Olive Borden

Data di nascita
14 luglio 1906 · Richmond, Virginia, Stati Uniti
Data di morte
1 ottobre 1947 · Los Angeles, California, Stati Uniti (disturbo di stomaco)
Soprannomi
- Ollie
- The Joy Girl
Altezza
1,63 m

Olive was a distant cousin of the notorious Lizzie Borden.
By 1942, Olive had filed for bankruptcy and was working at Macy's department store. She joined the WAC but was honorably discharged after suffering a severe foot injury.
Olive was engaged to actor George O'Brien in 1929. She was also romantically involved with director Marshall Neilan.
As a struggling actress, she was discovered twice, first by Mack Sennett who made her a bathing beauty and later by producer Paul Bern, who became her boyfriend.
Her mother Sibbie was a conservative Christian who never drank and didn't want Olive to be an actress. Towards the end of her life, Olive claimed she also had "found religion".

If I don't like a story or a part I just don't do it. But when I get something I like I work like the devil. Consequently I am accomplishing far more than I ever did before and I'm not working half as hard.
Almost any girl taken from obscurity and spot-lighted, highly paid and catered to, would go haywire. Precious few have escaped the stage of distorted viewpoint, unless they had very wise management.
Look here, I was never a grand lady. I was always just a crazy kid. I couldn't be what they wanted me to be. And the more I tried the bigger fool I was. How could I have dared myself such grand airs when I was making such bad pictures? I'm not that exotic, vampish type. I don't want to be a great dramatic actress. I'm not sophisticated. Why should I play sophisticated roles?
When I left the Fox lot about a year ago I was so nervous I didn't know if I was temperamental or not. So I moved to the beach for three months and became just a kid again, doing the things kids like to do and enjoying myself generally. Then I came back and want to work because I wanted to prove to myself that I am not temperamental.
I wanted money, a lot of it. Why? I don't know except that earning it pleases ego, spending it whets vanity. It adds to that absurd importance. With the inflated estimation of self, the more money you get, the more you want, to increase prestige. And it is handy to purchase places and such trinkets.