- Born
- Died
- Birth nameHelen Marie Jurgens
- Height5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
- Helen Twelvetrees was born Helen Marie Jurgens in Brooklyn, New York on December 25, 1908. Her interest in the theatricals was apparent at an early age. After graduating from high school. Helen embarked on a stage career. She participated in a number of plays in New York City, but gravitated toward film when she headed to the West Coast in late 1928. In 1929, Helen appeared in her first motion picture called THE GHOST TALKS. That was quickly followed by WORDS AND MUSIC and BLUE SKIES that same year. Through the early thirties, Helen appeared in a number of movies. Audiences appreciated the pixish, little blonde and the roles she played. Perhaps one of her finest roles was a June Perry in STATE'S ATTORNEY (1932) opposite John Barrymore. Helen's character was romantically involved with the district attorney and plays the part with absolute conviction. Helen continued a hectic filming pace until 1936. She filmed five movies in 1935, but played in only THOROUGHBRED in '36. In 1938, Helen went through a drought and made her last film the following year in UNMARRIED. Helen's film career had ended. Through the balance of her life there seemed to be a void. On February 13, 1958, died after she took an overdose of sedatives. She was 49.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson
- Born in New York, Helen was schooled at the Brooklyn Heights Seminary before heading to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1927, Helen Jurgens married Clark Twelvetrees and became Helen Twelvetrees. With some stage experience, Helen went to Hollywood with a number of other actors to replace the silent stars that could not or would not make the transition to talkies. Her first job was with Fox and she appeared in 'The Ghost Talks (1929)'. Being that Helen was blonde and short, she was usually cast as the fallen or betrayed woman such as Elsa in 'A Woman of Experience (1931)'. But she also played the girl friend in 'Is My Face Red? (1932)' and the heroine in 'Her Man (1930)'. Most of her films were made at RKO, where she landed after leaving Pathe and Fox. By 1935, the public had grown tired of her roles and directors had grown weary of her temperament. While she would appear in a few small roles toward the end of the decade, her career in films was over. In 1958, Helen died of a drug overdose.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Fontana < [email protected]>
- SpousesConrad Ralph Payne(1947 - February 13, 1958) (her death)Jack Woody(April 21, 1931 - April 15, 1936) (divorced, 1 child)Leroy Clark Twelvetrees(February 28, 1927 - March 26, 1930) (divorced)
- ChildrenFrank Woody Jr.
- ParentsWilliams Jurgens
- She met her first husband, Clark Twelvetrees, while both were enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. They eloped to Greenwich, Connecticut in 1927. They both worked in New York's theatre town -- she as an actress and he as a stage manager -- but he couldn't get his acting career going and turned to alcohol. They divorced in 1931 and he died seven years later of acute alcoholism following a street brawl.
- Helen was an accomplished artist and painted scenes during her travels around the world with her military husband.
- First husband, Clark Twelvetrees was a despairing alcoholic who tried to commit suicide by throwing himself out a seventh floor window. He was saved by landing on a second floor awning. The tabloids accused Helen of deliberately pushing him out the window and was only released from custody after her husband regained consciousness and was able to tell the truth.
- During the time of her popularity, a popular joke was that she was Lassie's favorite actress.
- Her first screen role required her to lisp and, following the movie's release, word spread that she had a serious speech impediment.
- Between pictures I go away. I think that is the best way to achieve happiness in Hollywood, the only way to keep one's perspective. If you stay too close to the motion picture colony you lose your sense of values.
- I'm tired of taking the blame if the picture wasn't good. A star's years on the screen are limited. The featured players have many years. A star has too much footage in the picture. It seems to me I'm the perpetually pure-at-heart streetwalker, always drooping over bars while some director says, 'Now, Helen, you must be very sweet about this naughty line. Remember, you haven't the faintest idea what it means!'
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content