Florence Lawrence, the Biographile girl, who like Mary Pickford was Canadian and began her career in 1906. She was first hired by the Edison Moving Company and worked in the short films at the time, called "flickers." She reached the height of her fame in the early teens of the 20th century until she fell and badly hurt herself in 1915 on the set of Pawns of Destiny. She rarely acted in leading roles again, ending her career in 1924. (ETA: She had bit parts until 1931) Her health continued to decline and she died at age 52 in 1938.

Six months and several crude plastic-surgery procedures later, she returned to work but collapsed after completing a film called Elusive Isabel. Lawrence was probably suffering from what would now be called post-traumatic stress syndrome, if not full-bore depression; at the time, she was just thought to be difficult.

A dynamic career was cut short, but for a few years, the Biographile girl was the star of a dawning industry whose potential was just beginning to be realized. More here.

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