Alice Terry was an American film actress and film director. She started her acting career at the age of 15 in the silent era. Her career spanned over 17 years, and she has appeared in thirty-nine films.
Terry was a brunette and wore a blonde wig in the film ‘Hearts Are Trumps (1920)’ to make herself stand out from Francelia Billington, the other actress. After that role, she again wore the blonde wig as “Marguerite” in the film ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)’, and the wig was kept for any future appearances.
Acting career
Terry made her film debut at the age of 15 with the movie ‘Not my Sister (1916)’. She also worked in a cutting room at Famous-Players-Lasky for two years. In the 1916 anti-war film ‘Civilization,’ Terry played several different characters. Alice gained worldwide acclaim in the movie ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), in which she portrayed the role of ‘Marguerite.’ During the 1920s, she appeared in several famous movies of the silent era including, ‘The Prisoner of Zenda (1922)’, ‘Scaramouche (1923)’, ‘The Great Divide (1924)’, and ‘Mare Nostrum (1926)’.
She received valuable assistance from Famous-Players-Lasky Company that most people are unaware of. Despite her inexperience, she managed to become an adept filmmaker. Terry helped so much with Ingram’s final film, his only talkie, Baroud (1933), that she was named co-director, and she directed every scene in which Ingram appeared. Despite her ability as an all-around filmmaker, Baroud didn’t take Alice’s abilities to the next level. Terry worked with Ramón Novarro, a beloved Mexican film star who gained fame as a “Latin lover” and became a symbol for sex after the death of Rudolph Valentino. She made her last appearance in the movie ‘Baroud (1933)’.
Personal life
Terry married famous Irish director Rex Ingram in 1921 during the production of ‘The Prisoner of Zenda.’ In 1923 Terry and Ingram decided to move to the French RivieraMGM, and others hired them to make films on location in North Africa, Spain, and Italy. They adopted a street child named Kada-Abd-el-Kader.
Terry’s sister Edna moved into the property on Kelsey Street after Ingram’s death and controlled her life. Terry fell in love with British actor Gerald Fieding, but Edna forbade her from moving with him. Edna started as an extra in movies and like her sister, but married a financial advisor and never went back to acting.
Alice Terry died of Alzheimer’s disease on December 22, 1987, in a California Hospital at 88. She is buried in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
Below are some glamorous photos of Alice Terry from her life and career.
