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Annabelle Moore

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Annabelle Moore
BornAnnabella Whitford
(1878-07-06)July 6, 1878
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 1961(1961-11-29) (aged 83)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Notable worksAnnabelle Serpentine Dance
SpouseEdward James Buchan

Annabelle Moore (born Annabella Whitford,[1] July 6, 1878 – November 29, 1961), also known as Peerless Annabelle, was an American dancer and actress who appeared in numerous early silent films. She was the original Gibson Girl in the 1907 Ziegfeld Follies.[2]

Life and career

Hand tinted version (1895) of Annabelle Serpentine Dance

Annabelle Whitford was born in Chicago. She made her debut at age 15 dancing at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.[3] She later moved to New York City, where she performed in several films for the Edison Studios[4] and appeared on Broadway.

Annabelle was quite popular in her youth. The sale of her films was further boosted in December 1896[5] when it was revealed that she had been approached to appear naked at a private dinner party at Sherry's Restaurant.[6][7] It was said she introduced eroticism in film.[8]

She married Edward James Buchan in 1910. He died in 1958.

Although she was very popular before her marriage,[9] Annabelle died penniless in Chicago in 1961.[10][11]

Selected filmography

1897
1896
1895
1894

Other work

References

  1. ^ Annabelle Moore: early film dancer
  2. ^ Encyclopaedia of Early Cinema by Richard Abel
  3. ^ United Press International (December 1, 1961). 'Original Gibson Girl' dies at 83. Pittsburgh Press.
  4. ^ Yumibe, Joshua (2012). Moving Color: Early Film, Mass Culture, Modernism. Rutgers University Press, ISBN 9780813552989
  5. ^ Paul McDonald (2000). The Star System: Hollywood and the Production of Popular Identities.
  6. ^ Biography of Annabelle by Barry Anthony - American skirt dancer and stage beauty
  7. ^ The Mysterious Annabelle Whitford
  8. ^ Serpentine Dance (1895)
  9. ^ André Gaudreault. American Cinema 1890-1909: Themes and Variations.
  10. ^ Staff report (December 2, 1961). PEERLESS ANNABELLE, 83; Former Dancer and Showgirl Dies Penniless in Chicago. The New York Times.
  11. ^ Staff report (December 3, 1961). Obituary. Chicago Tribune.