Silent Film Star: Anita Page.

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“The Flying Fleet “ (1929)

“The Flying Fleet “ (1929) is a silent drama starring Ramon Novarro, Ralph Graves, and Anita Page. Directed by George Hill, this film features excellent footage of naval aircraft. The story begins with six graduating seniors at the U.S. Naval Academy on the eve of their graduation. The six have been the best of friends for four years, and all of them are hopeful flyboys, but only two, Lt. Tommy Winslow, played by Ramon Novarro, and Lt. Steve Randall, played by Ralph Graves, complete the program. Unfortunately, they become romantic rivals when they fall in love with the same girl, Anita Hastings, played by Anita Page.







I think “The Flying Fleet” is a very good film. Ramon Novarro and Ralph Graves deliver great performances as hopeful flyboys and romantic rivals. The 18 year old Anita Page looks lovely and gives a charming performance as the love interest of the two buddies. This film depicted naval flight training in a very authentic way. I liked the way synchronized sound effects and music were added to this otherwise silent film. A box office hit, “The Flying Fleet” is a late MGM silent that is worth watching, especially for those that love old aircrafts.





Anita Page was born Anita Pomares on August 4, 1910, in Queens, New York. Her father’s side of the family was from El Salvador of Spanish ancestry. Her entrance into films came courtesy of her friend, actress Betty Bronson. Betty’s mother put one of Anita’s photos in her home, and a man who was handling Betty’s fan mail saw it and said he was going into the business of handling stars. Anita called him, and he told her to be at the front gate of Paramount at 9:00 the next morning and to bring the picture. The casting director took one look at the picture and gave Anita a test. MGM was also interested. Anita was put through the dilemma of having to choose between MGM and Paramount contracts. She decided to take the MGM contract. Anita’s first MGM film was “Telling the World” (1927) with William Haines. Another early role was “While the City Sleeps” (1928) as Lon Chaney’s love interest. Anita’s biggest break was “Our Dancing Daughters” (1928) with Joan Crawford and Johnny Mack Brown. Anita made two more films with Joan Crawford, “Our Modern Maidens” (1929) and “Our Blushing Brides” (1930). In 1929, Anita appeared in two talkies, “The Hollywood Revue” and the Academy Award-winning “The Broadway Melody.” From about 1930 on, MGM began to lose interest in Anita’s career. Anita had admired the way Louis B. Mayer, studio head at MGM, groomed stars if he liked them and remained in his favor. However, when Mayer tried to get her into bed, that is when Anita drew the line. She liked him as a boss, but that is where it ended. In 1934, Anita wed songwriter Nacio Herb Brown, who had dedicated the song “You Were Meant for Me” to her. They never lived together because Anita said they were not married in the Catholic church. After nine months of marriage, Anita found out he was still married to his previous wife, so Anita had their marriage annulled. In 1937, Anita did marry in church, to a handsome naval officer named Herschel House. They were married fifty-four years until House died in 1992. The couple had two daughters.

Anita had many fond memories of her career, and thought she was blessed to have worked with so many of the greats like Lon Chaney, Buster Keaton, John Gilbert, William Haines, Clark Gable and Ramon Novarro, her favorite leading man. Anita Page died on September 6, 2008 of natural causes. She was 98 years old.

Pictures: Anita Page, film actress of the silent film era.

Happy Birthday Anita Page (1910-2008)

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1997.

In 1929 Anita received over 10,000 fan letters a week, second only to Greta Garbo. Over one hundred of these were from an ardent Italian admirer, who wrote obsessively about her every move and asked for her hand in marriage several times - Benito Mussolini!.

Received a standing ovation before a full house while attending a screening of 1929 Best Picture Winner The Broadway Melody (1929) on May 13, 2002 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 75th anniversary.

Vivid, petite blonde silent screen star best known for her lively flappers and ambitious starlets.


She was paired up with Joan Crawford in three popular films: Our Dancing Daughters (1928), Our Modern Maidens (1929) and Our Blushing Brides (1930). She also appeared opposite Buster Keaton in two of his lesser-known talkies: Free and Easy (1930) and Sidewalks of New York (1931).

Retired for 60 years before coming back to films as an 80-year-old lady.

Fell in love with Coronado, California and lived there for more than 40 years with her husband. She first was attracted to the city in 1929 when she was filming The Flying Fleet (1929) at the Hotel del Coronado. She subsequently moved to the Los Angeles area.
Ramon Novarro was her favorite co-star because he was so nice to her.

Marion Davies was one of her best friends. She stayed with her for five months after her first marriage broke up.


Eloped with her first husband to Tijuana. They never lived together (Page said they needed to be married in the Catholic Church before she would live with him and this never happened). After nine months of marriage, she found out he was still married to his previous wife when he married Page, so she had their marriage annulled.


She portrayed Clark Gable's first on screen love interest in The Easiest Way (1931).

Her escort to her 21st birthday party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was Robert Young.
Her daughter Linda is an artist who runs an escort service. She checks in on her mother daily.
Her mother, Helen "Maude", was her secretary. Her father, John, was her chauffeur. Her brother, Marino, was her gym instructor.


In an interview in 2004, she revealed that her early retirement had been due to her refusal to give in to Irving Thalberg's (he was married to Norma Shearer at the time) and Louis B. Mayer's sexual advances.


She had two daughters, Linda and Sandra House. Sandra predeceased her.


After sixty years of retirement, Ms. Page returned to acting in such films as Witchcraft XI: Sisters in Blood (2000) (V) and The Crawling Brain (2002) (V).

Was the last living attendee of the very first Academy Awards in 1929.

Attended Washington Irving High School in New York.


Her father had an electrical contracting business in Murray Hill, Flushing. He helped Anita get into pictures because he had done some lighting work for a studio in Astoria and knew somebody who promised to do what he could for Anita. The first screen name she used briefly was Anita Rivers.

Miss Page was a good friend and worked with Producer/Director Thomas R. Bond II in his film Bob's Night Out (2004) one of the last films Page appeared in. Bond says that directing Anita Page was, and always will be the highlight of his directing career.



Outré film actor Randal Malone brought her out of a 60-year retirement while becoming her good friend and caretaker in her final years.

Was sought by Lon Chaney for his co-star in the movie While the City Sleeps (1928) , after seeing her in Our Dancing Daughters (1928) and being impressed with the way she acted with her eyes.
William Haines proposed to her while they were working together on Are You Listening? (1932). Haines, a homosexual, was under pressure from studio chief Louis B. Mayer to marry and Page, who considered him to be more of an older brother figure, gave his proposition serious consideration before declining. They remained friends.

Her list of films include Our Dancing Daughters (1928), The Broadway Melody (1929), Our Modern Maidens (1929), Our Blushing Brides (1930), and Sidewalks of New York (1931).

Anita Page Interview (1993).

She was referred to as a blond, blue-eyed Latin and "the girl with the most beautiful face in Hollywood" in the 1920s.

Joan Crawford "Our Dancing Daughters" (1928)

"Our Dancing Daughters" (1928) is a silent gem directed by Harry Beaumont. This "Jazz Age" melodrama focuses on three flappers out for a wild time finding men. Socialite Diana Medford, played by Joan Crawford, is an honest and decent girl noted for her love of dancing and wild parties. Diana's best friend Ann, played by Anita Page, is not only a conniving little tramp who passes herself as a good girl, but also a cold hearted gold digger. Beatrice, played by Dorothy Sebastian, is largely reformed, but she is a girl with a past.

The story begins with the three girls getting themselves ready for another Saturday night on the town. At the party, Diana entertains her friends by doing an uninhibited Charleston. Subsequently, she meets Ben Blaine, played by Johnny Mack Brown, a wealthy Southern gentleman who is smitten with her. Diana becomes very much interested in Ben, but Ann is determined to get him. She draws him away from Diana by pretending to be a pure and innocent girl longing for marriage and children. Diana tries to forget Ben while Beatrice marries Norman, played by Nils Asther, who disapproves of her old friends and frequently walks out on her. The ending is very dramatic. "Our Dancing Daughters" is memorable today because it made Joan Crawford a star. Watching Joan Crawford as a flapper is amazing to see; she was bursting with youthful energy and sex appeal. Modern viewers might not know that Crawford was well known for her energetic Charlestons in the early days of her career, and to watch her dancing is to see the real thing in the pure 1920's style. The supporting cast is particularly strong. Anita Page delivers a terrific performance as the beautiful but villainous Ann. Dorothy Sebastian is very charming as Beatrice. Johnny Mack Brown and Nils Asther provide solid support as the love interests. "Our Dancing Daughters" was intellectually ahead of its time and provocative enough to make the censors fume. It is also an interesting example of early female empowerment in film. Crawford's Diana is a free soul, the type of woman Hollywood frequently featured before the Hays Code. The film is also beautiful to look at with the Art-Deco sets, huge staircases, and elegant Adrian dresses. The photography is gorgeous with ample use of medium close-ups. "Our Dancing Daughters" is the definitive "Jazz Age" film that represents the peak achievements of Hollywood designers just before the advent of sound.

ANITA PAGE: Fun Facts

Anita Evelyn Pomares (August 4, 1910 – September 6, 2008), AKA Anita Page, American film actress who became famous in silent films . Her father had an electrical contracting business. He helped Anita get into the movies because he did some lighting work for a studio in Astoria. The first screen name was Anita Rivers. She received the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot at that time. She was known as "the girl with the most beautiful face in Hollywood" in the 1920s. She performed with Joan Crawford in three films: Our Dancing Daughters (1928), Our Modern Maidens (1929) and Our Blushing Brides (1930). She also performed with Buster Keaton in two of his talkies: Free and Easy (1930) and Sidewalks of New York (1931).

ANITA PAGE FUN FACTS:

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1997.

She was Clark Gable's first on screen love interest in The Easiest Way (1931).

Our Modern Maidens (1929)

"Our Modern Maidens" (1929) is a little gem directed by Jack Conway that is one of my favorite silent films. This "Jazz Age" melodrama is so fun to watch. It provides a glimpse of the roaring 1920's with its fast cars, jazz parties, flappers, bootleg booze and a love quadrangle. Joan Crawford plays Billie Brown and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. plays Gil Jordan, a happy couple who are engaged but keep their engagement a secret until Gil's appointment at the embassy comes through. It is a secret so Billie can charm influential businessman Glenn Abbott, played by Rod La Rocque, in the hope that he can get Gil a diplomatic job. Kentucky Strafford, played by Anita Page, is Billie's best friend whom is secretly in love with Gil. While Billie is trying to get Glenn, Gil and Kentucky have an affair. After Glenn gives Gil the appointment, Billie and Gil's engagement is announced, angering Glenn to the point where he almost rapes Billie. Shortly after Billie marries Gil, Kentucky tells Billie that she is pregnant with Gil's baby. This news creates an upheaval in the lives of the flaming youths.

"Our Modern Maidens" was Crawford's final silent film and her only on-screen appearance with Douglas Fairbanks,Jr. whom she married the same year it was released. It is not surprising they had tremendous chemistry together. The film is very enjoyable to watch. The love scenes are interspersed with a lot of "Jazz Age" fun. Crawford looks radiant dancing with a skimpy Adrian outfit. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is charming and the party scene in which he mocks John Barrymore's facial changes in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and imitates his own father in "Robin Hood" is very amusing and clever. Anita Page is adorable and gives a great performance. What fascinates me the most about this film is the stunning Art Deco sets with its sweeping staircases and geometric designs. "Our Modern Maidens" represents the peak achievements of Hollywood's designers just before the arrival of sound and it is one of the definitive "Jazz Age" films.