A beautiful but deeply troubled and ultimately tragic Hollywood star of the early '20s, Alma Rubens enjoyed early success opposite Douglas Fairbanks in no less than four of that star's popular films, including the delightful but somewhat prophetic The Mystery of the Leaping Fish. This comedy poked fun at drug addiction, of all things, and addiction to heroin would prove Rubens downfall in real life. She was still beautiful and regal in the early '20s when she signed a contract with newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. Although Hearst spent most of his time overseeing the vehicles of his mistress Marion Davies, Rubens was awarded such plums as the costume epic Under the Red Robe (1923). But her heroin habit would have a devastating effect on both health and beauty, and by the middle of the decade she was spending an increasing amount of time at various mental institutions. In 1929, Rubens was surprisingly awarded the tragic role of the mulatto Julie in the first version of Show Boat, but it was a last hurrah. Weakened by her addiction, she succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 33.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
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She Goes to War
Actor |
1929 | |||
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Show Boat
Actor |
1929 | |||
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Masks of the Devil
Actor |
1928 | |||
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Heart of Salome
Actor |
1927 | |||
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Marriage License
Actor |
1926 | |||
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Siberia
Actor |
1926 | |||
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The Gilded Butterfly
Actor |
1926 | |||
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East Lynne
Actor |
1925 | |||
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Fine Clothes
Actor |
1925 | |||
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She Wolves
Actor |
1925 | |||
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The Dancers
Actor |
1925 | |||
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The Winding Stair
Actor |
1925 | |||
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Woman's Faith
Actor |
1925 | |||
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Cytherea
Actor |
1924 | |||
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Gerald Cranston's Lady
Actor |
1924 | |||
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Is Love Everything?
Actor |
1924 | |||
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Price She Paid
Actor |
1924 | |||
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The Rejected Woman
Actor |
1924 | |||
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The Enemies of Women
Actor |
1923 | |||
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Under the Red Robe
Actor |
1923 | |||
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The Valley of Silent Men
Actor |
1922 | |||
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Humoresque
Actor |
1920 | |||
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World and His Wife
Actor |
1920 | |||
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A Man's Country
Actor |
1919 | |||
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Restless Souls
Actor |
1919 | |||
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False Ambition
Actor |
1918 | |||
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I Love You
Actor |
1918 | |||
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The Answer
Actor |
1918 | |||
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The Americano
Actor |
1917 | |||
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Truthful Tulliver
Actor |
1917 | |||
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Half Breed
Actor |
1916 | |||
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Intolerance
Actor |
1916 | |||
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Reggie Mixes in
Actor |
1916 |