Volume III: Biographies

FARRINGTON, Doris *

Actress (1914-1916)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Doris Farrington, young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Farrington, was an actress with Thanhouser circa 1914-1916.

Biographical Notes: Doris Farrington was born on October 14, 1904. By 1914 she was an actress in Thanhouser films. While with the Thanhouser studio, she enjoyed swimming in her spare time and earned many trophies in this sport. Her pet dog was nicknamed Nep, short for Neptune.

In the July and August 1916 issues of the New Rochelle Evening Standard, an enormous number of articles appeared about the infantile paralysis epidemic which started in New York City during the summer and spread out to New Rochelle. On Thursday, August 31, 1916, the following appeared as part of an article: "Three new cases of infantile paralysis were reported to the Health Department from yesterday up to the time of going to press today. No deaths are reported. [Among the] new cases [is] Doris Farrington, 11 years old, 22 Pratt Street.... The little Farrington girl is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Farrington and has been appearing in Thanhouser motion picture productions. Her father at one time was one of the Thanhouser stars and is well known in New Rochelle and in the film world. Up to a week ago she was working at the studio and came in contact with a number of children and foreigners from New York City in the taking of a new feature. Mr. Farrington said this morning he believes the little girl contracted the disease from some of them...."

More was told in The Evening Standard, October 6, 1916: "Little Doris Farrington, the 11 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Farrington, Stephenson Park, who is one of the juvenile actresses of the Thanhouser forces has written the following verses in the city hospital where she is recovering from an attack of infantile paralysis. She was stricken the last part of August and was taken to the hospital on August 31st and has since completely recovered. The verses were brought to the offices of The Evening Standard by her father, who was formerly one of the Thanhouser stars." (Then followed a lengthy poem titled The Summer Plague.)

Thanhouser Filmography:

1914: The Butterfly Bug (8-2-1914), The Tell-Tale Scar (8-9-1914), Her Big Brother (8-16-1914)

1915: The Cycle of Hatred (4-6-1915)

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