Trixie Friganza — The Life of the Party (1925) 🇺🇸

Mature lovers of the theater will welcome the arrival of Trixie Friganza in pictures. For years she has been a popular star in musical comedy and in vaudeville, a riotous comedienne.

Until recently she never considered the movies, though she has known every one in Hollywood through having lived there between seasons, and through stage associations. But while appearing in a Western stage production she was asked to undertake the role of a Spanish mother in Pola Negri’s The Charmer, the picture being a light and gay one, and the role demanding comedy.

Trixie’s own hair is perfectly white, and they felt after they had called for her that she might not quite suit the role. Nevertheless, they made a test with a black wig, and found then that there was no doubt but that she would qualify in every respect. It so happens that she is really of Spanish descent, her mother’s name having actually been Friganza, and the shawls, combs and appurtenances of the Castilian dowager served to bring out to the satisfaction of everybody the Spanish characteristics in her personality.

While working on the picture, Trixie was the life of the party. She and Pola were on the happiest terms, and the patter and comment that went on between them, for they are both noted for their bright and witty talk, kept everybody in high spirits.

Miss Friganza also worked lately in “Proud Flesh,” directed by King Vidor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and about a year ago she made one of the “Tish” stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart.

“I love pictures,” she said, “and I’m going to stay in them if they’ll only let me. I have had several lovely mother roles all planned out for myself; nice sympathetic, sweet mothers, the kind I’ve wanted to do all my life, but for some reason they will consider me a comedienne.”

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Collection: Picture Play Magazine, June 1925