Gladys Brockwell(1894-1929)
- Actress
The daughter of actress
Billie Brockwell, Brockwell first
appeared on the stage at the age of three. She made her screen debut in
Philadelphia for the Lubin Company in 1913, later working with
D.W. Griffith. Joining Fox
Studios, Brockwell was one of the busiest actresses in town and easily
made the transition to sound films. Married to director
Robert Broadwell, she was also married
for a brief period to
Harry Edwards, former husband of
actress Louise Glaum. On June 27, Brockwell
was a passenger in a car with her boyfriend, advertising man Thomas
Stanley Brennan, when the car plunged over a 75 foot embankment in
Calabasas. Brockwell was pinned under the car and sustained compound
fractures to her jaw, a fractured skull and several other serious
injuries Brennan was seriously hurt and survived his injuries. While
hospitalized, Brockwell received four blood transfusions and died from
peritonitis which developed as a result of her several injuries.
Brennan stated that dust and cinders blew into his eyes causing him to
lose control of the vehicle, he was exonerated of blame by the
coroner's jury.
