Geneva Doris Mitchell was born on February 3, 1908, in Medarysville, Indiana, to a family that would face significant challenges in the years to come. Tragedy struck when her father passed away in 1909, leaving her mother, Verna Mitchell, to provide for the family on her own. In an effort to make ends meet, Verna took to the stage, becoming a showgirl in the prestigious Ziegfeld Follies. Geneva's mother's success in the Follies would ultimately pave the way for her own daughter's entry into the world of show business.
At just fourteen years old, Geneva was hired to join her mother on stage, becoming a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl in her own right. Her talent and charisma quickly made her a standout, earning her the nickname "The Pogo Girl" and the praise of Florenz Ziegfeld himself, who referred to her as "the find" of the season.
Geneva's success in the Follies led to further opportunities, including a role in the musical Sally and the chance to understudy the legendary Marilyn Miller. However, her personal life was marked by turmoil, including a tumultuous marriage to millionaire's son Robert Savage, which ended just five days after it began.
Despite the challenges she faced, Geneva continued to thrive in her career, appearing in a number of Broadway productions, including Yours Truly and Take the Air. Her big-screen debut came in 1929 with the comedy Adam's Eve, followed by small roles in Safety In Numbers and Her Wedding Night, opposite the iconic Clara Bow.
Geneva's personal life was marked by a series of high-profile marriages and engagements, including a union with publicity agent Jack Hayes, which ended in divorce. She went on to marry director Lowell Sherman, with whom she had a long-term engagement, but the couple ultimately parted ways. Lowell would later direct Geneva in the 1933 drama Morning Glory, but tragically, he died suddenly in December of that year.
Geneva's career continued to flourish, with roles in films such as Restless Nights and Pop Goes The Weasel, opposite the Three Stooges. However, her personal life was marked by heartbreak and tragedy, including the death of her fiancé and the end of her marriage to financier Harry J. Bryant.
By the late 1930s, Geneva's career had begun to stall, and she was struggling with severe alcoholism. Her final film appearance came in the 1946 short Andy Plays Hookey, after which she retired from acting and took a job as a bookkeeper.
Geneva's life would ultimately come to a tragic end on March 10, 1949, when she died at the age of forty-one from acute pancreatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, caused by her long struggle with alcoholism. She was cremated and her ashes were buried at the Chapel Of The Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California.
