page_title: Pearl White
section_title: Later years
hierarchical_section_title: Pearl White / Later years
caption_attribution_description: English: Publicity photo of Pearl White from Stars of the Photoplay. Pearl White, queen of film serials, was born in the Ozark mountains, She got her start on the stage by attracting a traveling showman's attention when she recited "Hamlet's Soliloquy." She made her first screen appearance in western pictures. She is best known for her work in "The Perils of Pauline" and "The Exploits of Elaine," serials. She made numerous other productions since then, both here and abroad, some of which are, "The Broadway Peacock," "Without Fear" and "Plunder." She is five feet, six inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, has light hair and blue eyes.
context_page_description: Pearl Fay White was an American stage and film actress. White began her career on the stage at the age of six, and later moved on to silent films appearing in a number of popular serials.
  Dubbed the "Queen of the Serials", White was noted for doing the majority of her own stunts, most notably in The Perils of Pauline. Often cast as a plucky onscreen heroine, White's roles directly contrasted those of the popularized archetypal ingenue.
context_section_description: Influenced by her French friends from Pathé, White was drawn to the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris. While living there, she made her last film for her friend, Belgian-born director Edward José, who had directed her in several serials. Silent films could be made in any country, and as White was a recognizable star worldwide, she was offered many roles in France. She made her final film, Terreur (released as The Perils of Paris in the United States), in France in 1924. White returned to the stage in a Montmartre production Tu Perds la Boule. In 1925, she accepted an offer to star with comedian Max Wall in the "London Review" at the Lyceum Theatre in London, where she earned $3,000 a week. She then retired from performing.
  By the time she retired from films in 1924, White had amassed a fortune of $2 million ($30 million in 2019). A shrewd businesswoman, she invested in a successful Parisian nightclub, a Biarritz resort hotel/casino, and a stable of 10 race horses. White divided her time between her townhouse in Passy and a 54-acre estate near Rambouillet.  She became involved with Theodore Cossika, a Greek businessman who shared her love of travel. Together, they purchased a home near Cairo.
  According to published reports after her death, White's friends claimed that she intended to make a comeback in sound films. White later told friends that after she made a test for sound films in 1929, she was told that her voice was unsuitable. White made occasional visits to the United States in 1924, 1927, and 1937. On her last visit, White told reporters she was not interested in making a comeback and mused that acting in silent films was more difficult than acting in the then-new "talkies". By this time, White had gained a substantial amount of weight. She told reporters she did not like to be photographed as she felt that photos made her face look fat, adding "Why should I have my picture taken when I can get paid for it?"
caption: Advertisement in Photoplay for Terreur, White's final film, 1924
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