100 years ago today: Movie stars and marriage declared in Spokane

The Spokane Chronicle made an audacious claim in a front page story: “Spokane is becoming established as the courting ground for movie stars!”

This was based on two Spokane-related romances involving major stars.

The first was the already well-known story of how star comedian Harold Lloyd had seen Mildred Davis in a short film and had searched everywhere for her. He finally tracked her down at a private school in Spokane. He cast her in his films and soon married her.

The second story was a new one, involving silent film star Gladys Walton, best known for her film “Pink Tights.”

Walton was in Spokane earlier in the year making a personal appearance at the Liberty Theater in connection with one of her films. She met Henry M. Herbel, who was visiting Spokane in his capacity as assistant district manager of the Universal Film Co.

“He met Miss Walton in a casual manner, and that evening they dined together,” said the Chronicle.

They went their separate ways a few days later, but “correspondence aided the cause of Cupid.” They met again in Los Angeles and dined together. That’s when he proposed.

She initially demurred, because she had just extricated herself from a previous marriage. But later, she sent a telegram in which she said, “‘I’m thinking over your proposal and am strongly inclined to accept.”

They were married in Hollywood on June 26, 1923.

They had six children together, but divorced in 1947.

The Mildred Davis-Harold Lloyd marriage lasted until Mildred’s death in 1969.