Biography

Helen Twelvetrees was born Helen Marie Jurgens in Brooklyn, New York. Her interest in the theatricals was apparent at an early age. After graduating from high school. Helen embarked on a stage career. She participated in a number of plays in New York City, but gravitated toward film when she headed to the West Coast in late 1928. In 1929, Helen appeared in her first motion picture called The Ghost Talks (1929). That was quickly followed by Words and Music (1929) and Blue Skies (1929) that same year. Through the early thirties, Helen appeared in a number of movies. Audiences appreciated the pixyish, little blonde and the roles she played. Perhaps one of her finest roles was a June Perry in State's Attorney (1932) opposite John Barrymore. Helen's character was romantically involved with the district attorney and plays the part with absolute conviction. Helen continued a hectic filming pace until 1936. She filmed five movies in 1935, but played in only Thoroughbred (1936) in 1936. In 1938, Helen went through a drought and made her last film the following year in Unmarried (1939). Helen's film career had ended. Through the balance of her life there seemed to be a void. In 1958, she died after she took an overdose of sedatives. She was 49.
- IMDb mini biography by: Denny Jackson

Born in New York, Helen was schooled at the Brooklyn Heights Seminary before heading to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1927, Helen Jurgens married Clark Twelvetrees and became Helen Twelvetrees. With some stage experience, Helen went to Hollywood with a number of other actors to replace the silent stars that could not or would not make the transition to talkies. Her first job was with Fox and she appeared in The Ghost Talks (1929). Being that Helen was blonde and short, she was usually cast as the fallen or betrayed woman such as Elsa in A Woman of Experience (1931). But she also played the girl friend in Is My Face Red? (1932) and the heroine in Her Man (1930). Most of her films were made at RKO, where she landed after leaving Pathe and Fox. By 1935, the public had grown tired of her roles and directors had grown weary of her temperament. While she would appear in a few small roles toward the end of the decade, her career in films was over. In 1958, Helen died of a drug overdose.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tony Fontana < tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>