Florence Smythe
Florence Smythe (April 19, 1878 – August 29, 1925) was a stage actress who was in silent motion pictures for a brief time from 1915 to 1917. She was born in Santa Barbara, California. She was married to silent film actor Theodore Roberts. The couple met while Florence was a member of the Theodore Roberts theatrical company. They lived in Los Angeles, California at 1915 North Vine Street. Smythe was in six movies, namely The Wild Goose Chase (1915), The Fighting Hope (1915), The Voice in the Fog (1915), Common Ground (1916), The Winning of Sally Temple (1917), and The Silent Partner (1917).
Contentious Divorce
Florence Smythe was a party in a divorce battle which wound up in New York Supreme Court in February 1913. Theodore Roberts' first wife, Lucy Roberts, obtained a separation decree which provided $50 a week for alimony. She married the actor in Portland, Oregon in 1890. They separated in New York, New York on February 13, 1910. Roberts did not pay the alimony and was locked up in Ludlow Street jail. The first Mrs. Roberts sued Florence for $50,000, charging the actress with alienating the affections of the actor. A countersuit was filed by Miss Smythe asking a sum of $100,000. She contended the former Mrs. Roberts scandalized her by stating she furnished apartments for Theodore and advanced him money. The suit was not tried in court because the statute of limitations had run out.
Sudden and Untimely Death
Florence left films and the stage prior to her marriage. Her sudden death from acute indigestion, which precipitated a heart attack, was hastened by the strain of her husband's illness. Theodore Roberts collapsed in 1923 while in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miss Smythe provided much of the care during his extended convalescence. She died at the Vine Street residence in 1925 at the age of 46.
References
- Los Angeles Times, Sues Actor For Divorce, April 2, 1916, Page V14.
- Los Angeles Times, Stageland Stars Play Divorce Court Roles, September 27, 1916, Page II3.
- Los Angeles Times Actor Roberts's Wife Dies, August 30, 1925, Page 4.
- The New York Times, Mrs. Theodore Roberts Dead, August 30, 1925, Page 26.
- Oakland, California Tribune, Actor's Wife Sued By Irate Woman Named, Saturday Evening, February 22, 1913, Page 12.