Edith Johnson (1894-1969) was an American actress of the silent era. As 'The Kodak Girl', her face appeared in virtually all of the newspapers and magazines of the day. She and husband William Duncan later became 'the king and queen of the serial'. Between 1913 and 1924, she played in 66 films, mostly serials, action films, and Westerns.
British postcard. Photo: Evans / Vitagraph.
Edith Johnson was born in Rochester, New York, in 1894.
J. Doering at IMDb: "Edith Johnson's combination of luck and beauty ensured her a Hollywood career. The luck occurred because of her growing up in Rochester, New York, the home of Eastman Kodak Co.
Her beauty resulted in her being appointed by Kodak as 'The Kodak Girl', with her face appearing in virtually all of the newspapers and magazines of the day in Kodak advertisements, leading her to be called "the most photographed girl in the world" - and all before she finished college."
Educated at Vassar College, she joined the Selig Polyscope Company in 1914. Johnson appeared in her first film The Circular Staircase (Edward LeSaint, 1915), a mystery starring Guy Oliver.
Her other films included the Westerns Behind the Lines (Henry MacRae, 1916) and Guilty (Henry MacRae, 1916), both with Harry Carey. After several more films for Selig, she jumped ship to Universal in 1916.
Her two-year stay there ended when she moved to Vitagraph. There she made A Fight for Love (John Ford, 1919), again starring Harry Carey.
American postcard in the Novelty Series, no. D6-8. Photo: Selig Films.
French or Romanian postcard.
In 1921, Edith Johnson married actor William Duncan. After working together on the serial Smashing Barriers (William Duncan, 1919), the pair continued to co-star in films together.
They became known as "the king and queen of the serial". Her later films included the serials The Steel Trail (William Duncan, 1923) and The Fast Express (William Duncan, 1924).
J. Doering: "The films were enormously successful, but Duncan and Johnson chafed under the heavy-handed administration at Universal, and they retired after their last film for the studio, 1924'sWolves of the North.
They had a vaudeville act together for a while, then settled down to the task of raising their family." The couple had two sons and one daughter.
Duncan took on several film roles later in life, most notably as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Buck Peters. Edith had no desire to return to films.
William Duncan and Edith Johnson remained married until Duncan's death in 1961. In 1969, Edith died after a fall in Los Angeles, California. She was 75. She is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Los Angeles County.
British postcard by Picturegoer, London.
Sources: J. Doering (IMDb), Find A Grave, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
British postcard. Photo: Evans / Vitagraph.
A combination of luck and beauty ensured her a Hollywood career
Edith Johnson was born in Rochester, New York, in 1894.
J. Doering at IMDb: "Edith Johnson's combination of luck and beauty ensured her a Hollywood career. The luck occurred because of her growing up in Rochester, New York, the home of Eastman Kodak Co.
Her beauty resulted in her being appointed by Kodak as 'The Kodak Girl', with her face appearing in virtually all of the newspapers and magazines of the day in Kodak advertisements, leading her to be called "the most photographed girl in the world" - and all before she finished college."
Educated at Vassar College, she joined the Selig Polyscope Company in 1914. Johnson appeared in her first film The Circular Staircase (Edward LeSaint, 1915), a mystery starring Guy Oliver.
Her other films included the Westerns Behind the Lines (Henry MacRae, 1916) and Guilty (Henry MacRae, 1916), both with Harry Carey. After several more films for Selig, she jumped ship to Universal in 1916.
Her two-year stay there ended when she moved to Vitagraph. There she made A Fight for Love (John Ford, 1919), again starring Harry Carey.
American postcard in the Novelty Series, no. D6-8. Photo: Selig Films.
French or Romanian postcard.
Settling down to the task of raising their family
In 1921, Edith Johnson married actor William Duncan. After working together on the serial Smashing Barriers (William Duncan, 1919), the pair continued to co-star in films together.
They became known as "the king and queen of the serial". Her later films included the serials The Steel Trail (William Duncan, 1923) and The Fast Express (William Duncan, 1924).
J. Doering: "The films were enormously successful, but Duncan and Johnson chafed under the heavy-handed administration at Universal, and they retired after their last film for the studio, 1924'sWolves of the North.
They had a vaudeville act together for a while, then settled down to the task of raising their family." The couple had two sons and one daughter.
Duncan took on several film roles later in life, most notably as Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick Buck Peters. Edith had no desire to return to films.
William Duncan and Edith Johnson remained married until Duncan's death in 1961. In 1969, Edith died after a fall in Los Angeles, California. She was 75. She is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Los Angeles County.
British postcard by Picturegoer, London.
Sources: J. Doering (IMDb), Find A Grave, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
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