Silent Film Stars: Beatrice La Plante

Beatrice La Plante (1896-1992) was Gloria Swanson's neighbor, friend and secretary during Swanson's rise to fame under Cecil B. DeMille. La Plante handled all correspondence for the Triangle star in 1918 and 1919, seemingly accepting no salary. La Plante had been a silent film actress and after she departed Swanson's employ, she married in 1920 but the marriage did not last long. The La Plante name reappeared in Hollywood however, with sisters Laura and Violet La Plante. Were these Beatrice's cousins? Their careers seemed to mirror each other in various jazz titles. Today, one of the only remainders of the La Plante careers is in Laura La Plante Drive in California.

Sources:

Gloria Swanson, Swanson on Swanson, New York: 1980

Beatrice La Plante, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0478850/

Brownlow, Kevin. Obituary: Laura La Plante, The Independent, October 16, 1996, accessed July 21, 2022

Drew, William. Speaking of Silents. Vestal, NJ. Vestal Press, 1989, p. 89. ISBN 0-911572-81-3

Kreuger, Miles. Show Boat – The Story of a Classic American Musical. New York, NY. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 97.