Valentine Churchill — Blue Book of the Screen (1923) 🇺🇸

Only two years ago little Valentine Churchill [Valentine Black] was in India with her family, who were in the select English set at Rangoon. Then Valentine was but eight years old and in those eight years had learned the sacred Burmese dances. Her teacher was one of the court dancing masters there, and Valentine was the only white child ever taught the dances.

Then Valentine’s little brother was taken ill and their mother packed the kiddies off to California, where Valentine soon entered pictures.

Her dancing attracted the attention of directors, and her first work was a “bit” dancing the East India dances.

Her popularity grew until word reached back to India that Valentine, “the sweetheart of Rangoon” as they called her, was working for the screen.

Such was their pride that one of the magnates of India, a Mr. Fisher, packed his bags and started for Hollywood, where he is going to organize a company starring Valentine.

Valentine is just eleven years old now, and facing stardom. She has gained a screen name of “the little girl with glasses” because of the character parts she has played.

She has blonde hair and brown eyes. When she isn’t working she’s in the Hollywood School for Girls or studying American dancing.

A few of the pictures that little Miss Churchill has taken part in are “Hours We Love,” “Trouble” with Jackie Coogan, several of the Hal Roach “Our Gang” comedies, “The New Teacher,” “The Dangerous Game,” “The Right of the Strongest,” and many others.

Recently Valentine performed for the Fox Film Weekly, doing her series of Burmese dances. And now a stage producer wants her to play the child lead in an original stage play. Should she accept, it will only be a preliminary to stardom on the screen.

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Portrait by Rice • Los Angeles

Collection: The Blue Book of the Screen (1923)