K
Kentucky Kache
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Mariette de Tellier is the case of an early film star moving to Cincinnati after her career ended. It wouldn't be until her death that the general public and local media knew of her background.
She was known as the "beautiful Indian maiden" in a number of silent films, the frontier love interest of such early stars as Tom Mix and William S. Hart.
De Tellier, born in France, was known to her Walnut Hills neighbors as Mariette Branson, the widowed wife of an engineer. She had moved here as a French tutor.
It was the contents of a shoebox that surfaced after her death in 1957 at the age of 67 that caused local papers to click into high gear. The Post was loaded with stories in the days following of how she left behind $55,000, turned over to officials by a friend who said Mrs. Branson had given her the money in a shoebox for safe keeping when she entered the hospital.
It was reported that Mariette carried the shoebox everywhere, even held it in her lap in a dentist's chair. Its contents - cash, securities and gold coins.
Officials discovered another $90,000 in uncashed checks at her home, described as a "musty 23-room mansion" in Walnut Hills, the walls adorned with pictures from her silent screen days.
Her Hollywood background was unknown except to her closest friends. One was quoted as saying Mariette's biggest thrill was winning a title for "Most Beautiful Back" among the first Hollywood stars.
http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/NEWS02/708250329/1014
She was known as the "beautiful Indian maiden" in a number of silent films, the frontier love interest of such early stars as Tom Mix and William S. Hart.
De Tellier, born in France, was known to her Walnut Hills neighbors as Mariette Branson, the widowed wife of an engineer. She had moved here as a French tutor.
It was the contents of a shoebox that surfaced after her death in 1957 at the age of 67 that caused local papers to click into high gear. The Post was loaded with stories in the days following of how she left behind $55,000, turned over to officials by a friend who said Mrs. Branson had given her the money in a shoebox for safe keeping when she entered the hospital.
It was reported that Mariette carried the shoebox everywhere, even held it in her lap in a dentist's chair. Its contents - cash, securities and gold coins.
Officials discovered another $90,000 in uncashed checks at her home, described as a "musty 23-room mansion" in Walnut Hills, the walls adorned with pictures from her silent screen days.
Her Hollywood background was unknown except to her closest friends. One was quoted as saying Mariette's biggest thrill was winning a title for "Most Beautiful Back" among the first Hollywood stars.
http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/NEWS02/708250329/1014
