Helen Twelvetrees

Her standout films include Her Man (1930), Millie (1931), Bad Company (1931), A Woman of Experience (1931), and Now I'll Tell (1934). She appeared opposite Clark Gable in State's Attorney (1932), as well as with Spencer Tracy and Ricardo Cortez. The mid-1930s saw her type of roles fall out of favor, and she retired from films around 1939 after a few B-pictures. She later did occasional stage work and radio, but largely stepped back from the spotlight. She married twice more, to Frank Woody and then to Air Force officer Conrad Payne in the 1950s. She had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded posthumously in recognition of her early talkie contributions.

Suffering from a long-standing kidney ailment and reportedly addicted to painkillers, she died at age 49 in Middletown, Pennsylvania, at Olmsted Air Force Base Hospital, where her husband was stationed. On February 13, 1958, she was found unconscious after taking an overdose of sedatives; the coroner ruled it a suicide. Her remains were cremated, and her funeral was small, attended only by her widower and a close friend. Her legacy lives on through her poignant Pre-Code performances and archived films, which continue to move classic film lovers. She was a slim woman with natural breasts, and she was straight.