Hubbry Logo
Alice JoyceAlice JoyceMain
Open search
Alice Joyce
Community hub
Alice Joyce
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce
from Wikipedia

Alice Joyce Brown (née Joyce; October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress who appeared in more than 200 films during the 1910s and 1920s. She is known for her roles in the 1923 film The Green Goddess and its 1930 remake of the same name.[1][2][3][4]

Key Information

Early life and career beginnings

[edit]

Alice Joyce was born in Kansas City, Missouri,[5] to John Edward and Vallie Olive McIntyre Joyce. She had a brother, Francis "Frank" Joyce, who was 2 years younger and who later became an entertainment manager. Her father was a smelter of Irish and French ancestry and her mother a Welsh seamstress. Educated at a convent in Maryland, she ran away to New York while still a teenager.[4]

By 1900, her parents' marriage fell apart, and her father took custody of Alice and Frank and moved to Falls Church, Virginia, where Joyce spent most of her childhood. According to the 1910 Census, her mother remarried in 1900 to Leon Faber, and they resided in the Bronx, New York, along with Alice and Frank, where she was employed as a photographer's model and appeared in illustrated songs.

She once said that film producer D.W. Griffith had told her that she reminded him of a cow.[5] Despite this unflattering comment, Joyce was a well-respected actress of the silent film era. Though Griffith did not show any interest in her, she found work modelling for both artists and photographers. One film historian ranks her among the top models of 1910, in the company of Mabel Normand and Anna Nilsson. She posed for some of the better known artists of the day, including Harrison Fisher, Charles Dana Gibson, and Neysa McMein.[4]

Joyce on the cover of Photoplay, 1920

Marriages

[edit]
Husband Tom Moore with the couple's daughter Alice, 1920
Joyce and husband James B. Regan, 1921

Joyce was married three times, the first time in 1914 to actor Tom Moore with whom she had a daughter, Alice Joyce Moore. They divorced in 1920. The same year, she married James B. Regan, son of the managing director of the old Knickerbocker Hotel; her second daughter was born during this union. They divorced in 1932, shortly after which the actress declared bankruptcy, and then she married for a third time.

Her last marriage came in 1933 in Virginia City, Nevada to film director Clarence Brown; they separated in 1942 and divorced in 1945.[6] The actress retained Brown's name.[7] During their separation, she sued him for reparation on cruelty charges.[8]

Retirement

[edit]

Joyce was known as "The Madonna of the Screen" for her striking features and presence. She made her last movie in 1930, after which she and ex-husband Tom Moore worked a late vaudeville circuit for a time. She declared voluntary bankruptcy in 1933.[9] Joyce was active in women's organizations in the San Fernando Valley in her later years. She did book reviews and made sketches for friends.[citation needed]

Partial filmography

[edit]
Poster for Kalem's The Strange Story of Elsie Mason (1912)
Joyce on the cover of Motion Picture Classic in 1916, the year she joined Vitagraph Studios
Advertisement for The Spark Divine (1919)
Joyce and Robert Gordon in Dollars and the Woman (1920)
Joyce in Cousin Kate (1921)
Poster for White Man (1924)
Lobby card showing Ronald Colman, Lois Moran and Joyce in Stella Dallas (1925)
Joyce in 1926
Lobby card showing Joyce and Clara Bow in Dancing Mothers (1926)
Lobby card with Joyce and W.C. Fields in So's Your Old Man (1926)
  • The Deacon's Daughter (1910)
  • The Miser's Child (1910)
  • The Heart of Edna Leslie (1910)
  • An Engineer's Sweetheart (1910)
  • The Education of Elizabeth (1910)
  • For a Woman's Honor (1910)
  • The Roses of the Virgin (1910)
  • Rachel (1910)
  • The Rescue of Molly Finney (1910)
  • Her Indian Mother (1910)
  • The Bolted Door (1911)
  • The Runaway Engine (1911)
  • The Trail of the Pomas Charm (1911)
  • The Broken Trail (1911)
  • The Lost Ribbon (1911)
  • Mexican Filibusterers (1911)
  • The Mission Carrier (1911)
  • The Hero Track Walker (1911)
  • Big Hearted Jim (1911)
  • Slim Jim's Last Chance (1911)
  • Slabsides (1911)
  • The Loyalty of Don Luis Verdugo (1911)
  • The Carrier Pigeon (1911)
  • Tangled Lives (1911)
  • The Love of Summer Morn (1911)
  • A Cattle Herder's Romance (1911)
  • Reckless Reddy Reforms (1911)
  • The Badge of Courage (1911)
  • By the Aid of a Lariat (1911)
  • The Indian Maid's Sacrifice (1911)
  • The Mexican Joan of Arc (1911)
  • Over the Garden Wall (1911)
  • Peggy, the Moonshiner's Daughter (1911)
  • The Wasp (1911)
  • Don Ramon's Daughter (1911)
  • The Branded Shoulder (1911)
  • On the Warpath (1911)
  • When Two Hearts Are Won (1911)
  • When the Sun Went Out (1911)
  • The Alpine Lease (1911)
  • The Blackfoot Halfbreed (1911)
  • The Mistress of Hacienda del Cerro (1911)
  • A Prisoner of Mexico (1911)
  • The Peril of the Plains (1911)
  • For Her Brother's Sake (1911)
  • The Engineer's Daughter (1911)
  • When California Was Won (1911)
  • Dan, the Lighthouse Keeper (1911)
  • The Temptation of Rodney Vane (1911)
  • How Betty Captured the Outlaw (1911)
  • The Long Arm of the Law (1911)
  • Too Much Realism (1911)
  • Between Father and Son (1911)
  • The Higher Toll (1911)
  • Mrs. Simms Serves on the Jury (1912)
  • The Russian Peasant (1912)
  • An Interrupted Wedding (1912)
  • A Princess of the Hills (1912)
  • An American Invasion (1912)
  • The Alcalde's Conspiracy (1912)
  • The Bell of Penance (1912)
  • The Defeat of the Brewery Gang (1912)
  • Jean of the Jail (1912)
  • The Spanish Revolt of 1836 (1912)
  • The Secret of the Miser's Cave (1912)
  • The Adventures of American Joe (1912)
  • The Mexican Revolutionist (1912)
  • The Stolen Invention (1912)
  • The Outlaw (1912)
  • The Gun Smugglers (1912)
  • The Bag of Gold (1912)
  • The Colonel's Escape (1912)
  • The Organ Grinder (1912)
  • Saved by Telephone (1912)
  • The Suffragette Sheriff (1912)
  • Fantasca, the Gipsy (1912)
  • The Family Tyrant (1912)
  • The Soldier Brothers of Susanna (1912)
  • Freed from Suspicion (1912)
  • The Wandering Musician (1912)
  • Rube Marquard Marries (1912)
  • The County Fair (1912)
  • The Strange Story of Elsie Mason (1912)
  • The Mystery of Grandfather's Clock (1912)
  • The Young Millionaire (1912)
  • A Battle of Wits (1912)
  • A Daughter's Sacrifice (1912)
  • A Race with Time (1912)
  • The Finger of Suspicion (1912)
  • The Street Singer (1912)
  • A Business Buccaneer (1912)
  • The Flag of Freedom (1913)
  • The Nurse at Mulberry Bend (1913)
  • The Cub Reporter's Temptation (1913)
  • The Senator's Dishonor (1913)
  • In the Power of Blacklegs (1913)
  • The $20,000 Carat (1913)
  • The American Princess (1913)
  • The Exposure of the Land Swindlers (1913)
  • In the Grip of a Charlatan (1913)
  • A Streak of Yellow (1913)
  • The Sneak (1913)
  • The Heart of an Actress (1913)
  • The Adventure of an Heiress (1913)
  • The Artist's Sacrifice (1913)
  • When Fate Decrees (1913)
  • The Pawnbroker's Daughter (1913)
  • The Attorney for the Defense (1913)
  • The Cloak of Guilt (1913)
  • A Victim of Deceit (1913)
  • A Thief in the Night (1913)
  • A Bolt from the Sky (1913)
  • For Her Sister's Sake (1913)
  • The Christian (1913)
  • The Midnight Message (1913)
  • The Riddle of the Tin Soldier (1913)
  • Our New Minister (1913)
  • Perils of the Sea (1913)
  • The Octoroon (1913) (unconfirmed participation)
  • The Hunchback (1913)
  • An Unseen Terror (1913)
  • The Hand Print Mystery (1914)
  • The Shadow (1914)
  • The Cabaret Dancer (1914)
  • The Dance of Death (1914)
  • A Celebrated Case (1914)
  • Nina o' the Theatre (1914)
  • The Show Girl's Glove (1914)
  • The Weakling (1914)
  • In Wolf's Clothing (1914)
  • The Beast (1914)
  • The Vampire's Trail (1914)
  • The Old Army Coat (1914)
  • The Brand (film) (1914)
  • The Mystery of the Sleeping Death (1914)
  • The Green Rose (1914)
  • The Viper (1914)
  • Fate's Midnight Hour (1914)
  • The Girl and the Stowaway (1914)
  • The Lynbrook Tragedy (1914)
  • The Riddle of the Green Umbrella (1914)
  • The Theft of the Crown Jewels (1914)
  • The Price of Silence (1914)
  • The School for Scandal (1914)
  • The Mayor's Secretary (1914)
  • Cast Up by the Sea (1915)
  • The Leech (1915)
  • The Swindler (1915)
  • Her Supreme Sacrifice (1915)
  • The White Goddess (1915)
  • Unfaithful to His Trust (1915)
  • The Girl of the Music Hall (1915)
  • The Face of the Madonna (1915)
  • Whom the Gods Destroy (1916)
  • The Courage of Silence (1917)
  • Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation (1917)
  • Within the Law (1917)
  • The Question (1917)
  • The Countess (1917)
  • Richard the Brazen (1917)
  • An Alabaster Box (1917)
  • The Fettered Woman (1917)
  • The Woman Between Friends (1918)
  • The Song of the Soul (1918)
  • The Business of Life (1918)
  • The Triumph of the Weak (1918)
  • Find the Woman (1918)
  • To the Highest Bidder (1918)
  • Everybody's Girl (1918)
  • The Captain's Captain (1919)
  • The Lion and the Mouse (1919)
  • The Cambric Mask (1919)
  • The Third Degree (1919)
  • The Spark Divine (1919)
  • The Winchester Woman (1919)
  • The Vengeance of Durand (1919)
  • Slaves of Pride (1920)
  • The Sporting Duchess (1920)
  • Dollars and the Woman (1920)
  • The Vice of Fools (1920)
  • The Prey (1920)
  • Cousin Kate (1921)
  • Her Lord and Master (1921)
  • The Scarab Ring (1921)
  • The Inner Chamber (1921)
  • The Green Goddess (1923)
  • White Man (1924)
  • The Passionate Adventure (1924)
  • Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1925)
  • The Little French Girl (1925)
  • Headlines (1925)
  • The Home Maker (1925)
  • Stella Dallas (1925)
  • Mannequin (1926)
  • Dancing Mothers (1926)
  • Beau Geste (1926)
  • The Ace of Cads (1926)
  • So's Your Old Man (1926)
  • Sorrell and Son (1927)
  • 13 Washington Square (1928)
  • The Noose (1928)
  • The Rising Generation (1928)
  • The Squall (1929)
  • The Green Goddess (1930)
  • He Knew Women (1930)
  • Song o' My Heart (1930)

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Alice Joyce (October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress best known as a leading star of silent films during the and , renowned for her elegant portrayals in dramas, westerns, and adventure stories that showcased her poise and subtle emotional depth. Born in , Joyce entered the film industry around 1910 after working as a telephone operator and fashion model to support her family following her parents' separation. She began her career at Kalem Company, debuting in the The Engineer's Sweetheart and quickly gaining popularity through roles in westerns and as an action heroine, often playing Native American characters or resilient frontierswomen in films like Her Indian Mother (1911). By 1911, she had become one of the earliest major female stars of the silent era, appearing in over 200 s for Kalem before transitioning to in 1916, where she starred in feature-length productions such as Within the Law (1917) and The Spark Divine (1919). In the , Joyce freelanced across studios, delivering acclaimed performances in high-profile films including The Green Goddess (1923) directed by , Stella Dallas (1925), Dancing Mothers (1926), (1926), often embodying sophisticated, maternal figures that earned her the affectionate moniker "the Madonna of the Screen." She made a brief foray into talkies with The Squall (1929), but retired from films in 1930 at age 40 to focus on raising her children and occasional stage work, amid the industry's shift to sound that challenged many silent stars. Joyce's personal life included three marriages: first to actor Tom Moore in 1914, with whom she had a daughter, Alice Mary (born 1915), ending in divorce in 1918; second to businessman James B. Regan Jr. in 1920, producing daughter Margaret "Peggy" (born 1921) before their 1932 divorce; and third to director from 1933 until 1945. She spent her later years in , and died of heart disease in Hollywood, leaving an estate valued at over $175,000 to her daughters. Her legacy endures as a pioneering figure in early Hollywood, celebrated for her natural beauty, professional dignity, and contributions to the evolution of female roles in cinema.

Early Life

Childhood and Family

Alice Joyce was born on October 1, 1890, in , to John Edward Joyce, a smelter worker, and Vallie Olive McIntyre Joyce, a seamstress. She had a younger brother, Francis "Frank" Joyce, born in 1893. The Joyce family lived in modest circumstances, with financial stability limited by her father's blue-collar occupation and the family's reliance on her mother's work to make ends meet. By 1900, her parents' marriage had dissolved, and John Joyce took custody of Alice and Frank, relocating the children to , where she spent much of her early years. This move marked a period of upheaval, as census records from the era reflect an unstable household across , , and later New York. Vallie Joyce remarried that same year to Leon Faber, and by the 1910 census, the family—including Alice and Frank—resided in , New York. The relocations underscored the challenges of maintaining stability amid her parents' separation, though no specific family travels beyond these shifts are documented from her childhood.

Education and Move to New York

Alice Joyce attended a school in Annandale, , for her following her family's relocation to the nearby small town of , after her parents' separation around 1900. Facing financial hardships at home, Joyce left Falls Church as a young teenager and arrived in around 1903, seeking independence and better opportunities amid dissatisfaction with rural life. In the city, she encountered early challenges, including securing modest living quarters in boarding houses common for young working women and taking her first job as a telephone operator at the Gramercy exchange to make ends meet. The vibrant urban atmosphere of New York profoundly influenced Joyce, exposing her to diverse artistic expressions and fostering an emerging fascination with performance and visual arts that contrasted sharply with her sheltered upbringing.

Career Beginnings and Rise

Entry into Modeling and Film

In the late 1900s, following her move to New York as a teenager, Alice Joyce established herself as a professional photographer's model, posing for prominent illustrators such as Harrison Fisher and C.D. Williams. Her striking beauty, grace, and adaptability earned her recognition as one of the top models in the city during this period, with contemporaries describing her as the "best model in New York." Joyce's entry into film came in 1910 when a photographer familiar with her modeling work, who had transitioned to operating a motion picture camera for the Kalem Company, recommended her for a screen test. She signed with the small studio shortly thereafter and made her debut in the one-reel short The Engineer's Sweetheart. These initial roles were often minor or uncredited but showcased her in simple dramatic scenarios typical of the era's rudimentary productions. The transition from modeling to acting leveraged Joyce's established industry connections in New York, where artistic and photographic circles overlapped with the burgeoning film scene. Her screen test for Kalem proved successful, leading to a that capitalized on her photogenic qualities, though she initially lacked experience in performance mediums like . The demands of silent production were rigorous, requiring her to adapt quickly to physical tasks such as horseback riding in Western-themed one-reelers—despite no prior experience—and to produce a new nearly every week under the studio's fast-paced schedule. Additionally, many of her earliest works are lost, obscuring the full scope of her development during this formative phase.

Vitagraph Stardom and Key Roles

In 1916, Alice Joyce signed a contract with , transitioning from her earlier work at Kalem to become one of the studio's leading ladies, ultimately appearing in over 200 films across her career. Her elegant, serene presence during this period earned her the nickname "The Madonna of the Screen," reflecting her dignified portrayal of refined women in silent cinema. Joyce's acting style in silent films was characterized by a subdued restraint, relying on expressive eyes and graceful hand gestures rather than exaggerated facial expressions, which allowed her to convey deep emotion effectively. She demonstrated a broad dramatic range, excelling in romance and adventure genres where she often embodied strong, self-sacrificing maternal figures or resilient heroines navigating personal turmoil. One of her prominent roles came in The Green Goddess (1923), a tongue-in-cheek adventure thriller directed by Sidney Olcott, where Joyce portrayed Lucilla Crespin, a refined English matron detained by a cunning Rajah in a remote Indian kingdom; her character arc evolves from poised captive to a figure of quiet resolve amid escalating threats, co-starring with George Arliss as the Rajah. Critics praised her charming and convincing performance as a counterpoint to Arliss's flamboyance, with Variety noting her quiet effectiveness and Moving Picture World hailing the film as a box-office winner for its suspense and broad appeal. In Stella Dallas (1925), directed by Henry King, Joyce played , the gracious second wife to Stephen Dallas (), stepping into a supportive maternal role for the protagonist's daughter amid class tensions and family sacrifice; her arc highlights compassionate understanding of the uncouth first wife's struggles. The film received acclaim for its emotional depth, with reviewers in Variety commending Joyce's splendid contrast to Belle Bennett's raw lead performance, underscoring her skill in portraying sympathetic, refined women. Joyce took the lead as Ethel Westcourt in Dancing Mothers (1926), a proto-feminist drama directed by Herbert Brenon, where a neglected wife rebels against her philandering husband and flapper daughter (Clara Bow) by embracing independence and nightlife; her character's transformation from isolated homemaker to empowered woman culminates in a subversive assertion of self. Contemporary reviews lauded the picture's mother appeal and balanced comedy-drama, with modern analysts noting Joyce's authoritative portrayal as one of her career's most liberated roles, though she avoided overwrought emotional displays. Joyce's career peaked in the as she freelanced after leaving Vitagraph in 1921, collaborating with esteemed co-stars like Arliss, Colman, and Bow in high-profile productions that achieved significant box-office success, such as The Green Goddess, though she received no major industry awards during this era.

Personal Life

Marriages and Children

Alice Joyce's first marriage was to fellow actor Tom Moore on May 11, 1914, in . The couple had one daughter, Alice Mary Moore, born in 1916. Their union ended in divorce in 1920, after which Joyce shared custody of their daughter with Moore, allowing both parents to remain involved in her upbringing despite their busy Hollywood schedules. Joyce balanced her rising stardom at Vitagraph with early motherhood by taking a hiatus from 1915 to 1917 following the birth, often portraying maternal figures on screen that mirrored her . In 1920, shortly after her divorce from Moore, Joyce married businessman James B. Regan Jr., the son of the manager of New York City's Knickerbocker Hotel. Their marriage produced a second daughter, Margaret "Peggy" Regan, born in late 1921. Joyce again paused her career from 1921 to 1923 to focus on motherhood, enlisting her brother Frank to manage her professional affairs during this period, which highlighted her commitment to prioritizing family amid the demands of freelancing in silent films. The Regans divorced in 1932, with Joyce retaining primary custody of Peggy while maintaining a supportive co-parenting dynamic that allowed her daughter stability during her own career transitions. Joyce's third marriage, to acclaimed director , took place in 1933. This union, which lasted until their divorce in 1945, coincided with Joyce's shift toward fewer film roles in the sound era, as Brown's influence and their shared industry connections enabled her to select projects more selectively and ultimately retire in the late to devote time to her teenage daughters. Throughout her marriages, Joyce demonstrated a nurturing style, fostering close bonds with Alice and Peggy by integrating family into her Hollywood routine—such as involving them in social events—and ensuring post-divorce arrangements emphasized emotional continuity for her children despite the challenges of her peripatetic career.

Financial Challenges

In the early 1930s, Alice Joyce faced severe financial strain exacerbated by the transition from silent films to talkies, which curtailed her acting opportunities after her final role in 1930. This career shift, combined with the broader economic collapse of the following the 1929 , led many Hollywood silent-era stars to financial ruin through lost investments and diminished earnings. Joyce declared voluntary in 1933, with liabilities over $47,000, just before her third marriage, amid mounting debts from a lavish typical of high-earning performers of the era, including extravagant spending on homes, jewelry, and travel that outpaced her income as opportunities waned. Her divorces contributed further to these woes, particularly the 1932 dissolution of her second marriage to stockbroker , which involved property settlements and disputes amid their shared financial instability. himself filed for in 1936, highlighting the interconnected economic pressures on their household that affected many in Hollywood's elite circles. Earlier, her from first husband Tom Moore had also involved legal proceedings. The Great Depression amplified these personal setbacks, as studios like reported massive losses—$14 million in alone—forcing widespread layoffs and contract cuts that hit aging silent stars hardest. Joyce lost significant assets, including and savings eroded by the era's failures and , prompting desperate measures to recover. In , she joined ex-husband Tom Moore on a tour, performing sketches to generate income, a common recourse for former film luminaries facing obsolescence in the new sound era. This effort underscored the precarious finances plaguing silent-era icons, where poor money management and the sudden industry downturn left even top earners like Joyce vulnerable to prolonged hardship.

Later Career and Legacy

Transition to Sound and Retirement

As the silent film era gave way to talking pictures in the late 1920s, Alice Joyce made a tentative transition to sound, beginning with her first talkie, The Squall (1929), where her delivery was marked by inexperience and a soft, monotone voice that limited her expressiveness. Critics noted that while her physical grace persisted, it was overshadowed by vocal shortcomings that did not align with the demands of dialogue-heavy roles. She reprised her earlier silent role as Lucilla in the 1930 sound adaptation of The Green Goddess, opposite George Arliss, but the shift to spoken lines highlighted adaptation struggles, as her voice lacked the dynamic range needed to compete in the new medium. Joyce's final film appearances came in quick succession during 1930, including supporting parts in Song o' My Heart and He Knew Women, both early sound productions that showcased her efforts to incorporate more vocal nuance, though she never fully recaptured her silent-era command. At around 40 years old, she faced a market increasingly favoring younger actresses with stage-honed voices suited to the talkies, compounded by the broader industry upheaval that sidelined many silent stars unable to pivot effectively. These factors, rather than any lack of talent, contributed to her inability to sustain a sound career, as roles for women of her profile diminished rapidly. Facing financial pressures, including a voluntary declaration in 1933, Joyce briefly turned to in 1932, touring with her ex-husband and fellow silent star Tom Moore in a short-lived act that drew on their shared screen history for nostalgic appeal. The performances received moderate reception as a curiosity from the pre-sound era but lasted only a brief period, reflecting the circuit's own decline amid the rise of radio and cinema. By 1933, she retired from films and , prioritizing family life with her daughter and new marriage, though she engaged in occasional work amid the ongoing transformation of the film industry that made a return unfeasible.

Death and Posthumous Recognition

Alice Joyce passed away on October 9, 1955, at the age of 65, from heart disease while at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Hollywood, California. Her funeral services were conducted on October 12, 1955, at the Utter-McKinley Mortuary in Hollywood, with Father John T. Conlon officiating; attendees included family members such as her daughter Peggy Harris and friends like Lola Wilkerson. She was interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, alongside her mother, Vallie. Following her retirement from acting, Joyce engaged in community activities in the , particularly through the Northridge Woman’s Club, where she reviewed books and plays, hosted events, and pursued artistic endeavors such as sketching, earning first-place awards at local art fairs in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These pursuits provided a quieter outlet for her creative interests amid a period of personal recovery, including from a serious car accident in that resulted in multiple injuries. Known during her career as "The Madonna of the Screen" for her elegant, poised screen presence that distinguished her from flapper archetypes, Joyce's legacy endures through the preservation and rediscovery of her silent-era films, many of which highlight her influence on portrayals of sophisticated female leads. Efforts by film archivists have restored key works like Beau Geste (1926) and Dancing Mothers (1926), the latter screened at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2024 as part of retrospectives celebrating early Hollywood's maternal and independence themes. Posthumously, her contributions have been critiqued in scholarly analyses for bridging Victorian restraint with modern femininity, though some of her over 200 films remain lost or unconfirmed, prompting ongoing research into Vitagraph and Paramount holdings. Despite inquiries by her family, she received no star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.