Corliss Palmer, born Helen Caroline Palmer on July 25, 1899, in Edison, Georgia, was one of six siblings. Tragedy struck when her father passed away when she was just ten years old. After completing high school, Corliss worked at a grocery store and a movie theater in Macon before her life took a dramatic turn.
In 1920, she won a contest sponsored by Motion Picture Magazine and was crowned "the most beautiful girl in America." This victory led her to move to Hollywood, where she made her film debut in the 1922 short "From Farm To Farm." Corliss's affair with Eugene V. Brewster, the married publisher of Motion Picture Magazine, further propelled her career. Brewster promoted her in his magazine and secured her numerous endorsements.
Despite the publicity, Corliss's acting career stalled, and she didn't land another role until 1926, when she appeared alongside Anna Q. Nilsson in "Her Second Chance." When Eugene filed for divorce, his wife sued Corliss for alienation of affection, seeking $200,000 in damages. Corliss married Eugene in December 1926 and moved into a lavish California estate.
Corliss continued to work in the film industry, landing supporting roles in dramas such as "A Man's Past," "The Noose," and "Into The Night." However, her promising career quickly fizzled out. Her final film was the 1931 comedy "Honeymoon Lane."
The couple's lavish spending led to Eugene's bankruptcy in 1931, and Corliss left him soon after. She began an affair with Albert J. Cohen, a married film writer, and his wife sued her for alienation of affection in 1932. By this point, Corliss was struggling with a serious drinking problem.
In 1933, she made headlines again when she caused a scene at a hotel and was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown. Corliss then worked at several low-paying jobs, including demonstrating make-up at a cosmetics counter. She reflected on her life, saying, "At heart I'm really a domestic sort of girl. I wasn't made for all this stuff I've been through."
Corliss married William Taylor, a former rodeo performer, in 1939. Her alcoholism continued to worsen, and her mental health deteriorated. In 1950, she entered a psychiatric hospital, where she was diagnosed with "alcoholic psychosis." Tragically, Corliss passed away on August 27, 1952, at the age of 53, due to Chronic Myocarditis.
Corliss Palmer was laid to rest in an unmarked grave at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California. Her fans later paid for a headstone to be placed on her grave, serving as a poignant reminder of her tumultuous life and career.
