MacDonald, Katherine - 1920 Signed Double Weight 5x7 Photo - d. 1956
1920 – 5x7 sepia double weight photo signed “Sincerely Katherine MacDonald” in black fountain pen in the lower right corner. Very fine with matting remnants on verso to all four corners.
Collector notation on verso as being “Received May 3rd, 1920”.
Bio: Katherine Agnew MacDonald (December 14, 1891 – June 4, 1956) was an American stage and film actress, film producer, and model. Starting her career as a popular model in New York City in the 1910s, MacDonald moved to Los Angeles in 1917. She became one of the first women to produce films in Hollywood, and produced nine features for her company, Katherine MacDonald Pictures, from 1919 to 1921.
MacDonald was among the top ranks of actresses financially in 1920, earning about $50,000 per picture from a contract with First National. She achieved the peak of her popularity between 1920 and 1923. From 1922 to 1925 she appeared in films produced by B. P. Schulberg. She was considered a minor talent in the film industry, but her curvaceous figure nevertheless resulted in the nickname given her of the "American Beauty"
Her first significant role was her lead role in Shark Monroe (1918) opposite William S. Hart. She was featured in several silent films, including The Squaw Man (1918), Mr. Fix-It (1918), Passion's Playground (1920) and The Infidel (1922). Her films typically were romantic dramas. MacDonald made only two pictures after 1923, one each in 1925 and 1926.