At the age of 10, he supported his family: Hollywood’s first child actor had a tragic fate

Since Judy Garland, Drew Barrymore and Macaulay Culkin, we know that being a child star is not as fun and carefree as those in front of the screen often think. Early fame and success and the expectations of the Hollywood dream factory weigh heavily on fragile shoulders. This was even more so in the first half of the 20th century: Lucille Ricksen’s name is not known today, but she was one of the first child stars in film history.

Lucille Ricksen, Hollywood’s first child star

Lucille was born Ingeborg Myrtle Elisabeth Ericksen in Chicago in 1910, the second child of Danish immigrants. He was taken to photo shoots from a very young age, and at the age of four he got his first stage role. Her name was then changed to the more English-sounding Lucille Ricksen. The careers of the little girl and her brother, Marshall, were primarily supported by their mother, Ingeborg, and although the extra income from this was good for the working-class family, there was no agreement between the parents. The father, Samuel, did not support his daughter’s early career, which led to frequent disagreements, and the couple eventually divorced when Lucille was eight. The mother and the two children moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, where they constantly went to casting auditions at film studios.

At the age of 10, he supported the family

In 1920, she was given the leading female role in a 12-part series, which was released in theaters under the title The Adventures of Edgar Pomeroy. After that, his career took off so much that he played in five to ten silent films a year. At the age of ten, he was already supporting his family.

She played in more and more adult-themed films, the Goldwyn Pictures film studio even falsified her date of birth: viewers thought the 12-13-year-old girl was 16-17 years old. In 1922, she played in the film The Girl Who Ran Wild, and at the age of 13 she got the lead female role in the romantic drama The Rendezvous. The crime/drama Behind the Curtain was released in 1924. In the same year, the drama/adventure film Judgment of the Storm was screened, in which he also played the main role.

The article continues after the recommendation

The challenges of motherhood without frosting

Femina Klub guest in June Eszter Ráskó will be a comedian with whom Nora Szily, the hostess of the evenings, among other things, talks about the challenges of motherhood and femininity. Is there a recipe for raising children? Why is the myth of the perfect mother so harmful? How can women arm themselves against the norms of the 21st century through self-identity and self-assurance?

More details: femina.hu/feminaklub

Tickets are only available onlinein limited quantities.

Date: June 3, 2024, 6 p.m

Location: Thalia Theater

_Promotion

He died tragically young

He appeared in several films at the same time, shooting 12 films in 1920-1921 alone. The pace, which is taxing even for adults, exhausted the young girl both physically and mentally. While the glamor was on the outside, Lucille was emaciated, weak and broken. His partners were older than him, he also played with Charley Chaplin’s brother, Sydney Chaplin, who, like his brother, was fond of young girls. The tabloids also brought him together with Lucille, which the girl’s mother had no objection to either, as she felt that the relationship could be good for her career. According to some rumors, Lucille became pregnant and her already fragile health worsened as a result of the abortion.

However, according to the official version, he was bedridden due to tuberculosis. Her mother took care of her for months, until in March 1925, worry over Lucille’s condition and their accumulated debts overwhelmed her: she died of a heart attack at her daughter’s bedside. And 14-year-old Lucille, one of Hollywood’s first victims, followed her mother two weeks later. His last film, The Denial, was released ten days after his death.