Lillian Drew(1883-1924)
- Actress
The beautiful Lillian Drew was born in Chicago in 1886. Lillian became
a highly popular musical comedy theatre star from the mid 1900's, often
appearing with her husband actor E.H. Calvert. Later Lillian a gorgeous
brunette starred in more than 90 drama and comedy films and became
known as Lily of the Essanay, she made her first film playing the role
of Edith Towne in 'The Broken Heart' with Ruth Stonehouse in 1913, she
perhaps best remembered as Elvira in 'The Fable of Elvira and Farina
and the Meal Ticket' co-starring Gloria Swanson in 1915. In 1920 she
suffered a nervous breakdown and appeared in only one more movie
'Children of Jazz' directed by Jerome Storm and starring Ricardo Cortez
at Famous Players Film Co in 1923. At the time of her death in February
1924 she was recovering from both a car crash and a difficult breakup
with her husband. Lily dead in Chicago age 38 from veronal poisoning,
the death was eventually ruled an accident
