Billie Buke, movie stars and cars in the 1910s

Hello,

I have just posted my questions to the Horseless Carriage Foundation, so I apologize if you have already seen this posting.

I am a silent film historian and I am writing about a particular sort of character popular in the films and novels of the 1910s--the American Girl. This character was independent, youthful, spunky, pretty, like sports, was democratic and she loved cars! The actresses who often played her, apparently did too, or at least publicity about them in newspapers and magazines often discussed their cars and their driving. This was especially true of Billie Burke who would go on to play the Good Witch Glenda in the WIZARD OF OZ.

In 1915 and 1916, Burke made two films, PEGGY 1915-1916 and GLORIA'S ROMANCE 1916 in which cars and her driving (fast!) featured prominently. I have also read publicity that she had 5 cars of her own, that the interiors of her cars were designed to her own color preferences. I am curious about the way that Billie Burke and other actresses who played the American Girl: Mary Pickford, Irene Castle, the Talmadge sisters, Elsie Janis fit into and influenced popular culture in the 1910s. I want to know if they or their cars were ever discussed or written about in the automotive trade journals of the 1910s. If you have any suggestions of indices or trade journals to check, or if you have run across their names in any of your reading, or if you have any suggestions for me at all, I would surely appreciate it.

Thank you, Leslie Midkiff DeBauche, PhD

Great topic! I'd check race car programs and newspapwer coverage of the time. Movie stars were a always at the races at Legion Ascot in Los Angeles during the 1920's and 1930"s, many are pictured in Legion Ascot Speedway by John R. Lucero.

Billie Burke Ziegfield. (oh the follie of it all)