Miss Florence Deshon

I always get to thinking that Florence Deshon has something to do with the famous Denishawn Dance studio. I really need to stop that because I get all confused in my head...and I am already confused enough.

Florence Deshon was born Florence Danks on July 19, 1893 in Tacoma, Washington. She was the second child born to Samuel and Flora Danks. Her brother, Walter, was born a year earlier.

Before appearing in films, Florence was an actress on the stage. She made her screen debut in 1915's The Beloved Vagabond. 

She only appeared in around 24 films, but none were really of any significance. She did have the chance to act alongside such names as John Gilbert, Katherine MacDonald, Rubye De Remer, and Corinne Griffith though. 

Florence made her last film appearance in 1921's, The Roof Tree. After making the film, she and her mother moved to New York where she intended to keep working as an actress.

Sadly, on February 4, 1922, Florence was found unconscious in her apartment amid a heavy cloud of gas that was used to light fixtures in the room. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital but all efforts to save her failed. She passed away shortly thereafter at age twenty eight.

She was buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in Queens, New York.

The medical examiner ruled that her death was accidental which pleased some of her friends and family and confused a few others. Some friends suggested that Florence was upset over an argument with a friend and decided to end her own life, while others said that there was no way that she would kill herself. Also, a window was left open, which kind of defeats the purpose. But on the side for suicide, the apartment building was wired for electricity, so why else would Florence turn on the gas jets? Sadly, we will probably never know what truly happened.

Florence never married, but she was linked to Charlie Chaplin and a writer named Max Eastman. Eastman in fact donated his own blood in order to try and save Florence's life. 

siana-engelking.blogspot.com 

"It is absolutely false. Miss Deshon was a dear friend of mine, and I am sure her death was accidental. There was no reason in the world why she should take her life, and no letter seems to have been found or received to indicate that she did. She was healthy and happy when I last saw her, on Thursday afternoon, and we had an engagement for the theatre on Saturday. Please do not question me any more about it." ~~ Max Eastman to the New York Times - February 6, 1922