't remove pictures i already havae on the site). What do people think? Probably would get more exposure there. There are some Norma pictures there already. And added a favicon to the main Divas page, the Norma home page, and page. Hopefully will at some point get time to add to the other pages.
September 2007
I finally posted my Griffithiana article from 2001 and added links to it from the bibliography and home page. I finally got copies of Moving Picture World reviews of many of Norma's short films, but it'll be a while before i get a chance to type those up and post them.
August 2007
Since i had to do a filmography for Constance anyway, i decided to finally do at least page for her, with the aforementioned filmography and a couple of pix. Doctor Macro changed his URLs, so i updated the links on the pages for The Lady, Camille, New York Nights and the home page. In the filmography, corrected cast of The Sphinx, or Mrs. Carter's Necklace, which i just saw at the Library of Congress (i'll post notes later), and corrected the plot synopses of She Loves and Lies and Daughter of Two Worlds, and noted that The Moth is now preserved (what's left of it anyway). Also noted the possible presence of Constance in Captivating Mary Carstairs, and her possible presence in Battle Cry of Peace (and on That film's comments . Also added viewing comments to The Devil's Needle, The Moth, By Right of Purchase, Probation Wife, She Loves and Lies, Daughter of Two Worlds, and The Woman Gives and added a review (courtesy of Derek Boothroyd) to The Missing Links, and he also provided scans of pictures from New York Nights , The Eternal Flame, Graustark, Secrets and a new postcard on the Pictures page, as well as a picture from Mike Richardson and the late John Morkunas (they also provided the top picture on the new Constance page. Frederica contributed the Motion Picture July 1917 review of The Law of Compensation. Thanks, all for your contributions! Also picked up a photoplay edition of Within the Law and added the pictures from that, and also added the picture from Photoplay review of Panthea, as well as a picture of L. Rogers Lytton from the same issue.
April 2007
Jeff Cohen posted some information on New York Nights on his Vitaphone Varieties blog, so i added a link on the New York Nights page for that. Bruce Calvert found a new site for his The Silent Film Still Archive, so i changed a few links. He seems to have added a picture for Probation Wife, so i added links to that as well. I just noticed that Greg N. Smith's article "Silencing the New Woman: Ethnic and Social Mobility in the Melodramas of Norma Talmadge" has appeared online, so i added links to the home page and bibliography. Since Grapevine Video is back in business, i updated the video review pages for Children in the House, Going Straight, The Social Secretary, and Forbidden City. Took off the Videobrary link from The Safety Curtain, since it now goes to a site selling bras! Oh, and added links to Dr. Macro's movie scans
January 2007
Finally a recording of the theme song to Woman Disputed! Thanks to Jeff Cohen for providing the recording, and to James Bazen for noticing it on Jeff's wonderful Vitaphone Varieties blog. And by chance I identified the third woman in the second picure in the biographical essay as Anna Q. Nilsson. I was looking at an article in Proquest Los Angeles Times online of November 22, 1931 (page I1) and spotted Alice Joyce hat, and matched the hat of the woman with a hat in the photo, who the caption identified as Nilsson.
December 2006
Much thanks to Todd Miller for giving me the address of Norma and Joe's elusive Bayside home! Also thanks to Shannon Lyn for sending me the link to Norma's 1928 at Pass-a-Grill Beach, Florida. I added both to the addresses page
November 2006
I uploaded another copy of The Helpful Sisterhood onto The Internet Archive. Google's copy keeps freezing. It is in mpeg4 format and seems to be fussy about what player is used. Sorry, when i learn more about digital video perhaps i can fix this. I added a link to this on the home page and to the Magazine covers on Sunrise Silents that Judith Williams alerted me to. Thanks! Thanks also to Derek Boothroyd for a nice picture of Norma from Du Barry, Woman of Passion I found a link to the Harper House apartments and added it to the addresses page
August 2006
Great news from Sweden! The Svenska Filminstitutet has a reel of The Battle Cry of Peace. This reel is different than the scraps of battle sequences at George Eastman House, and contains some of Norma's big scenes. A very exciting discovery! I added comments to the page for the film. I also viewed a reel of censored material from The Dove, and added appropriate links to the filmography
July 2006
Several developments: First, i've uploaded a silent copy of The Helpful Sisterhood onto Google Video. Quality is not great, unfortunately. It works best if you find the little down arrow for "original size." The video will be smaller but clearer. If anyone knows more about how to upload this in better quality, please let me know, i'm a novice at this.. I also added a link to this on the home page.
Next, i've finally completed Norma's short film filmography. Bryan Tinlin looked up Norma in the 1910 census and found her address, which i added to the addresses page. Also both censuses give her birth year as 1894!. I found some more details about the picture with Thomas Meighan that i posted in March on the Pictures page. Last but not least, i added another viewing comment forKiki after seeing the restored version with an audience (and music!) at the Stanford Theater on June 17.
March 2006
I've had so much to add and so little time! Thank you all who provided me with materials for your patience while i got all this stuff added--Added the address for Talmadge's San Francisco house addresses page (thanks to Ronald Spayde for checking this out). Added another couple of scrapbook pages and pictures of Norma and Constance from Joop van Dijk to the Pictures page. Added production stills and a poster for the lost Secret of the Storm Country, courtesy of David Denison, grandson of Norma's co-star Edwin Denison. Added pictures from the photoplay novels of Camille and Graustark. Added some links to pictures from the Sayre collection at the University of Washington. There are some miscellaneous photos of Norma which i didn't link to, but i added the links to the films The Sign on the Door, The Woman Gives, Forbidden city, Smilin' Through, Eternal Flame.. Added all these links also to the filmography.
December 2005
Added a photo i took of Norma's footprints at the Mann's Chinese Theatre to the addresses page. Got some further information on Gilbert Roland (thank you Mr. Brownlow!), so did some tweaks to the biographical essay. Added new and improved links to glass slides of Camille and The Dove and added some further information on the print of the latter to that page and the filmography. I finally got a clean copy of the photoplay novel of Camille, so that will be coming soon.
October 2005
Updated the addresses and added a picture of the Hollywood Blvd. house (thanks Chris Snowden!), and added some more Melbourne Spurr pictures from Scott Jacob to the photo gallery and Song of Love pages. Also added a portrait by Frank Martin to the photo gallery. I saw The Wonderful Thing at Cinecon and added my (scathing) comments to the page for the film and link added a link to the filmography. Updated the address for Gilda's Blue Book of the screen on the home page. James Cozart from LOC gave me updated information on archival prints of The Social Secretary. Thanks!
August 2005
Added a page of addresses , and deleted an address from the main essay , and also added Norma and Joe's wedding date. Also added a link to Flapperjane's Talmadges page to the home page. I did some retooling on all the pages for the individual films, repeating the credits from the filmography page--i realized you Googler's out there were probably going straight to a page from a film rather than coming in through the filmography.
July 2005
Went to New York in May to see some films, so added comments for Camille (finally!), and added to my previous comments forKiki. Also updated a caption and (alas) the preservation notes. Updated Filmography accordingly.
March 2005
Took off the home page the announcment for the Norma Talmadge film series at New York Public Library which ended February 23. The programs were: Yes or No (2/2/05, accompanied by Gabriel Thibaudeau), The sign on the door (2/9/05, accompanied by Ben Model), Within the Law (2/16/05, accompanied by David Gross), and Song of Love (2/23/05, accompanied by Martin Marks)
Also on the home page, added a link to the profile on things-and-other-stuff.com, and continued changing Silent-movies.com to Silent-movies.org (adding mention of the new wonderful Blue book of the screen and Stars of the Photoplay, and made links to Norma's entries in those resources.
Also added links to glass slides of Camille and The Dove, and also added those links to the FilmographyJanuary 2005
Added information about the Norma Talmadge film series at the New York Public Library to the home page. Will remove when it's over.
December 2004
Added sheet music "Woman Disputed, I Love You to the Filmography and to the Woman Disputed page, and added some information about Sam Goldwyn's plans to star her in The Greeks had a Word for It to the main essay
October 2004
Added some costume credits to the Filmography and to Ashes of Vengeance and added the address of Norma's Las Vegas home to the main essay
Joop van Dijk generously contributed scans of some of his scrapbook materials, which i put in the Picture gallery. Many thanks for material on this elusive phase of the Talmadge sister's lives.
August 2004
Got several scans of book covers from Joop van Dijk, including one of Norma. Thanks! Linked this to the bibliography. Adding the other ladies (Pola Negri, Asta Neilson) to my pages on them
Got several scans of Norma by Melbourne Spurr and put them in the Picture gallery. Thanks to Scott Jacob for these lovely pictures.
Added links on the home page tothe Norma Talmadge page on The Silent Era and "Norma Talmadge, the Queen of Versatility" on Golden Silents.From E-bay, got a cute little booklet on Norma in Russian. So added a page for that and linked it to the home page and bibliography
Got a bunch of scans of pictures from Cleo in Luxembourg. Added some to the Picture gallery., and linked others to the relevant films: Secrets, The Dove, Woman Disputed, Kiki, New York Nights, and Du Barry, Woman of Passion
June 2004
Randy Bigham provided some more pictures, so i started a Picture gallery.. I linked to some of them from The Way of a Woman, The Social Secretary, The Heart of Wetona, and Ghosts of Yesterday
Also took down the announcment for the now-completed Norma Talmadge film series at the University of Wisconsin.
March 2004
Randy Bigham provided some costume credits which i added to the filmography, and also provided a picture of a splended Lucile gown , which appeard in The Way of a Woman
Finished removing Silents Majority links, and also fixed links to the Silent Film Stills Archive, as well as tweaking some link texts. Also noted Grapevine Video's OP status, and noted other sources where possible.
February 2004
Added picture of Talmadge with Alice Joyce in the 1930s to the biographical article.
Added pictures to Sign on the Door , Within the Law , Eternal Flame , and Kiki and updated Filmography.
Updating lots of pages to remove the Silents Majority links. Sob!
January 2004
Added information about the Norma Talmadge film series at he University of Wisconsin, Madison to the home page. Will remove when it's over.
October 2003
Finally got around to removing the UCLA announcement. Also deleted link to Silents Majority. Still need to remove from the rest of the site. Darn, they were my major source of pictures!
June 2003
Added mention of Norma's guest appearances in the intro to the filmography . Also added mention of the UCLA screening of The Social Secretary, which i will take down once it has passed.
May 2003
Added another house link , courtesy of Silents Are Golden
April 2003
Added a mid 1930s picture of Norma and George Jessel taken at Carl Brisson's party for newlyweds Helen Vinson ad Fred Perry to the biographical article.
Added links to various related real estate sites: A house in the Los Feliz district (and more here), the Villa Riviera in Long Beach (and more here), and the Talmadge Apartments, and the community of Talmadge, in San Diego. I'm still waiting for someone to put up something on the Santa Monica Beach house that was featured a few years ago in Architectural Digest
Added viewing comments to De Luxe Annie and The Only Woman, and updated filmography.
Added Motion Picture Classic review for Her Only Way . Thanks, Randy Bigham!
January 2003
Added a link to the AFI Catalog
Added link to the Moving Picture review for Forbidden City on Silents are Golden to the filmography and page for the film.
December 2002
Added article from Motion Picture Classic,"The Extra Girl Plays Divorce Court Audience" on the filming of the lost Her Only Way. Thanks to Randy Bigham!
November 2002
Added link on homepage to Melbourne Spurr's portraits of Norma. Thanks to Scott Jacob for the link
September 2002
Added links to images of coming attraction slides for Her Only Way, By Right of Purchase, New Moon, The Safety Curtain, and The Voice from the Minaret, all mounted on the George Eastman House website
Added link on homepage to an article on Norma's protigee Margaret Leahy, on the Damfino's website.
Added link on homepage to "Screened but not Heard," , which includes Norma's unfortunate introduction to radio.
Updated email address on all files.
July 2002 Addendum
Message from the Czech film archive that they don't have a copy of Her Only Way. Since GEH doesn't have either, it's probably lost.. Updated Filmography and surviving film count yet again.
July 2002
Added link on homepage to Gilda's Blue Book of the Screen
Added portrait that appeared in Branded Woman
Added pictures and text from the souvenir program for Woman Disputed
Alas, discovered that The Voice from the Minaret appears to be lost after all. Updated Filmography and surviving film count
Added stills from The Lady and Song of Love.
Added pictures from photoplay novels for Secrets and Daughter of Two Worlds
Added a picture of "Norma and Constance" to the biographical article.
Added video review for Heart of Wetona
Relinked with The Silent Film Still Archive
Linked video reviews to video websites
Spellchecked pages and ran HTML validation program
2000-early 2002 (as best as i can remember)
Added link to Silent Era.
Added Divas footer
Added splash page at http://www.stanford.edu/~gdegroat/NT
Updated Silents Majority links and deleted links to the Silent Film Still Archive
Added reviews from Moving Picture World to several films.
Added entries by Jeanine Basinger and Greta de Groat to Bibliography.
Added biographical essay and more pictures to the main "Woman Disputed" article.
Added link to "Ten Years Hence," and "Beauty and the Bean."
Added contemporary articles "Norma Splash" ,"Sisters Three," "Norma Talmadge gives an idea of Children's Films," and "Going ... Going ... Near the End of the Road, Norma Talmadge Looks Back".
Added Carl Sandburg reviews to Panthea and Camille.
Added stills from The Lady and Yes or No.
Added information about Foothill video of DuBarry, Woman of Passion.
Added video review of Safety Curtain.
Added viewing comments for films viewed at archives, but not on video-- see Filmography for films with notation "viewing comments".
Added photos from Photoplay magazine to Ashes of Vengeance, Secrets, Sign on the Door, and Within the Law, and to "Lady of the Vase" article.
Changed Home Page graphic
Added borders to banners
©1999, by Greta de
Groat . All Rights Reserved
Last revised, October 30, 2009
