From yesterday's L.A. Times:
L.A. Times
Silent film star Barbara La Marr’s funeral attracts large crowd
"Feb. 5, 1926: Thousands of fans gather outside the funeral services for actress Barbara La Marr.
Following several years of fast-paced Hollywood night life, popular silent film star Barbara La Marr passed away at age 29 on Jan. 30, 1926.
An article in the Feb. 6, 1926, Los Angeles Times reported:
Several thousand persons fought desperately with police reserves yesterday afternoon in front of the Walter C. Blue Undertaking Chapel, 717 West Washington street, for a view of the casket of Barbara La Marr as it was carried from the chapel for the trip to its last resting place in Hollywood Cemetery.
Five women fainted during the melee and were rescued from being trampled upon only through the strenuous efforts of police officers.
As Miss La Marr’s remains were placed in the hearse, the crowd broke all restraint and rushed about the funeral cortege.
Traffic along West Washington street was tied up for more than fifteen minutes while police attempted to restore order.
Many hundreds rushed into the funeral parlor, although all objects of attraction to the morbid had been removed, even to the last floral wreath…"
L.A. Times
Bragging that she only slept two hours a night, silent movie star, Barbara La Marr's life was also short (29 years) and pretty wild.
At the age of 14, she was arrested for underage dancing in a Los Angeles burlesque. Three years later she married rancher, Jack Lytell, who promptly died of pneumonia. She quickly moved on to lawyer, Lawrence Converse, who unfortunately was arrested the next day for bigamy. He was so love struck, he knocked himself out banging his head on the cell bars and died of a blood clot. She then married dancer Phil Ainsworth, who was soon sent off to San Quentin for passing bad checks. After a divorce from Phil, she went on to marry Ben Deely (a heavy drinker) and actor Jack Dougherty. Somewhere in all this, she also had time to give birth to an illegitimate baby son, who she sent to actress ZaSu Pitts to raise.
Along with five marriages, she also managed numerous affairs with men allegedly ranging from Ernest Hemmingway to Mussolini (yes that one).
Booze, cocaine, heroin, and morphine finally wore her down and she died of nephritis and tuberculosis.
Supposedly actress Hedy Lamarr was named after her.