Olive Borden

Her big break came when John Ford gave her the female lead in 3 Bad Men. Fox signed her to a long-term contract in December 1925. She starred in Yellow Fingers, Fig Leaves, and The Monkey Talks. After the hit 1927 film The Joy Girl, she was known as Hollywood's "Joy Girl." At her peak, she earned $1,500 a week. But she spent it as fast as she made it. Fox cut her salary in November 1927, claiming she was "temperamental." She walked out on her contract, took a six-month break, and moved to a small house in Malibu. In 1928, Columbia offered her a new contract. She had leading roles in The Eternal Woman and Virgin Lips. Her southern accent made the transition to sound films difficult. After Columbia dropped her, she cut her hair into a bob and played flappers, costarring with Arthur Lake in Dance Hall and with Jack Oakie in The Social Lion. In December 1929, she suffered a breakdown and was hospitalized for exhaustion. George O'Brien ended their four-year relationship, leaving her heartbroken.

Unable to find work in Hollywood, she moved to New York City in the fall of 1930. Her stage debut in The Devil Is A Lady closed after seven weeks. She married stockbroker Teddy Spector in March 1931. They separated because he wanted her to quit acting. When she filed for divorce, she learned he was still legally married; the marriage was annulled. After a couple of Vitaphone shorts, she made her final film, the low-budget 1934 drama Chloe, Love Is Calling. She married electrician John Moeller in November 1934. They lived with his father, and she worked at Macy's. Unable to have children, she filed for bankruptcy and developed a drinking problem. Their marriage ended in 1941 after an affair.

During World War 2, she volunteered as a nurse's aid, then joined the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps in December 1942. She drove an ambulance at Fort Des Moines, earning $12.50 a week. She received a citation for bravery after turning over an enemy ammunition truck. A severe ankle injury forced an honorable discharge. She returned to Hollywood, but her weight gain kept her from finding roles. In the fall of 1945, she moved into the Sunshine Mission, a home for destitute women in Los Angeles. She scrubbed floors and cared for children, and served turkey on Thanksgiving. Her final acting performance was in the mission's 1946 Christmas pageant. She said she had become a born again Christian, adding, "I have found the one thing Hollywood couldn't give me - happiness." She ran away in spring 1947 but was found living in a run-down motel. She returned with pneumonia. She died on October 1, 1947, of cirrhosis of the liver at age 41, with her mother at her bedside. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.