Olive Borden

By this point she was a major star but she found it difficult to make the transition from silent films to "talkies". She worked to get rid of her Southern accent but could not overcome her reputation as being difficult. She was still in demand as an actress and continued to work for Columbia and RKO. Borden cut her trademark hair into a short bob and turned herself into a modern flapper. She made several movies in the early 1930s but her career stalled. Her last screen credit came in 1934 in the film Chloe, Love Is Calling You. She moved to New York where she had a brief stage career and made a living on the vaudeville circuit. By the late 1930s she had filed for bankruptcy and took a job at Macy's department store. Read Less

Her Army career ended after she was hospitalized in Walter Reed medical center with a severe foot injury. After her honorable discharge she attempted an unsuccessful comeback in films. She was now struggling with alcoholism and numerous health problems. Borden's final years were spent in the skid row section of Los Angeles scrubbing floors at the Sunshine Mission, a home for destitute women. Read Less