Helen Chandler (February 1, 1906 â€" April 30, 1965) was an American
film and theater actress, best known for playing Mina Seward in the
1931 horror film Dracula.Born in Charleston, South Carolina,[citation
needed][note 1] Chandler began her acting career in New York City at
the age of eight and was on Broadway two years later in 1917. Her
early performances include Arthur Hopkins' 1920 production of Richard
III, which starred John Barrymore, Macbeth in 1921 with Lionel
Barrymore; Hedvig in Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck in 1925 and Ophelia
in the 1925 modern dress version of Hamlet starring Basil Sydney. By
the time of her first film she had been in over twenty Broadway
productions. She made her film debut in 1927 in the silent film The
Music Master and in 1930 joined Leslie Howard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,
and Beryl Mercer for Outward Bound, the film version of the stage
success. The unusual story told of a group of passengers on an ocean
liner who gradually realize that they are all dead and will soon face
the Last Judgment. Chandler, with her blonde hair and ethereal
quality, was considered to be perfectly cast, and she received
critical praise for her performance.Chandler did not want to play the
role for which she is probably best remembered, Mina in Dracula
(1931);[citation needed] she wanted to play Alice in Alice in
Wonderland.[citation needed] Nevertheless, Chandler joined David
Manners and Bela Lugosi in what became one of the most successful
movies made at that time. Chandler appeared with Manners that same
year in the Lost Generation celebration of alcohol in Paris, The Last
Flight, also starring Richard Barthelmess and John Mack Brown. She
achieved more successes in A House Divided (1931) and Christopher
Strong (1933), all the while dividing her time among films, radio
work, and theater roles in Los Angeles, New York and London.She
starred in British actor Will Hay's 1934 movie, Radio Parade of 1935
and played a role on Lux Radio in Alibi Ike with Joe E. Brown (1937).
Among her later stage successes were Within The Gates in 1934, Pride
and Prejudice in 1935, Lady Precious Stream in 1936 with then-husband
Bramwell Fletcher, a reprise of her film role in Outward Bound in 1938
and various productions of Boy Meets Girl and Noël Coward's Tonight
at 8.30
film and theater actress, best known for playing Mina Seward in the
1931 horror film Dracula.Born in Charleston, South Carolina,[citation
needed][note 1] Chandler began her acting career in New York City at
the age of eight and was on Broadway two years later in 1917. Her
early performances include Arthur Hopkins' 1920 production of Richard
III, which starred John Barrymore, Macbeth in 1921 with Lionel
Barrymore; Hedvig in Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck in 1925 and Ophelia
in the 1925 modern dress version of Hamlet starring Basil Sydney. By
the time of her first film she had been in over twenty Broadway
productions. She made her film debut in 1927 in the silent film The
Music Master and in 1930 joined Leslie Howard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,
and Beryl Mercer for Outward Bound, the film version of the stage
success. The unusual story told of a group of passengers on an ocean
liner who gradually realize that they are all dead and will soon face
the Last Judgment. Chandler, with her blonde hair and ethereal
quality, was considered to be perfectly cast, and she received
critical praise for her performance.Chandler did not want to play the
role for which she is probably best remembered, Mina in Dracula
(1931);[citation needed] she wanted to play Alice in Alice in
Wonderland.[citation needed] Nevertheless, Chandler joined David
Manners and Bela Lugosi in what became one of the most successful
movies made at that time. Chandler appeared with Manners that same
year in the Lost Generation celebration of alcohol in Paris, The Last
Flight, also starring Richard Barthelmess and John Mack Brown. She
achieved more successes in A House Divided (1931) and Christopher
Strong (1933), all the while dividing her time among films, radio
work, and theater roles in Los Angeles, New York and London.She
starred in British actor Will Hay's 1934 movie, Radio Parade of 1935
and played a role on Lux Radio in Alibi Ike with Joe E. Brown (1937).
Among her later stage successes were Within The Gates in 1934, Pride
and Prejudice in 1935, Lady Precious Stream in 1936 with then-husband
Bramwell Fletcher, a reprise of her film role in Outward Bound in 1938
and various productions of Boy Meets Girl and Noël Coward's Tonight
at 8.30
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.