Olive Thomas (1894-1920) was born in Pennsylvania.She did not have much of a childhood.Life in industrial Pittsburgh was depressing and grim.She married at the age of 16 but the marriage wasn't happy and they divorced two years later.She left Pittsburgh for NY, where she found work in a department store.On a lark,she entered a competition for the most beautiful girl in NYC:she won.With the ensuing publicity,she caught the eye of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and immediately joined his famed Follies.Her 1st film:a success(1916).She married Jack Pickford,brother of screen star Mary Pickford.The relationship was a stormy one.By 1920,Olive was at the top of the film world.Olive and Jack sailed to France for a much-needed vacation.The couple finally seemed happy…She accidentally ingested bi-chloride of mercury from a French-labeled bottle in a darkened bathroom, believing it to be another medication.Found unconscious,she died 5 days later.The death was ruled accidental.She was only 25.