Biography

Kenneth Anger's book "Hollywood Babylon" sensationalized the tragic February 1959 death of the actress, although his "theory" is not based on fact. He claims it was a bizarre suicide triggered by years of alcoholism and failed attempts to revive her stalled career. Anger claims that, alone in her apartment in Venice, CA, she gathered together reams of publicity stills and promotional material from her early career and set them on fire, allowing herself to be consumed by the flames. In truth, a fire broke out in her bedroom while she was asleep. She was found on the bathroom floor, having died of smoke inhalation. The scrapbook referred to of her modeling and film career managed to escape the wrath of the flames.

Turned to alcohol in her later years after her career was over. Lost custody of her only child in the mid-'50s, Peter, because of it.

Lived her final years at a beachfront apartment in Venice, CA, in obscurity. Her neighbors never knew about her Hollywood past.

Her last film was The Falcon's Brother (1942). She played a murder victim.

Became a successful blonde, blue-eyed model just out of her teens in Denmark. She later continued modeling in New York, making the pages of "Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar", among others. At one time she was ranked as one of the most photographed girls in the country and considered America's #1 model in 1935. Gave up her modeling career in 1944 after giving birth to son Peter.