Florence Lawrence (1886-1938)was the first film player whose name was used to promote her films and the studio for which she worked.Before her,actors and actresses worked anonymously,partly out of fear that stage managers would refuse to hire them if they were found to be working in films and partly because movie executives didn't want to put much money into the production of these short,practically disposable films,and didn't want their players to become well known and start demanding higher salaries. Lawrence was on the stage from age three.About 1910,she made the 1st personal appearance of a film star in St. Louis and the resulting publicity made her famous. After a stage accident in which she injured her back,she retired from films,only to be lured back in 1916 for her first feature.It was unsuccessful. She tried a comeback again in 1921;that, too,was unsuccessful.She settled into bit parts and character roles through the 1920s and 1930s.She committed suicide in 1938 after years of unhappiness and illness.