page_title: Corinne Griffith
section_title: 1923–1932: First National contract
hierarchical_section_title: Corinne Griffith / Biography / 1923–1932: First National contract
caption_attribution_description: English: Still with Corinne Griffith in the film Six Days (1923).
context_page_description: Corinne Griffith was an American film actress, producer, author and businesswoman. Dubbed "The Orchid Lady of the Screen," she was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful actresses of the silent film era. In addition to her beauty, Griffith achieved critical recognition for her performance in Frank Lloyd's The Divine Lady, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
  Originally from Texas, Griffith pursued a film career after winning a beauty contest in Southern California. In 1916, she signed a contract with Vitagraph Studios, appearing in numerous films for the studio through the remainder of the decade. In 1920, she began making films for First National Pictures, and became one of the studio's bigger stars. In the mid-1920s, she began executive-producing features, and served as a producer on 1925's Déclassée and Classified, in both of which she starred.
  In the latter part of the 1920s, Griffith's film career slowed, though she had lead performances in Outcast and the drama The Garden of Eden. The following year, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Divine Lady.
context_section_description: In 1923, after three years of marriage, Griffith divorced Webster, whom she claimed was an abusive alcoholic. The same year, Griffith left Vitagraph Studios, signing a more lucrative contract of $10,000 a week with First National, where she became one of their most popular stars. Her first film for the studio was Frank Lloyd's Black Oxen (1923), a drama in which she portrayed a mysterious Austrian countess. The film, in which Griffith co-starred with Conway Tearle and Clara Bow, became a hit.
  Griffith married producer Walter Morosco in February 1924. The same year, she starred in and executive-produced three pictures: Single Wives, Love's Wilderness, and Lilies of the Field. All three of the films were box-office hits. By 1927, Griffith had begun investing her income from making films in real estate, and at that time owned approximately $500,000 worth of properties.
  In 1928, she had the starring role in The Garden of Eden for United Artists, which, though critically praised, was not a box-office hit. Disappointed by the film's lackluster dividends, Griffith returned to First National to appear in Frank Lloyd's The Divine Lady (1929), a sound film featuring synchronized music but no audible dialogue. Griffith earned critical accolades for her performance, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
  Griffith's first full sound film was Lilies of the Field, a remake of the 1924 silent film in which she had previously starred in the same role. Griffith's voice, which was regarded as nasal, did not record well (The New York Times stated that she "talked through her nose"), and the film was a box office flop. The following year, she starred in the drama Back Pay (1930), based on a story by Fannie Hurst, which was promoted as being her final screen appearance. After a two-year hiatus following Back Pay, Griffith starred in the British film Lily Christine (1932), and then left the public eye completely.
caption: Griffith in Six Days (1923)
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