Laura La Plante

'Laura La Plante' (qv) was 15 years old when she entered films as a Christie Comedy Bathing Beauty. By 1921, she had played a number of roles including a 'Tom Mix' (qv) Western called _The Big Town Round-Up (1921)_ (qv) for Fox and _The Old Swimmin' Hole (1921)_ (qv) for First National. Laura, now 17, next signed with Universal, where she appeared in shorts, serials and many supporting roles. Over the next few years, she would become one of the leading stars at Universal and acted in in dramas, mysteries and comedies. Some of her more important films were the adventure _Crooked Alley (1923)_ (qv), the comedy _Sporting Youth (1924)_ (qv), the drama _Smouldering Fires (1925)_ (qv) and the mystery _The Cat and the Canary (1927)_ (qv). One of her successful comedies, _Skinner's Dress Suit (1926)_ (qv), was directed by her husband, 'William A. Seiter' (qv). When sound came to Universal, she was one of the silent film stars who made the transition. She played a leading role in the sound film _Show Boat (1929)_ (qv) and made her first all-talking picture with _Hold Your Man (1929)_ (qv). By 1930, she decided that she had enough and left Universal, which terminated her contract. She went to England, where she would appear in a few more films over the years. Laura returned to Hollywood in 1935, where she again retired from the screen.::Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>