Olive Thomas - Film Career

Film Career

As part of her sudden fame, she posed nude for Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas, and signed with International Film Company as the leading lady in the Harry Fox movies. Thomas went on to appear in more than twenty Hollywood films over the next four years. She made her debut under her married name, "Olive Thomas", in the film A Girl Like That. Thomas then appeared in her final short of Beatrice Fairfax. In October 1916, Thomas moved to Triangle Pictures where she worked with Thomas Ince. Shortly after, news broke of her engagement to Jack Pickford, whom she had actually married a year prior. Of her marriage, Thomas said, "I didn't want people to say that I'm succeeding because of the Pickford name." During her time with Triangle, Thomas was referred to as "The Triangle Star".

In December 1918, Thomas was persuaded by Myron Selznick to sign with Selznick Pictures Company. She hoped for more serious roles, believing that with her husband signed to the same company, she would have more influence. She soon became the first Selznick star and created the image of the "baby vamp". In 1920, Thomas once again played a teenager in the Frances Marion movie The Flapper. In a time when actors were defined by the type of role they played, Thomas felt she had no film type, saying, "But I want to create a certain role, you see Mary is the kid in pictures; Norma does drama; Constance is the flippant, flighty wife; Dorothy the hoyden; Nazimova is exotic and steeped in mystery, my Jack does boys, while I--I--why don't you see, I am just nothing at all!"

Thomas was one of the first actresses to be described by the term flapper, along with Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, and Joan Crawford. She would go on to play the flapper roles in her final films including A Youthful Folly, and her final film Everybody's Sweetheart. The formula proved successful and by the time of her death, Thomas was making $3,000 a week.