Spirits and Spirits

Showbiz & Scandals: The Forgotten Life of Virginia Best

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Who was Virginia Best?

I was struggling last week with one of the descendants of my McCall ancestors – Virginia Best. After having set her aside for a month, I was finally able to put the pieces together on the life of Virginia Best. What an interesting story I found!

An actress in our family?

This ended up being quite an appropriate sidetrack to take on an Oscar weekend. I learned just how hard it is to trace people who change their names, but I prevailed and can declare that I am now smarter than Wikipedia and IMDB.

Warning, this is a long read (but worth it).

Table Of Contents
  1. Missouri Girl, Broken Home
  2. Becoming Virginia Magee
  3. Eloping with Theodore Vanderlaan
  4. Fifteen Minutes of Fame – Plus Some
  5. Me Too
  6. Family Tragedy and William Eckles, a Second Marriage
  7. More Ziegfeld and Newspapers
  8. Move to California and Hollywood
  9. Divorce and William Nigh, a Third Husband
  10. Who Was William Nigh?
  11. Life with Victoria
  12. Deaths
  13. A 4th and Final Husband
  14. Dead and Forgotten (until now)
  15. Where is she in the tree?
  16. Notes:

Missouri Girl, Broken Home

Virginia Mary Best (or Mary Virginia Best) was born 27 March 1902 in Montgomery County, Missouri. Her parents were McCall descendant Mattie Jane Sisk and her husband Dr. John A. Best. Mattie was a great-granddaughter of Mildred Holland and William S. McCall. Virginia was their 2nd great-granddaughter.

By the time she was eight-years-old, Virginia’s parents were separated. In 1910, she and her older brother, Wendell, were living with their father in Bear Creek, Montgomery, Missouri, while her mother lived in a boarding house in St. Louis. The parents were still listed as married, but it was quite common back then to say you were married rather than admit in the census that you were divorced. A year earlier, when Mattie’s parents celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary, they listed her as “Mrs. Mattie Best of St. Louis, wife of Dr. Best.”1 2 3

We do not know exactly when Mattie and Dr. John divorced, but on 20 January 1913, Mattie Jane Sisk Best remarried to Charles A. Magee.4 Virginia’s dad, Dr. John Best, was a prominent doctor. He practiced medicine in Montgomery County, Missouri, from 1900-1939 though also served as a captain in the medical corps during World War I. He too remarried.5

Virginia Magee.

Becoming Virginia Magee

In 1915, Virginia was 13-years old and living with her mother and stepfather in Westfield, Union, New Jersey. They had likely moved east for Charles Magee’s job. In 1920 they were living in Manhattan, where he worked as a Vice President for a gas range company. Virginia’s biological dad was back in Missouri running his medical practice. He had remarried and had started a second family with his new wife.6 7 8

Living in Manhattan in 1920 put Virginia in the right place at the right time. She began working as an actress—or inspiring actress anyway. She used her stepfather’s surname to be known professionally as Virginia Magee.

Virginia began as an understudy for Lillian Gish in “Orphans of the Storm” and “Way Down East,” two films directed by movie pioneer D.W. Griffith. Way Down East premiered in 1920 and Orphans of the Storm in 1921. So, we know Victoria was on silent movie sets by the time she was a late teenager.

An understudy in films was probably a carryover from stage days. But understudies in films were less frequently used, especially for major stars like Gish. Virginia may have been a stand-in for blocking or lighting tests, rather than a direct replacement in case Gish couldn’t perform. Understudies were often present on set, observing the lead actress, and occasionally rehearsing scenes in case they were needed. Virginia would have known Gish and was likely acquainted with Griffith since he was known for personally directing his actors.

Eloping with Theodore Vanderlaan

When she was 18-years old, Virginia eloped. His parents’ wealth and her fame caused their marriage to be covered by the newspapers. They ran off to Port Chester, New York, and married on 04 January 1921. He was 20. The wedding seemed to be quite impulsive.

Theodore had brown eyes and brown hair and, at 5′ 8″, was not terribly tall. He was born to immigrant parents with a dad from Holland and a mom from Germany. He had grown up in Mamaroneck, New York, and New York City, with his parents and several siblings. Before the marriage, he had served in the World War as an apprentice seaman on the U.S.S. Granite State. He was only 18-years old when he served, but it was a short stint, from 02 October 1918 to 11 November 1918.9 10 11

Headlines

Their marriage caused a bit of a stir. Headlines read, “Virginia Best Married,” “Mamaroneck Man Weds Movie Star,” and “Brooklyn Actress Elopes.”12 13 14 The reporters did not get all of the details right, but they told a good story.

Unknown to his mother, twenty-one-year old Theodore Van Derlaan weds Miss Virginia Best, in this village.

News of the elopement of Theodore Van Derlaan, twenty-one year old son of a well-to-do resident of Mamaroneck, with Miss Virginia Best, or Virginia Magee, a motion picture actress appearing as an understudy of the famed Lillian Gish in pictures filmed at the Orienta Point studies of David Wark Griffith, caused quite a stir in the home-town-by-the-sea to-day. Van Derlaan and his fiancée, who is also twenty-one, secured a marriage license from Town Clerk Charles O. Derby here yesterday afternoon.

A few minutes later they were pronounced man and wife by Justice of the Peace Malcom Merritt, who had a distinct recollection of the ceremony to-day from the fact that, upon its conclusion, the young man donned his overcoat and hat, grasped the bride’s arm and hurriedly left the place without handing over the customary marriage fee. The youth and his bride were quite prosperous looking and hence the judge had an unusually broad smile on his face as he tied the knot and bestowed his blessing. There was an inscrutable expression on His Honor’s countenance as Van Derlaan and his bride walked toward the door on their way out.

Miss Best, the name Magee apparently being only a professional nom de plume, has for several months been a boarder in the home of Edward A. Taylor at 66 Fenimore Road, Mamaroneck. The Van Derlaan family lives next door, having moved there a few months ago. The scion of the latter household allowed but a short time to pass before he struck up an acquaintance with the petite little miss in the neighboring house.

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Van Derlaan, were aware of his friendship with the actress, whom they knew as “Miss Magee,” but were far from suspecting that he contemplated such an important step as that of becoming her husband. Hence his mother’s rather amazed, almost unbelieving surprise when questioned over the telephone, this morning, concerning the elopement.

At the Taylor home a member of the family answered the ‘phone and was asked to call Miss Miss Magee. “Oh, we haven’t seen her since yesterday,” was the reply. Apprised of the wedding, the woman’s voice admitted: “Yes it must be she, because she has been quite intimate with that young man.”

Though she refused pointblank to discuss the wedding, the bride or the bridegroom, it was learned from Mrs. Van Derlaan before she abruptly hung up the telephone receiver, that her son is associated with his father in business in New York. She declined to divulge the nature or address of the business. Young Theodore set forth in his application for the license to wed, that he is a “merchant.” His father, he said, is a native of Holland.

The bride gave her name, for the official record, as Virginia Best, adding that she is a daughter of John Best, of Brooklyn. The name Magee was not mentioned in either the application or the license and was presumably an assumed one, taken by the young woman to conceal her real identity while appearing in the movies.

Business had been dull since long before Christmas and hence the appearance of the young couple at the Town Rooms, yesterday, caused quite a stir. Mr. Derby issued the license post haste. He, it seems, collected his dollar fee and then offered to summon Judge Merritt to perform the ceremony. The latter called on the ‘phone jumped in his twin-six Packard and hastened to the scene of activity in defiance of all speed laws.

Two attaches of the town offices, including Miss Evelyn Towne, district representative of the County Commissioner of Charities, were pressed into service as witnesses. The few, though all important, words of the marriage ritual were recited by the judge and then the latter and his retinue stood about expectantly. “Well, good-bye gentlemen. Come, Virginia!” and the happy pair were gone.

Judge Merritt stood silently behind the grilled window of the office. His jaw sagged, his eyes bespoke dumb amazement and his arm was partly extended as though to summon back the departing ones. Had Van Derlaan turned his head as the door closed, his ears might  have caught that one all-expressive man’s expletive: “Damn!”

The Daily Item (Port Chester, New York) 05 January 2021.

Soon Single

The marriage was short-lived. By the time New York took a state census in 1925, both Virginia and Theodore were back living with their own parents.15 16 Virginia’s stepdad, Charles A. Magee had died on 28 November 1923 in Manhattan, so Virginia and her mother Mattie, were on their own.17

Fifteen Minutes of Fame – Plus Some

Initially known as an understudy, Virginia had her own roles too. After playing the part of a twin in the movie Sonny which was released 22 May 1922, she was cast as a leading lady in a picture called Bond Boy. Henry King directed, and Richard Barthelmess was the leading man in both movies. When he was promoting Bond Boy, King said he was ”quite sure that before six months are over Virginia’s name will blossom forth in the electric lights of stardom.” Bond Boy, which was released 08 October 1922, did win the award of Best Picture of the Month for December 1922, but did not propel Virginia to stardom.18

Bond Boy and Sonny were both silent films which are considered lost films. Sadly, no copies have been preserved so we cannot see Virginia Magee in action.

She Had to Learn to Cook

To promote Bond Boy and better introduce movie-watching fans to Virginia Magee, a story was circulated about her learning to cook. We will never know how factual the story was but it was surely to endear her to fans. Various versions ran in newspapers across the country. The story ran in the show biz news columns and had headlines including, “Learn How to Cook to Hold Job,” “Virginia Magee is to Be Seen at Key—Pretty Ingenue Says She Learned To Cook in Moving Pictures,” and “She Had to Learn to Cook.”19 20 21 22

1922. “Learn How to Cook to Hold Job—Virginia Magee,” 08 Oct: 05. Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California.

Shopping for Costumes

Other stories dealt with Virginia’s costumes.

“Speaking of the all-conquering sub-debutante’s wardrobe, Margaret Elizabeth Faulconer and Virginia Magee, the cunning twins in Richard Barthelmess’s picture “Sonny,” are always ideally gowned in costumes appropriate to their age. Simple little one-piece frocks of the daintiest of summer fabrics, dainty hats of matching goods and white shoes and stockings are worn on sunny days and severely tailored shifts with stiffly starched collars and cuffs are donned when a rainy spell sets in.”

by Dorothy Phillips, “Screen Style Gossip”23

“There is Nothing New Under the Sun”24

Miss Virginia Magee, who is the sweetheart of Richard Barthelmess in “The Bondboy,” found that out when she started to look for costumes for her part.

In the picture she is the daughter of a wealthy southern gentleman of some fifty years ago. Her frocks fit the period exactly. And where do you think she got them?

At an up-to-date Fifth avenue shop!

“I found that the styles of today for the kind of dresses I wanted were identical to those of fifty years ago,” Miss Magee explains, “Not, of course, the long, slender, ultra-fashionable ones, which many of the sirens today wear—but the young girl frocks, bouffante, beruffled, rather long as to the skirt, sweet, pretty, and simple.

“Even the colors seemed to fit exactly. The funniest part of it was that I had hunted old curiosity shops and period shops and had been turned down in each case. They had nothing of the period. “So I went to the library where I found pictures of the location and period, and imagined I was looking at a 1922 fashion display.”

Lady Butterfly

At the end of 1922, Virginia made the news for leaving moving pictures, at least temporarily, to work in theatre. She joined the chorus line of the comedy “Lady Butterfly.” which opened in January 1923.25

Virginia Magee, who appeared with Richard Barthelmess in “The Bond Boy,” is forsaking the films temporarily to accept an engagement in a forthcoming musical show under the direction of Ned Wayburn. Miss Magee, who was for two years understudy to Lillian Gish, may return to the screen later.

“Lillian Gish Understudy Leaves Films for Comedy”26

“Lady Butterfly,” Daily News, New York, New York, 11 Feb 1923.

Ziegfeld Follies

The Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 credited Virginia as a performer in its run from 20 October 1923 to 10 May 1924, with 233 performances at the New Amsterdam Theatre.27 She also performed in the revised summer edition, Ziegfeld Follies of 1925, which ran 88 shows from 06 July 1925 to 19 September 1925.28

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. had incredibly high standards and a meticulous selection process, making it extremely difficult to earn a role in the Ziegfeld Follies. He sought beauty, talent, and charisma, making competition fierce.

He had strict beauty standards, and his follies were famous for featuring the most glamorous women of the era. The girls were typically between 5’5” and 5’8” though sometimes he included shorter dancers. They had to be slender but have shapely figures with an emphasis on long legs, and had to have Symmetrical facial features, clear skin, and a graceful presence. Auditions often involved standing in a line-up while Ziegfeld personally examined each woman, sometimes without them even speaking or performing.

Ziegfeld performers had to have dance and stage talent as well as personality and stage presence. Unlike typical chorus girls, Follies performers had to be more than just beautiful. Many were trained dancers, singers, or actresses.  Ziegfeld believed in the allure of “star quality” and hired those who could captivate an audience with a look or a gesture. It was also a fickle business. He was known to change his mind quickly—one day a girl was in, the next she was out if she didn’t maintain the aura of glamour.

Some women got into the Follies through personal connections or recommendations from performers already in the show. If a girl had press attention or was seen as a rising socialite, it could help her get noticed. The news articles promoting her movies may have helped Virginia get her job even if they talked about her selecting costumes and learning to cook-no press is bad press?

Once cast, Virginia would have had to work hard. Those who made it into the Follies faced long rehearsals, physically demanding performances, and the expectation to always look perfect—even offstage. The lavish costumes were heavy and intricate, making performances physically exhausting. For every woman who made it, hundreds were turned away. The Ziegfeld Follies represented the pinnacle of Broadway beauty and glamour in the 1920s, and earning a spot was a dream that only a select few achieved. Congratulations to Virginia!

Popular Silk Mannequin

In addition to her shows, in early 1923, Virginia was a participant in a Mannequin contest as part of the international silk show.

In the contest to determine the prettiest mannequin by popular-acclaim at the Corticelli display the competition was so keen that it became obvious that an elimination contest was necessary. Attired in the most luxurious of beautiful gowns, the Misses Anna Buckley, Elsie Westcott, Virginia Magee, Rosemary Sell, Margaret Mackay, Louise Carlton, Florentine Gosnova, Lenore Lukens and Gertrude Laird and others, strolled on the stairs and small stage and drew long applause. The more popular of these, seemed to be the Misses Magee, Westcott and Laird. A winner will be evolved to-day.29

Me Too

Late in 1925, Virginia Magee had a “me too” moment. Following what we now think of as a predictable and troubling pattern, Virginia was almost a victim to a scheme. We can be proud of her for standing up for herself.

By 1925, despite years of show business experience, Virginia was still only 23-years old. She undoubtedly still dreamed of fame and success. When a producer spotted her in a directory of actresses, he arranged a meeting to discuss a contract that could take her from New York to Hollywood. The meeting took place in his hotel suite, where he attempted to kiss her. Newspapers used the word “kiss,” but a hundred-years later we can easily infer what he truly intended. Unlike many young ingénues, Virginia refused, escaped, and reported him to the authorities. Though newspapers covered the incident, their tone was somewhat glib, offering little support for Virginia.

“Kissless Frank Kisses Broadway and Summons ‘By,” Daily News, New York, New York, 11 Dec 1925.
“She Didn’t Want To Kiss; He Kissed; Dancer Is Peeved,” Daily News, New York, New York, 10 Dec 1925.

Family Tragedy and William Eckles, a Second Marriage

1926 did not begin well. On 22 April 1926, her only full brother died.

John William Wendall Best

John William Wendall Best, who was often called “Wendell,” was studying law at John Hopkins in Baltimore, when the US entered the world war. He decided to volunteer and joined the Navy. He served for 22 months before being honorably discharged on 23 September 1919. Unfortunately, that was long enough for him to contract tuberculosis. He returned to Missouri where he suffered with the disease and eventually succumbed on 22 April 1926 at Liege, Montgomery, Missouri. His dad signed his death certificate. They waited until Virginia could return to Missouri to hold the funeral.30 31 32 33

William J.F. Eckles

A few months after her brother’s death, Virginia married a second time. She and William J.F. Eckles got a marriage license on 04 June 1926 in Manhattan. Her name on the license was Virginia Vanderlaan. It appears that the marriage flew under the radar and was not reported in the press. Maybe she hid it or maybe she just was not that famous anymore?34 John was tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and a few months younger than Virginia. We can only guess, but he was probably also good looking.35 Her mother, Mattie, remarried in 1926 too. On 15 April, she married Robert Martin Goetz in Manhattan.36

More Ziegfeld and Newspapers

The Beauty Doctor

In 1926, Virginia Magee appeared in a syndicated newspaper series called “The Beauty Doctor,” demonstrating solutions to beauty problems. Women across the county saw Virginia fixing rough, pimply skin on the upper arms, getting rid of flesh on the wrist, stretching to prevent humped shoulders, and getting rid of too much flesh on the back of the neck and shoulders.

1926. “The Beauty Doctor—Virginia Magee at the brush,” 03 Aug: 05. Belleville Daily Advocate, Belleville, Illinois.
1926. “The Beauty Doctor—Stretching exercises demonstrated by Virginia Magee,” 24 Aug: 03. The Selma Times-Journal, Selma, Alabama.
1926. “The Beauty Doctor—Virginia Magee shows how to get rid of flesh on the wrist,” 14 Aug: 03. Daily American Republic, Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Rosalie

The last production in which Virginia was found to have been involved was Ziegfeld’s lavish operetta “Rosalie” in 1928. Virginia Magee is credited with being a member of the 10 January 1928 opening night cast. Music for Rosalie was by George Gershwin and Sigmund Romberg. Lyrics were by P. G. Wodehouse and Ira Gershwin. Book was by William Anthony McGuire and Guy Bolton.

She was also included in an Old Gold cigarette advertisement pictured in a car full of Ziegfeld gals from the show “Rosalie.” Also in the car were showgirls Ada Landis, Jean Ackerman, Caryl Bergman, Patsy O’Day, and Hazel Forbes.37 38

Old Gold cigarette ad, 1928.

Move to California and Hollywood

Sometime between the close of Rosalie in 1928 and the census enumerator showing up at their door on 13 April 1930, Virginia and William Eckles moved to California. Mattie and Robert, Virginia’s parents, made the move too.

United Studio and First National, combined, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California, 1925.
First National & United Studios, combined, Hollywood, California.
Warner Brothers Studio, Hollywood, California, 20 Dec 1925.

The Great Depression

The Great Depression began with the stock market crash on 29 Oct 1929 (“Black Tuesday”) and lasted through most of the 1930s. The economic collapse devastated industries across the country, including the performing arts. By the early 1930s, Broadway was hit hard. Theater attendance plummeted as people could no longer afford tickets. Lavish productions became unsustainable—Ziegfeld’s signature extravagance was costly, and investors became wary. Many theaters closed or reduced productions, and revues like The Ziegfeld Follies became harder to finance.

Ziegfeld himself was deeply affected. He lost most of his fortune in the stock market crash and his final productions failed financially. He died on 22 Jul 1932, partly from stress related to his financial troubles.

With Broadway struggling, many Follies performers had to find new ways to survive. Some moved to Hollywood. We do not know if that was the reason that Virginia and family made the move, but the rise of talking pictures (beginning with The Jazz Singer in 1927) meant that film studios were looking for glamorous showgirls who could act and dance. Hollywood made the promise of providing steady work compared to Broadway, which was faltering. Not all Follies girls became movie stars. Some married wealthy men and retired from show business. Virginia seems to have retired and given up her career as a performer.

Out of the biz

Virginia and her husband William Eckles lived in Los Angeles, California, in 1930, where he worked as an office clerk. The census reported that she did not work, and she seems to have vanished from the spotlight. Her mother, Mattie, and her new stepfather, Robert Goetz, an electrical salesman, lived with them in the Eckles’ $6,000 house at 1122 Grant Avenue.39 Records indicate that the two-bedroom, one-bath house was built in 1929 and is now worth almost two million dollars.40

Divorce and William Nigh, a Third Husband

Virginia’s marriage to William Eckles did not survive the move to California and her retirement from show business. They divorced in early 1931 after about 4 ½ years of marriage.41 42

Sometime around April 1938, Virginia married for a third time. A list of marriage licenses published in the Ventura Star on 12 April 1938, included Emil William Kruschke, 56, North Hollywood, and Mary Virginia Eckles, 36, Los Angeles. For legal matters, he was using his birth name, and she was using the surname of her previous husband (she must have legally taken his name when they married). His professional name was William Nigh.

Who Was William Nigh?

When they married, Virginia was 36-years old. William was 56. He had a lot of history.

I laughed and got really enthused when I saw that, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) and Find A Grave, William Nigh was born Emil Kreuske in Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

How many hours of my life have I spent thinking about Marathon County?

Zillions!

That is the home of our Kruegers and Aschbrenners and Fehlhabers and lot of other surnames from our family tree!

Wow! Working on a relative on one side of the family led me to the place of another side of the family.

But…

Could I prove he was really from Marathon County?

What a journey that became. I’ll save you all the details but will say that I had to go backward and sideways and around and around to figure out who William Nigh really was.

Once I finally figured out that his real name was Emil William Kruschke, rather than Kreuske, some other things fell into place.

Spoiler alert – he was not born in Marathon County.

Birth and Youth

Emil William Kruschke was born on 12 October 1881. It does not seem very likely that he was born in Marathon County. A year before his birth, his parents and older brother lived in Wisconsin, at Aurora, Waushara County.

It is true that Emil did claim to be from Berlin, Wisconsin.43

Wisconsin has a couple Berlins. The one near and dear to our hearts is called Town of Berlin – town as in Township – and is in Marathon County. The other is in Green Lake County. The latter is only five miles from where the Kruschkes lived in 1880.44 Our Town of Berlin is 100 miles away. I believe that the resources who have him born in our Marathon County are wrong. Rats!

In any case, the family did not live in Wisconsin for long. Older brother, Omer was born in Ohio, in 1878. Younger brother Lloyd was born in Ohio in 1885. The town of Piqua, Ohio claimed him. They reported when he came to visit and when he died.45 46 47

The family left Ohio and settled in California. Emil graduated from Berkely High School with the class of 1900 and then attended the University of California where he was involved in theatre. In 1905, five years after he graduated high school, he returned to direct the class play. He did several shows in California over the next few years. He was still using the name Emil Kruschke.48 49 50 51 52 53 54

First Marriage and Theatre

William was married before he married Virginia. As we’ll see later, It did not end well.

He married Citta Cohn on 01 December 1909 in Ogden, Weber, Utah. He was about 28 years old when he married, his bride was about 26.

At some point, the couple moved to New York City. Emil was involved in the theatre. In 1911, he was trusted to take a successful Broadway show on the road to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.55

Silent Films to Talkies

William Nigh had his directorial debut in the silent film Salomy Jane in which he also acted. (see his intro at the 3:56 point in the video below) While he may have still had a Manhattan address, it seems that his work took him back to California. Salomy Jane was the first film made by the California Motion Picture Corporation. The film starred Beatriz Michelena, House Peters, and William Pike.

Nigh for work

By 1914, Emil William Kruschke had become William Nigh for his professional life. With the world war creating anti-German sentiment in the U.S., a name like William Nigh was safer and more palatable in Hollywood. William Nigh is easier to pronounce, spell, and remember too so it made it more commercially viable for credits. William was his middle name, so probably a natural choice. He had an uncle named William Nye, so that is probably where he got the inspiration for his show business name – he just changed the spelling to something that looked clearly American.

Despite a name change, being born in Berlin still almost got him trouble. Newspapers around the country published a story about his trouble at the Canadian border.

William Nigh, widely known for the screen classics he has directed, was detained by customs officials on the Canadian border recently, when he made a flying trip to a small town in Canada to buy some “props” for the big Columbia Metro production, “A Yellow Streak,” in which Lionel Barrymore is starred, and Irene Howley is featured.

The fact that Mr. Nigh carried a small camera with him and said he was born in Berlin, aroused suspicion until he explained further hat he was a motion picture director and that the Berlin he made famous by being born there, is a little town hidden away somewhere in the State of Wisconsin. Mr. Nigh is extremely versatile, and is a successful playwright, musical comedy and screen star, painter of landscapes and portraits, and for a year worked as a cartoonist on a San Francisco newspaper.56

William Nigh acted in at least 37 movies between 1913 and 1925, directed at least 121 films between 1914 and 1948, and got writer credits for 22 movies between 1913 and 1945. His most notable films were Notorious Gallagher, or His Great Triumph (1916), School Days (1921), Born Rich (1924), and She Gets Her Man (1935).57 58

Emil and Citta were living in NYC when he registered for the draft in 1918. They lived at 226 West 49th in Manhattan. He worked as a motion picture director. A footnote indicated he was known as William Nigh. They have not been located in the 1920 Federal Census.

Tough Direction

There are tales that indicate that he was a tough director.

Niles Welch, who plays leads opposite Mary Miles Minter in Metro picture productions, says he is one solid mass of bruises which he gathered following William Nigh’s directions in “Emmy of Stork’s Nest,” a 5-part photoplay the Columbia Picture Corporation has nearly completed for release in the Metro program. But Niles played football with Columbia University and belongs to a lively college fraternity, so a few bruises feel natural to him.59

In another article, Welch, who the studios were likely promoting by keeping him in the news, had further complaints. This article also tells us that Nigh had ties to the famous Lionel Barrymore.

Miles Welch, the young Columbia University graduate, who scored an individual hit playing the lead male role in “Emmy of Stork’s Nest,” is <sic> which little Mary Miles Minter is starred, suffered considerable pain in his eyes from the strong lights used in making the interior scenes. William Nigh, who directed this Metro feature, was much impressed with the work of the young man, and while he was not able to take another big role for the time being, Mr. Night insisted on Welch playing in “A Yellow Streak,” the Columbia-Metro production in which Lionel Barrymore is starred and Irene Howley featured.

When William Nigh, the director of “A Yellow Streak,” finished directing Lionel Barrymore the first day they worked on the feature, both fell to discussing their debut in motion pictures. It developed that Mr. Barrymore was starred in the first scenario Mr. Nigh wrote for the pictures, and which marked the beginning in the business. It was a three-reeler called “The Crook and the Girl,” and was produced by the old Biograph company in Chicago, nearly four years ago. Mr. Barrymore is now being starred with Irene Howley in “A Yellow Streak,” a Columbia-Metro feature which Mr. Nigh also wrote.60

Much later in his directing career. When he was directing the 1939 movie, “I Am A Criminal,” he “demanded more and more realism in the ‘takes.’” Eventually, John Carroll and Craig Reynolds, the actors, “really turned on the heat” resulting in Carroll receiving “a cut under the eye” and Reynolds “injured his nose.”61

William Nigh, 1916.

Propaganda Films

During World War I, Nigh was steadily making movies. Several of these were war propaganda films. In 1918, he directed and co-wrote the movie My Four Years in Germany which recounts the experiences of the American ambassador to Germany, James Gerard. Then in 1919 he directed the documentary-style propaganda drama Beware! in which American ambassador to Germany James W. Gerard warned that Germany would rise again to power and make an attempt at world domination unless safeguard were taken. He also directed The Fighting Roosevelts (1919) and Democracy: The Vision Restored (1920).

Indiscretion, Violence, and almost Divorce

While his career was going well, Emil William Kruschke, a.k.a. William Nigh’s personal life was a mess.

He made the headlines.

He had eyes for an actress named Jean Jarvis.62

There were a couple of problems with that. First, he was still married. Second, other men were interested in Jean too.

He did not like her spending time with other men.

Things got violent.

William Nigh and Jean Jarvis had an affair that started around 1923. They frequently dined together and attended many public functions. She and her mother moved into his house. He bought her a car.

William and his wife Citta separated and signed a property agreement under which she would receive $75 per week from him.63

Abduction

In 1927, Jean was also dating other men. In the summer of 1927, William Nigh attacked one of her suitors, a man named Leonard Benedict. Benedict charged that Nigh came to his home late at night, displaying an officer’s badge, ordered him into an automobile and demanded to know the whereabouts of Miss Jarvis. Benedict says he could not tell because he did not know the woman. He charged that Nigh then intentionally drove his automobile off the road, injuring Benedict and disappearing. Benedict was found injured with the car which bore no license and was arrested. William eventually paid a $500 fine for this incident.

Ambush

At the end of that same year, he attacked another, namely, Edward Usher, Jr., a former Michigan University football star. William had introduced Jean and Usher. Supposedly, her interest in William waned slowly until she stopped seeing him and instead spent many hours in the company of Usher.

That late 1927 incident occurred in Laurel Canyon. Usher alleged that William Nigh, his chauffeur, and another man ambushed Usher, beating him with an automobile crank. He said that he and Jean left their friend’s cabin at 2 a.m. and were sitting in his roadster about ready to leave when Jean noticed that William Nigh was there. Usher said the next thing he knew, the heavy crank of an automobile crashed through a wind wing of his roadster and struck him on the head.

With blood streaming down his face, Usher said he struggled from the car and defended himself against Nigh, while Nigh cried, “Come on boys, let’s get ‘em” and told his companions to not “hurt the girl.” When Usher managed to take the automobile crank away from Nigh, he was hit from behind and when he turned back to Nigh he saw that Nigh had pulled a heavy lead pipe from his pocket to continue the assault. When one of the assailants drew a revolver, Usher shouted and Miss Jarvis or someone else from the party yelled, and his friend came out of the cabin to chase the men away.

William Nigh told a different version of the story. He claimed he was on his way to a friend’s home when he had a flat tire near the house where Usher and others were apparently having a party. Nigh said he was helping his chauffeur fix the tire when the party ended and that he inadvertently ended up in the altercation. Since he had an automobile crank in his hand, he wielded it when the going got “hot” to defend himself. William wasn’t sure that he had actually hit anyone. He “emphatically” denied attacking Usher. He also denied caring about Jean Jarvis and suggested that it was all a “frame-up.”

Cruel circumstances

William left his wife. They reconciled in early 1928 then split again that same summer. She claimed that at some point, William had kicked her in the stomach. His lawyers argued that she could not bring that to court because she lived with him after the incident. Her lawyers argued that it should be considered as part of “a continual chain of cruel circumstances.”64 The altercations with Jean Jarvis’s boyfriends were perhaps the last straw—Citta Kruschke filed for divorce. The proceedings were covered in the newspapers.

Besides recounting the violent incidents, money was discussed. It was disclosed that in 1928, MGM paid William Nigh $1,500 per week for his directing job. $1,500 a week was a lot of money. Received as compensation, that would be about $105,665 in 2025.65 William Nigh claimed that he had added up his earnings for the last year and that he only made about $700 a week rather than $1,500. Citta claimed that their community property was worth about $100,000. William said it was not worth more than $20,000.

Alimony

Their alimony discussions became public information.

When they separated in May 1927, William Nigh agreed to pay Citta $75 a week. As the couple worked through the divorce, the court decided that if Citta needed to live on $75 a week then William should do the same. Well… $75 a week plus another $600 a week for entertaining and his other expenses in his directorial capacity.

Citta also brought Jean Jarvis into the divorce discussions. She charged that Jean had kept house for William. William admitted that Jean and her mother had lived in his house for a year and a half but claimed that it was only a business arrangement. He said that he was the landlord, and she was the tenant and paid rent.

A news clip from August 1929 indicated that the divorce was not approved, ““…Divorce sought but denied—William Nigh (Emil Kruschke) from Citta Kruschke. But Director Nigh must pay his wife $75 a week.” Both were reported as married in their 1930 census entries even though they lived separately.66 67

And by the way, Jean Jarvis was not happy with William Nigh either. She sued him for the title of a car that he had supposedly given her.68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76

Directing and finally Divorce

Golden Age of Hollywood

The 1930s continued to be a busy time for William Nigh as far as directing goes. With advancements in sound, silent films were nearly extinct, so he transitioned into talkies. His list of completed films grew, and he worked with lots of actors, a few of which are still known today. His movies included freight trains careening off the tracks, gold mining, and gangsters. He directed westerns, dramas, comedies, romantic comedies, adventures, mysteries, musicals, and love stories.

They were mostly what we would call “B” movies.

During the Great Depression, people turned to movies as an affordable escape. Theaters often offered double features, newsreels, and cartoons, giving audiences hours of entertainment for a low price.

The studios were cranking things out fast. Directors, like William Nigh, were under contract and the studios ran like factories, churning out films on tight schedules with low budgets. A typical studio might release one or more movies a week.77 78

1930s Movies

Films William Nigh directed during this time included:

Pre-code Era

From 1929-1934 Hollywood produced some of the 20th century’s most progressive films. That time in movie-making is known as the Pre-Code era. This was a time when movies were at their most raucous and racy. Violence and illicit sex were common themes. Movies often had bold subject matters.  

The Motion Picture Production Code (MPPC) did already exist. There had been efforts to censor Hollywood since the beginning of movies. In 1934, the MPPC, or “Hay’s code” started to be enforced. Hays, a Presbyterian leader and others developed the censorship guidelines. Once they were enforced, motion pictures were prohibited from including profanity, nudity (or suggestive nudity, even in silhouette), illegal drug trafficking, inference of sexual perversion, white slavery, ridicule of the clergy, and on and on. Care had to be taken with portrayal of religious ceremonies, the use of firearms, sympathy for criminals, man and woman in bed together, and excessive or lustful kissing, as a few examples.79 80 81

For Nigh, as a director, things were probably more fun before 1934. His 1930 movie Today, was about a wealthy young couple who lost their fortune. The husband was forced to take a job like everyone else. The wife could not handle losing her privileged life so drifted into prostitution. Does that sound like a movie that would have been taboo after the codes were enforced?

Ending the 30s

Despite the codes, Nigh continued cranking out movies:

Divorce Granted

In the midst of his busy production schedule, William Nigh / Emil Kruschke was finally able to get a divorce from Citta in 1937. He complained that her harassment of him, attacking their property agreement, was the reason he lost a $50,000 per year contract with Metro-Goodwyn-Mayer. She filed a suit to collect $24,000 back alimony. So, in October 1936, he filed a suit for divorce.

He got his divorce. Under the final divorce decree, on 15 February 1937, he had to pay Citta $75 a week alimony. That would be comparable to $1,590 a week today.83 84 85 86 87

He was finally a single man.

Life with Victoria

We are finally returning to the main character in this story… Victoria.

We really do not know what Victoria was doing between her January 1931 divorce and April 1938. We can only speculate. It is quite likely that she was working some type of job, maybe in a store or in an office. Given her background and location, it is very possible that she was working at one of the movie studios, perhaps in a behind-the-scenes capacity. She probably lived with her mom and stepdad. In 1940, before Victoria’s divorce from Eckles, stepdad Robert Goetz was working as a gardener with private contracts. At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Goetz rented a home and did not appear to be wealthy.88

We also do not know how long William Nigh and our Virginia, by then Virginia Eckles, dated. Did they know each other from their days in New York? Did they meet in Hollywood? She had been divorced since January 1931 and he since February 1937. It is possible, but totally unproven, that he finally secured his divorce because he wanted to be with Virginia.

It is also unproven, but it is not hard to imagine that they enjoyed life and attended parties with stars and the Hollywood elite. Well, maybe not the elite, elite, but he had worked with a lot of people through the years so certainly knew actors and writers and people from the crew. Having been the parental host to many high school cast parties, I would assume there were lively parties to attend.

In April 1938, they married, having secured a marriage license in Ventura County.89 Their marriage did not make the movie news.

Directing Continued

William Nigh continued directing for another decade.

Some movies were likely more difficult to direct than others. It was reported that Gangster Boy took longer than normal to film, “It took more than three weeks with a great amount of night work to complete the film.” It was further reported that there were three months of preparations before the actual filming could even begin. The writer had daily conferences with either Monogram studios’ production head or with the lead actor’s parents, and sometimes the director was brought into the discussions. The art director, front office, head propman, wardrobe head, casting director, and assistant director were all involved before the picture started filming.

One of the problems that director William Nigh had to solve during filming was whether or not his leads, 16-year old Jackie Cooper and 14-year old Lucy Gilman should kiss on the screen. He took a vote of the more than 150 extras working as high school students – the result was that the pair should really kiss each other on the lips at the end of the scene. 91 92

1940 Census

When the 1940 census was taken Virginia was listed as married to William Nigh. She wasn’t working. His occupation was director in a motion picture studio. His 1939 wages were reported as $5,000+. They lived in a home they owned at 4215 Radford, Los Angeles. The neighbors with whom they shared a census page included a film technician, a grip/property man, a radio announcer/producer, a theatrical booking agent, and actors Helen Broderick, her husband Lester Crawford, and their son Broderick Crawford. Broderick Crawford would go on to win a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Willie Stark in the film All the King’s Men in 1949; the movie won Best Picture as well.93 

In the 1940s, William Nigh was still directing, but he finished fewer movies each year. William was in his 60s, so naturally he would be slowing down, but there was a shift in Hollywood too. During his career, major studios owned theaters, so they were guaranteed a market for their films no matter the quality of the movies. They also had control over their stars making them sign long-term contracts and making them act in multiple movies per year.

By the end of William’s career in 1948, the Supreme Court had ruled that studios could not own theatres, stars were not signing long term contracts, and television was becoming more popular. Victoria’s 3rd cousin, Tom Estes, was an early TV owner and once he had a television at home, he didn’t see any reason to go to the movies – well, unless it was a John Wayne film.

Last Films

Retirement

William Nigh retired from directing during 1948 at the age of 67.

When the 1950 Federal census was taken, Virginia and William Nigh lived next door to her mother and stepfather. Virginia worked as an assistant manager and saleslady in a retail clothing store. William was flagged as having been an invalid for the last six years, which could not have been accurate since he was still directing just two years before the census was taken. Stepdad Robert was working as an operation manager at a retail house furnishings store. Listing the two couples together highlights that William was just a year younger than Virginia’s mother and was five years younger than her stepdad. Virginia was only 48 and the main people in her life were two decades older.96

Deaths

Emil William Kruschke

Virginia’s husband William Nigh (née Emil William Kruschke) was the first to die. He suffered a fatal heart attack at his home at 3506 Mayfield Ave., La Crescenta, on 27 November 1955, at the age of 74. William was pronounced dead at Burbank Hospital.

He and Virginia had been married 17 years at the time of his death. Survivors listed in his California obituaries were only his widow, Virginia, and a brother Omer Kruschke, of Hollywood.

In those obituaries, William was called a retired motion-picture director who had been associated with movies since film work began on the West Coast, working for both MGM and Universal studios. He was remembered for directing Lon Chaney, Jack Gilbert, Joan Crawford, and Kay Francis, and for writing “Forever Yours,” and directing “Thunder” and “Four Walls.” Most of that was true.

William was inurned at the columbarium at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, in Glendale, in a private service. The memorial plaque there lists him as William Nigh. His California obituaries called him William Nigh. His “hometown” papers in Ohio called him “Emil Kruschke,” and included his uncle William M. Nye as a survivor.97 98 99 100 101 102

Dr. John A. Best

We do not know how much contact Virginia had through the years with her biological father, Dr. John A. Best, or whether she traveled back to Missouri for the funeral when he died at 83 years old, on 24 February 1956 at Audrain County Hospital, Mexico, Audrain, Missouri. His cause of death was myocardial chronic and coronary insufficiency; due to arteriosclerosis. He also had a fractured hip. Dr. John was buried at Elmwood Cemetery, Mexico, Audrain, Missouri. Mrs. William Nigh of La Crescenta, Calif. was listed as one of his survivors.103 104 105

Mattie and Robert Goetz

Virginia’s mother, Mattie Jane Sisk Best Magee Goetz, died on 04 March 1971 in San Bernadino County, California, at age 81. Her stepfather Robert Martin Goetz died on 02 January 1963, in Los Angeles County, at age 77. Both were inurned at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Los Angeles, California, with Virginia’s third husband, William Nigh.106 107 108 109

A 4th and Final Husband

Virginia Best Magee Vanderlaan Eckles Nigh married LaRoy Charles Hicks on 12 April 1969 in San Bernadino County, California. She was using the Best surname, her maiden name.110

Nothing is known about Virginia’s life with Hicks. They were married less than two years.

Dead and Forgotten (until now)

Virginia Mary Best Magee Vanderlaan Eckles Nigh Kruschke Hicks died on 04 March 1971 in San Bernadino County, California, at age 68. Her death record lists her surname as Hicks.111

She was buried at Twentynine Palms Cemetery, Twentynine Palms, San Bernadino, California. The grave is unmarked.112

She should have been inurned with her mother, stepfather, and third husband in Forest Lawn Memorial Park where her name was already on the marker.

Columbarium marker, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, Goetz and Nigh.

There was a simple death notice in the paper but no obituary. It just said, “Deceased – Virginia Hicks.”113

Sad.

Her last husband died on 15 November 1974 in Lancaster, Los Angeles, California, and was buried there in Lancaster Cemetery.

Virginia is buried all alone.

Virginia had such an interesting life.

Her story has been lost to history.

It is nice to be able to remember her here.

Where is she in the tree?

Virginia Best was a 2nd great-granddaughter of Mildred Holland and William S. McCall.

Relationship chart: Thomas Leland Estes to Virginia Mary Best.

Notes:

  1. Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), Ancestry.com, Year: 1910; Census Place: Bear Creek, Montgomery, Missouri; Roll: T624_800; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1374813. $ ↩︎
  2. Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), Ancestry.com, Year: 1910; Census Place: St Louis Ward 17, Saint Louis City, Missouri; Roll: T624_819; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0265; FHL microfilm: 1374832. $ ↩︎
  3. 1909. “Have Been Married 52 Years,” 19 Nov: 05. https://www.newspapers.com/image/64332549/ : accessed 30 Jan 2025, The Montgomery Tribune, Montgomery City, Missouri, online images (newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
  4. 1913. “Jonesburg,” 31 Jan: 04. https://www.newspapers.com/image/848751709/ : accessed 02 Feb 2025, Warrenton Banner, Warrenton, Missouri, online archives (newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
  5. 1956. [Dr. John Best] 01 Mar: 10. https://www.newspapers.com/image/752322170/ : accessed 02 Feb 2025, Mexico Weekly Ledger, Mexico, Missouri, online images (www.newspapers.com). $  ↩︎
  6. Ancestry.com, New Jersey, U.S., State Census, 1915 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017), Ancestry.com, New Jersey State Archive; Trenton, NJ, USA; State Census of New Jersey, 1915; Reference Number: L-15; Film Number: 62. $ ↩︎
  7. Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1920; Census Place: Manhattan Assembly District 11, New York, New York; Roll: T625_1204; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 810; Image: 810. $ ↩︎
  8. Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data – Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), Year: 1920; Census Place: Upper Loutre, Montgomery, Missouri; Roll: T625_936; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 126; Image: 903. $ ↩︎
  9. Ancestry.com, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005), Ancestry.com, Registration State: New York; Registration County: Westchester County. $ ↩︎
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  11. Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), www.ancestry.com, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards For Connecticut, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 423. $ ↩︎
  12. 1921. “Mamaroneck Man Weds Movie Star – Unknown to his mother, twenty-two-year-old Theodore Van Derlaan weds Miss Virginia Best, in this village,” 05 Jan: 01, 05.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/713969180/ and https://www.newspapers.com/image/713969224/ : accessed 28 Feb 2025, The Daily Item, Port Chester, New York, online images (newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
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  15. Ancestry.com, New York, State Census, 1925 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), www.ancestry.com, New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 04; Assembly District: 02; City: Mamaroneck; County: Westchester; Page: 61. $ ↩︎
  16. Theodore Vanderlaan later settled in Connecticut and ran a tile business. By 1940, he was married and had kids. After his second wife died, he married in 1971 but was divorced ten years later. He died on 15 May 1986 in Middleton, Middlesex, Connecticut, at the age of 86. ↩︎
  17. Ancestry.com, New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Death Index, 1862-1948 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014), Ancestry.com. $ ↩︎
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  25. “Lady Butterfly,” https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/lady-butterfly-9192#People : accessed 01 Mar 2025, Internet Broadway Database (IBDB), discussion list (ibdb.com). ↩︎
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  27. “Ziegfeld Follies of 1923,” Internet Broadway Database https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1923-9302 ↩︎
  28. “Ziegfeld Follies of 1925, Internet Broadway Database https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1925-397335#OpeningNightCast and https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/ziegfeld-follies-of-1925-397335#ProductionStaff ↩︎
  29. 1923. “Mannequin Contest Features Silk Show – Winner Will Be Picked To-Day—Governor Smith Praises Exposition,” 09 Feb: 02. https://www.newspapers.com/image/542665555/ : accessed 01 Mar 2025, The Brooklyn Citizen, Brooklyn, New York, online images (newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
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  31. 1926. [Wendell Best] 29 Apr: 03. https://www.newspapers.com/image/752384703/ : accessed 27 Feb 2025, Mexico Weekly Ledger, Mexico, Missouri, online images (www.newspapers.com) $. ↩︎
  32. Missouri, Death Certificates, http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1926/1926_00013982.PDF. Death Certificate for John William W. Best; April 22, 1926; Montgomery; #13308; Missouri Digital Heritage, http://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh/. ↩︎
  33. Ancestry.com, Maryland Military Men, 1917-1918 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2000), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Maryland in the World War 1917-1919; Military and Naval Service Records, Volumes I & II. $ ↩︎
  34. Ancestry.com, New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 6. License Number: 14939. $ ↩︎
  35. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 507. Ancestry.com. 5’ 10”, 145 #, blue eyes, blonde hair, light complexion. $ ↩︎
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  42. In the 1940 Federal Census, William Eckles was living in Beverly Hills with a new wife. They were a live-in chauffer and cook for Rouben Mamoulian and his parents. Rouben was a film and theater director who in 1940 was working on The Mark of Zorro. His 1942 draft registration card reported him working at an Elks Club in Pasadena. He died on 23 Mar 1946 in Los Angeles County and there was no mention of his marriage to Virginia in his obituary. ↩︎
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  57. “William Nigh (1881-1955),” IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0631438/?ref_=fn_all_nme_2 : accessed 04 Mar 2025. ↩︎
  58. 1930. “About Nigh,” 16 Dec: 09. https://www.newspapers.com/image/995820815/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, The Morning Press, Santa Barbara, California $ ↩︎
  59. 1915. [William Nigh, director] 24 Oct: 18. https://www.newspapers.com/image/385035006/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025, The Austin American, Austin, Texas, online images (www.newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
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  61. 1939. “Life of Actor One Of Chills, Carroll Finds–Even Director Shivered As Two Players Performed Fight In Icy Waters,” 26 Feb 1939. https://www.newspapers.com/image/298411010/ : accessed 04 Mar 2025, The Miami News, Miami, Florida. $ ↩︎
  62. “Jean Jarvis,” IMDB.  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0419065/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm : accessed 02 Mar 2025. ↩︎
  63. 1936. “Director Kruschke Would Divorce Estranged Wife,” 05 Oct: 36. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380276108/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  64. 1929. “Nigh’s Divorce Lawyers Argue on Kick Charge,” 02 Jul: II-09. https://www.newspapers.com/image/385480471/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  65. “Purchasing Power Today of a US Dollar Transaction in the Past,” MeasuringWorth, 2025 ↩︎
  66. Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0821; FHL microfilm: 2339859. $ ↩︎
  67. Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002), ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0830; FHL microfilm: 2339859 $ ↩︎
  68. 1927. “Fight Climaxes Film Love Feud-Director and Aide Jailed on ex-Grid Star’s Charge-Pair Declared to Have Lain in Ambush for Him-Jean Jarvis, Girl Center of Row, Being Hunted,” 03 Dec: II-06. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380392661/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025. $ ↩︎
  69. 1928. “Emil Kruschke To Go To Trial,” 17 Apr: 06. https://www.newspapers.com/image/683494651/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025, The Whittier News, Whittier, California, online images (newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
  70. 1928. “Makes ‘Only’ $700 Per Week–Director Allowed to Use $75 For Personal Expenses and Give His Wife $75 Also,” 08 Oct: 02. https://www.newspapers.com/image/608485967/ : 02 Mar 2025, Los Angeles Evening Express, Los Angeles, California, online images (www.newspapers.com). $ ↩︎
  71. 1928. [Kruschke divorce] 10 Oct: 40. https://www.newspapers.com/image/411441119/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025, Daily News, New York, New York. $ ↩︎
  72. 1929. [Nigh] 30 Mar: 26. https://www.newspapers.com/image/412176802/ : accessed 04 Mar 2025, Daily News, New York, New York. $ ↩︎
  73. 1929. “Actress Kept Nigh’s House, Is Testimony,” 03 Jul: 03. https://www.newspapers.com/image/608484363/ : accessed 04 Mar 2025, Los Angeles Evening Express, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  74. 1929. “Jean Jarvis Paid Rent, Avers Nigh—Picture Director Explains Arrangement in Answer to Wife’s Suit,” 03 Jul 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/622355615/ : accessed 04 Mar 2025, The Pasadena Post, Pasadena, California. $ ↩︎
  75. 1929. “Matrimonial Entries,” 11 Aug: 19. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1023830132/ : accessed 04 Mar 2025, Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri. $ ↩︎
  76. 1928. “Director Must Curb Expenses – Judge Cuts Kruschke to Allowance Like Wife’s – Film Man Refuses to Raise Alimony Agreed On – Expense Account, However, Granted by Court,” 09 Oct: 25. https://www.newspapers.com/image/385565127/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  77. “William Nigh,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Nigh : accessed 05 Mar 2025. ↩︎
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  79. “Excerpts from Minute Book M.P.P.D.A,” (Hays Code), https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/files/2014/07/DBC.pdf : accessed 05 Mar 2025. ↩︎
  80. Chris Heckmann, “What is Pre-Code Hollywood? The Most Risque Pre-Code Movies Explained,” studiobinder, 12 Jul 2020. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/pre-code-hollywood-movies/#:~:text=Pre%2DCode%20Hollywood%20is%20the,to%20appease%20the%20moral%20majority. : accessed 05 Mar 2025. ↩︎
  81. Marian Luntz, “’Pre-Code’ Films Explained,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 13 Jul 2019. https://www.mfah.org/blogs/inside-mfah/pre-code-films-explained-3-questions#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9CPre%2DCode%E2%80%9D%20Era,did%20that%20in%203%20floors.) : accessed 05 Mar 2025. ↩︎
  82. 1938. “Review – Boy of the Streets,” 05 May: 15. https://www.newspapers.com/image/693166070/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, California Eagle, Los Angeles, California. The review informs us that the movie cost about $50,000. This was Jackie Cooper’s first picture after leaving MGM. This film was at Monogram, the second largest quickie firm. $ ↩︎
  83. Samuel H. Williamson, “Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present,” MeasuringWorth, 2025. $75.00 income in 1937 is equivalent to $1,590.00 income in 2025. ↩︎
  84. 1936. “Divorce Asked,” 05 Oct: 09. https://www.newspapers.com/image/683906280/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, Hollywood, California. $ ↩︎
  85. 1936. “Director Kruschke Would Divorce Estranged Wife,” 05 Oct: 36. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380276108/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
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  88. Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), www.ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T627_377; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 60-1315. $ ↩︎
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  90. 1938. “Familiar Story Told In ‘Romance of Limberlost,’” 14 Jun: 08. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380759805/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  91. 1938. “‘Gangster Boy,’ Coming To Pala, Took Much Work,” 17 Dec: 04. https://www.newspapers.com/image/567922689/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, Daily Times-Advocate, Escondido, California. $ ↩︎
  92. 1938. “All Problems (Even Kissing) Can Be Settled by the Vote,” 28 Oct: 21. https://www.newspapers.com/image/689238326/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, Daily News, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
  93. Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data – United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00377; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 60-1315. $ ↩︎
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  95. 1948. “Hollywood production chart,” 05 Mar: 28. https://www.newspapers.com/image/689343544/ : accessed 05 Mar 2025, Daily News, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
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  98. 1955. “William Nigh, Retired Film Director, Dies,” 29 Nov: III-07. https://www.newspapers.com/image/381097128/ : accessed 03 Mar 2025, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California. $ ↩︎
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  100. 1955. “Film Veteran Nigh, 74, Dies,” 29 Nov: 02. https://www.newspapers.com/image/719067787/ : accessed 28 Feb 2025, Independent, Long Beach, California. $ ↩︎
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  102. 1955. “Emil Kruschke,” 24 Dec: 07. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402229820/ : accessed 02 Mar 2025., Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio. $ ↩︎
  103. 1956. [Dr. John Best] 01 Mar: 10. https://www.newspapers.com/image/752322170/ : accessed 02 Feb 2025, Mexico Weekly Ledger, Mexico, Missouri. $ ↩︎
  104. Missouri, Death Certificates, http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1956/1956_00003707.PDF. Death Certificate for John Best; February _, 1956; Audrain; 3707; Missouri Digital Heritage. ↩︎
  105. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33486832/john_a-best : accessed March 5, 2025), memorial page for Dr John A Best (1 Aug 1872–24 Feb 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 33486832, citing Elmwood Cemetery, Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Robert Libby (contributor 46597154). ↩︎
  106. Ancestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2000), www.ancestry.com, Date: 1960-07-16. $ ↩︎
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  108. Ancestry.com, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2000), www.ancestry.com, Place: Los Angeles; Date: 2 Jan 1963. $ ↩︎
  109. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85409571/robert_martin-goetz : accessed March 5, 2025), memorial page for Robert Martin Goetz (24 Sep 1885–2 Jan 1963), Find a Grave Memorial ID 85409571, citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by: Find a Grave. ↩︎
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