Martha Mansfield

Martha Mansfield died on Friday 30th of November 1923, at just 24 years old, from severe burns after her dress caught fire on a film set. She was born on Friday 14th of July 1899 in the United States. An American actress of Caucasian ethnicity, she started as a musical comedy star in New York City before entering films in 1916 for Max Linder.

Martha quickly advanced to second leads in features. Her best-known role remains Millicent Carew in the John Barrymore starrer Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920). She was signed by Fox Studios in 1923 and began work on The Warrens of Virginia (1924). Nearing completion of that film, she had just finished a scene and was returning to her automobile when a carelessly strewn match ignited her dress. Co-star Wilfred Lytell threw his coat around her and extinguished the flames, but it was too late. She died the next day.

Martha married Kasper G. Schmidt on May 1, 1918, and they divorced in 1920. Her promising career was cut tragically short.