Edwina Booth (September 13, 1909 - May 18, 1991) was an American actress born Josephine Constance Woodruff in Provo, Utah. She is best known for the 1931 film Trader Horn during the filming of which she contracted an illness which effectively ended her movie career. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Utah city, see Provo, Utah. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Trader Horn (1931) was the first film shot on location in Africa. ...

Booth's brief film career began in 1928 with the Dorothy Arzner-directed Manhattan Cocktail which also featured Nancy Carroll and Richard Arlen. MGM was impressed with her, and cast Booth as an up-and-comer in its new jungle epic Trader Horn opposite Harry Carey. Dorothy Arzner, born on January 3, 1897 in San Francisco, California, was a pioneering director during the Golden Age of Hollywood, a period in which there were few if any other women directors. ... Nancy Carroll (November 19, 1903 – August 6, 1965) was an American actress. ... Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (September 1, 1898 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... Harry Carey (January 16, 1878–September 21, 1947) was an American actor and one of silent films earliest superstars. ...

With MGM having a fairly large budget, filming took place on location in East Africa. Up until 1929, the only films shot in Africa were travelogues, but MGM was hoping that the idea of "location shooting" might increase the film's commercial appeal. Thus the crew was inexperienced and ill-equipped for filming in Africa, a problem exacerbated by MGM's last-minute decision to shoot the film with sound. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In addition to the heat and insects, Booth contracted malaria during shooting. Her role in the film as "The White Godess" [sic] required that she be very scantily clad, no doubt increasing her susceptibility. Production went on for several months (much longer than average production time in those days). Despite the problems with the film's production, Trader Horn was a success, securing an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Malaria is an infectious disease that is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. ... Sic is a Latin word meaning thus or so, used inside brackets [sic] to indicate that an unusual (or incorrect) spelling, phrase, or other preceding quoted material is intended to be read or printed exactly as shown, and is not a transcription error. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Booth, however, fared much worse as it took her six years to fully recover physically. She sued MGM for over a million dollars, claiming she had been provided with inadequate protection and inadequate clothing during the African shoot. She also claimed she had been forced to sunbathe nude for extended periods during filming. The case received a lot of attention in the tabloids and was eventually settled out of court, the terms not disclosed.

Although she appeared in a few subsequent serials, Booth's acting career never recovered. She withdrew completely from the public eye, although it's said she became more active in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints circles. There were many false rumours and reports of her demise until her death in 1991. This is the current Mormon collaboration of the month! Please help improve it to meet the Featured Article standard. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Reference

• Parish, James Robert. The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More than 125 American Movie and TV Idols. Contemporary: New York, 2002.

External link

• Edwina Booth at the Internet Movie Database