Florence Deshon

Florence Deshon was an American actress in silent films during the late 1910s and early 1920s. Born in Tacoma, Washington, on July 19, 1893, she began her film career in 1915 with The Beloved Vagabond. Over the next few years, she appeared in more than twenty silent films, starring in numerous productions for Samuel Goldwyn and Vitagraph Studios between 1918 and 1921. Her final film credit was as Sally McTurk in The Roof Tree, directed by John Francis Dillon.

Deshon was known for her auburn hair, brown eyes, and slim build. She was romantically involved with writer Max Eastman and actor Charlie Chaplin, reportedly commuting between the two men while living in Los Angeles. In 1919, Samuel Goldwyn summoned her to Los Angeles, where she worked for his studio. She returned to New York City in December 1921 with her mother, hoping to continue her film career there.

Tragically, on February 4, 1922, Deshon was found unconscious in her apartment at 120 West Eleventh Street, with illuminating gas flowing from an opened jet. She was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, but attempts to revive her failed, and she died the following day at age 28. A medical examiner ruled her death accidental, but rumors of suicide persisted among friends and biographers. Her death came just five days after the high-profile murder of William Desmond Taylor, which overshadowed her passing. Despite the controversy surrounding her death, Deshon left a brief but notable legacy in early American cinema.