Myrtle Gonzalez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Myrtle Gonzalez
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Gonzalez circa 1916
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| Born | September 28, 1891 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | October 22, 1918 (aged 27) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1913–1918 |
| Spouse(s) |
Parks Jones
(m. 1910, divorced)Allen Watt
(m. 1917) |
| Children | 1 |
Myrtle Gonzalez (September 28, 1891 – October 22, 1918) was an American actress. She starred in at least 78 silent era motion pictures from 1913 to 1917, of which 66 were one and two-reel shorts. She is regarded as Hollywood's first Latin and Hispanic movie star actress.
Gonzalez was best known for her role as Enid Maitland in Vitagraph's six-reel feature length drama The Chalice of Courage (1915) opposite William Duncan. A magazine writer once called her "The Virgin White Lily of the Screen".
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Early life
Myrtle Gonzalez was born in Los Angeles, California on September 28, 1891, the daughter of Manuel George Gonzalez (1868–?) and Lillian L. Cook (1874–1932). Her siblings were Stella M. Gonzalez (1892–1965) and Manuel G. Gonzalez, Jr. (1898–?).
Her paternal side comes from a native Hispanic Californio family of Mexico, while her maternal grandparents were born in Ireland. Her father was a retail grocer, her mother a former opera and popular singer.
From early childhood, Myrtle displayed remarkable dramatic talent, and she had a good soprano voice. She appeared in many local concerts and benefits and sang in church choirs. She later played juvenile parts on the stage with Fanny Davenport and Florence Stone.
Myrtle graduated in music and languages from a convent located in Los Angeles and acted in stock companies before joining the Vitagraph and later Universal.
Movie career
Because she grew up in Los Angeles, the shift of movie production to her hometown was a big advantage for her. Gonzalez worked for such studios as Vitagraph and Universal. Her film debut was in The Yellow Streak (1913), directed by William J. Bauman.
She appeared in five movies opposite William Desmond Taylor at Vitagraph, the comedy/drama Her Husband's Friend (1913), the drama Tainted Money (1914), the comedy Millions for Defence (1914), the drama The Kiss (1914), and the drama Captain Alvarez (1914).
Most successful projects
The Level (1914)
One of her most susseccful short films was the The Level (1914), directed by Ulysses Davis.
She plays the leading role of Carolyn Johnson, a motherless young lady, isolated with her rough, unloving father. Carolyn is a wild and fierce-tempered peronality. By accident, she meets Bob Arnold, a young settler. He is a soft an caring man, unlike her father. Her father orders her to marry Bob, but after the marriage Carolyn repulses him. She is not used to being treated well by men and thinks that her husband is not manly enough. She conveys her opinion, when talking to her dog "Wolf". Bob overhears her remarks and start to behave brutally towards her. Strangely, Carolyn's attitude to her husband changes and eventually she falls in love with him.
The Little Sheriff (1914)
Directed by George Stanley, this short film tells a story that takes place in a small Western community of Lonetown with the arrival of a young, good-looking schoolteacher Mary Turner (played by Gonzalez). Carter, a gambler and shady character of the town, tries to win Mary's attention. Sheriff Bill, a widower, protects her from Carter, who flees to the woods after triyng to threaten the residenst of the town. Sheriff Bill and his posse follow him, but he escapes, just to return to Mary. As she sees him, she screames in fear, but the Sheriff's son, Buddy, who is also Mary's student, interferes. The boy threatens Carter with a gun he took from his dad without his permission. The villain is captured, but Sheriff Bill is angry with his son for disobedience. Mary affectionately soothes him, kissing, and the Sheriff puts an arm around her waist. The final scene promises that Buddy will have a stepmother.
The Chalice of Courage (1915)
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In a film directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon, Gonzalez portrays Enid Maitland opposite William Duncan (William Newbold). William and his wife Louise go to the Colorado Rockies to escape from her former suitor James Armstrong. While riding a mountain trail, Louise and her horse fall over a high cliff. She gets severely injured and begs her husband to kill her to end her suffering. He does so -and blames Armstrong for her unfortunate fate.
Five years later, Armstrong meets Enid Maitland and falls in love with her. When on a camping trip, Enid is caught in a sudden violent storm and gets rescued by a mountain man: William Newbold, who has become a recluse. She has to spend winter in his camp because of the snow and falls in love with him. Armstrong returns for Enid and recognizes his old enemy in Newbold.
Personal life and death
Gonzalez's first marriage was to James Park Jones. They had one son together, James Parks Jones, Jr. (c. 1911–1970), before they divorced.
On December 1, 1917, she got married to actor/director Allen Watt (April 4, 1885–September 15, 1944) in Los Angeles. She then gave up her screen work and retired. Watt was formerly an assistant director at Universal, where they met.
With the beginning of the first World War, Watt was stationed as an officer at Camp Lewis, in Washington state. Gonzalez relocated to Washington with her husband. Her health was too frail for the climate, however, and Capt. Watt was placed on the retirement list so he could return her to Southern California. He went back to work at Universal and began directing.
Gonzalez died during the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, aged 27. At the time of her death, she was at her parents' home in Los Angeles, at 908 West Thirtieth Street.
Interesting facts about Myrtle Gonzalez
- Though her film career lasted only five years, she starred in an impressive 80 films during that time.
- In 1913-1914, Gonzalez appeared in five movies with actor William Taylor. They included the comedies Her Husband's Friend and A Mix-Up in Pedigrees.
- In many of her roles, Gonzalez typified a vigorous out-of-doors type of heroine. During the last six years of her career, many of the movies she starred in were stories of the snow country and of the forests.
- Despite playing physically strong female characters, she was not athletic in any way – never rode a horse, punched a bag or played tennis; she could not swim, and never tried to learn.
- Myrtle Gonzalez was the first successful Latina actor in Hollywood, landing a studio deal with Universal in 1912.
- She starred in different genres: comedies, dramas, romances, adventure films.
- Gonzalez insisted on spelling her last name with a 'z' twice - because, in her own words, "that is aristocratic Spanish; spell it with an 's,' it is Plebian Mexican."
- She is celebrated as an important figure in the history of Latinx representation in film.
Recognition
On November 23, 2022, Google featured her in a Google Doodle in the United States. November 23 is the anniversary of the release of the 1914 film The Level, which she starred in.
The Doodle, illustrated by Bay Area-based guest artist, Ana Ramírez González, depicts the actress, going on a winter hike.
Selected filmography
- The Level (1914)
- A Natural Man (1915)
- It Happened in Honolulu (1916)
- The Secret of the Swamp (1916)
- The Greater Law (1917)
- Mutiny (1917)
- God's Crucible (1917)
- Southern Justice (1917)
- The Show Down (1917)
Images for kids
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Myrtle Gonzalez ca. 1915. Portrait by Fred Hartsook, California.
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Myrtle Gonzalez in January 1916.
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Myrtle Gonzalez in 1917, "snow-stuffing" at Truckee.
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Still from the American drama film The Show Down (1917) with Myrtle Gonzalez, on page 27 of the August 25, 1917 Exhibitors Herald.
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Advertisement of What Happened in Honolulu, starring Myrtle Gonzalez, in The Moving Picture World.
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Myrtle Gonzalez in The End of the Rainbow (1916)
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A movie poster for The Chalice of Courage (1915), starring Myrtle Gonzalez.
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See also
In Spanish: Myrtle Gonzalez para niños
