Phyllis Haver Movies and Career Information

Phyllis Haver (January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American actress of the silent film era. She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High. After graduating, she played piano to accompany the new silent films in local theaters. Haver auditioned for comedy producer Mack Sennett on a whim. Sennett hired her as one of his original Bathing Beauties. Within a few years, she appeared as a leading lady in two-reelers for Sennett Studios. At the Sennett Studios, Haver played the part of Roxie Hart in the first film adaptation of Chicago in 1927, opposite Hungarian film actor Victor Varconi. One reviewer called her performance "astoundingly fine", and added that Haver "makes this combination of tragedy and comedy a most entertaining piece of work." She performed in the 1928 comedy film The Battle of the Sexes, directed by D. W. Griffith. The next year, she appeared with Lon Chaney, Sr. in his last silent film, Thunder. Haver retired from the industry with two 'sound' films to her credit. She married millionaire William Seeman