{{Short description|American actress (1897–1982)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Hope Hampton | image = Hopehampton.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Mae Elizabeth Hampton | birth_date = {{birth date|1897|02|19}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|01|23|1897|02|19}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | occupation = Actress, Producer | years_active = 1918–1938 | spouse = Jules Brulatour (m.1924-1946; his death) | children = 1 }} '''Mae Elizabeth Hampton''' (February 19, 1897 – January 23, 1982), known professionally as '''Hope Hampton''', was an American actress and soprano. She was a silent motion picture actress and producer noted for her seemingly effortless incarnation of siren and flapper types in silent-picture roles during the 1920s. She was also an opera singer.<ref>''The Opera Singer and the Silent Film'' by Paul Fryer, c.2005</ref><ref name="Purnick">{{cite news|title=HOPE HAMPTON, OPERA SINGER AND FIRST-NIGHTER, DIES AT 84|first=Joyce|last= Purnick|work=The New York Times|page=A28|date=January 25, 1982|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/25/obituaries/hope-hampton-opera-singer-and-first-nighter-dies-at-84.html}}</ref>
==Early life and silent movie career== The daughter of Ellsworth Kraft Hampton<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Gets Father's Estate|work=New York Daily News|date= July 21, 1937|page= 43}}</ref> and his wife Evelyn Grace Hampton,<ref>Evelyn G Hampton in the ''1900 United States Federal Census''</ref> Hope Hampton was born in Houston, Texas on February 19, 1897.<ref>{{cite book|title= Who Sang What on Broadway, 1866–1996|first=Ruth|last= Benjamin|first2=Arthur |last2=Rosenblatt|year= 2025|isbn=9781476632322|publisher=McFarland & Company|page=333|chapter=Hope Hampton}}</ref> She was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/10/16/archives/recognition-at-last-being-something-about-the-struggles-and.html|title=RECOGNITION AT LAST; Being Something About the Struggles and Emergence of Hope Hampton|work=The New York Times|page=4|date=October 16, 1927}}</ref> She attended H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College in New Orleans.<ref name="WWS">{{cite book|title=Who's Who on the Screen|page=158|year=1920|chapter=Hope Hampton|publisher=Ross Publishing Co.|last1=Fox|first1=Fox Charles Donald|last2=Fox Silver|first2= Milton L}}</ref> There she participated in student productions of plays.<ref name="NOS"/> Wishing to pursue a career as an actress, she studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (then known as the Sargent Dramatic School) in New York City.<ref name="NOS">{{cite news|title=Two Parts of the Trio|first=George|last=Landry|date=May 1920|page=15|work=Photo-Play Journal}}</ref>
Hampton won a newspaper beauty contest in Dallas after one of her friends submitted her photograph to a local paper. The attention from this led to an offer to work in silent films.<ref name="NOS"/> She first worked for director Maurice Tourneur in a minor uncredited part in ''Woman'' (1918).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Blue Book of the Screen|editor-first=Ruth|editor-last= Wing|page=107|year= 1924|publisher=Pacific Gravure Company}}</ref> Through Tourneur she met American silent cinema pioneer Jules Brulatour.<ref name="WWS"/> Brulatour, who was then married to Dorothy Gibson, began an affair with Hope and his marriage to Gibson ended in divorce in 1919.<ref>{{cite book|pages=311–312|title=Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived|year=2012|publisher=Windsor Paragon|last=Wilson|first=Andrew|isbn=978-1451671575}}</ref> Brulatour was determined to make Hope a star, and founded Hope Hampton Productions to make films with her as his leading actress.<ref name="EVE">{{cite book|title=John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|year=2013|last= Golden|first= Eve |pages=42–43|isbn=9780813141626}}</ref> Her first leading role in a film with this company was in the title part of ''A Modern Salome'' (1920).<ref name="WWS"/>
She went on to feature prominently in several Brulatour-financed films. In 1923, Hampton and Brulatour wed. They remained married until his death in 1946.<ref name="Purnick"/>
==Soprano== A lyric soprano,<ref>{{cite news|title=Beauty Contest Winner Will Sing Grand Opera|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=October 28, 1928|page=9, section Society}}</ref> Hampton was trained as an opera singer by voice teachers Pietro Cimini<ref>{{cite news|title=Cimini Voice Pupils in Eastern Opera and Concert Successes|work=Los Angeles Evening Express|date= January 23, 1929|page= 18}}</ref> and Estelle Liebling; the latter also the teacher of Beverly Sills.<ref name="Dean Fowler">{{cite thesis|title=Estelle Liebling: An exploration of her pedagogical principles as an extension and elaboration of the Marchesi method, including a survey of her music and editing for coloratura soprano and other voices|first=Alandra|last=Dean Fowler|year=1994|type=PhD|publisher=University of Arizona}}</ref> She began her career in light operas while still performing as a film actress.<ref>{{cite news|title=Movie Star Goes Operatic|first=Roy|last=Gilmore|work=Brooklyn Eagle|date= April 14, 1929|page= 12}}</ref> In 1924 she portrayed the title role in the United States premiere of Leo Fall's operetta ''Madame Pompadour'' at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite news|title=New Music Play at the Forrest|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= October 28, 1924|page= 8}}</ref> In 1927 she starred in the title role (aka Minnie Johnson) of Alfred E. Aarons's operetta ''My Princess'' at Broadway's Shubert Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/10/16/archives/recognition-at-last-being-something-about-the-struggles-and.html?searchResultPosition=22|title=RECOGNITION AT LAST; Being Something About the Struggles and Emergence of Hope Hampton|work=The New York Times|page=4|date=October 16, 1927}}</ref> She made her grand opera debut with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company (PGOC) on December 21, 1928 in the title role of Jules Massenet's ''Manon'' at the Academy of Music;<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Has Opera Debut Here|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= December 22, 1928|page= 2}}</ref> a role which she partially recorded in a 1929 short film made by Vitaphone.<ref>{{cite news|title=''Noah's Ark'' Celebrates Winter Garden Premiere|work=New York Daily News|date= March 13, 1929|page= 48}}</ref> She returned to the PGOC in 1929 as Mimì in ''La bohème'' with Dimitri Onofrei as Rodolfo, Mary Mellish as Musetta, and Artur Rodziński conducting.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= March 1, 1929|page=2|title=''Boheme'' is Given With Hope Hampton|first=Linton|last=Martin}}</ref>
Hampton had critical triumphs as both Manon and Mimì at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in the summer of 1929;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_american-cinematographer_1929-12_10_9/mode/2up?q=%22Hope+Hampton%22|date=December 1929|title=Screen Star's Voice Captivates Paris|work=American Cinematographer|page=22|volume=X|number=9|editor-first=Hal|editor-last= Hall}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Continues to Attract the Praise of Paris|work=The Musical Courier|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_music-magazine-and-musical-courier_1929-08-10_99_6/page/10/mode/1up?q=%22Hope+Hampton%22|page=11|date=August 10, 1929}}</ref> making her European debut at that theatre on June 21, 1929.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paris Debut Praised. Hope Hampton Scores as Manon|work=Kansas City Journal|date= June 22, 1929|page= 6}}</ref> In 1930 she appeared as Marguerite in ''Faust'' for her first appearance at the {{ill|Théâtre du Casino Grand-Cercle|fr}} in Aix-les-Bains,<ref>{{cite news|work=Santa Ana Daily Register|date= August 9, 1930|page= 14|title=With the Artists: Hope Hampton Triumphs}}</ref> and portrayed Manon at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liege,<ref>{{cite news|title=Sensation Scored By Hope Hampton in Belgium Opera|work=Los Angeles Daily News|date= July 2, 1930|page= 4}}</ref> the Opéra de Vichy,<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Wins Acclaim at Vichy|work=The San Francisco Examiner|date= July 11, 1930|page= 1}}</ref> and at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton's L.A. Opera Debut Brilliant Event|work=Illustrated Daily News|date= October 7, 1930|page= 20}}</ref> On September 25, 1930 she sang the role of Marguerite for her debut at the San Francisco Opera.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Scored Triumph in Role of Marguerite|work=The San Francisco Examiner|date= September 26, 1930|page= 21}}</ref> She also performed several roles at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in 1930,<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton for Monte Carlo|work=The Musical Courier|date=April 19, 1930|page=28}}</ref> and appeared at the Paris Opera in December of that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Goes With Paris Opera|work=Variety|date=July 30, 1930}}</ref>
In 1931 Hampton's mother, who had earlier divorced Hope's father and was now married to Harry C. Kennedy, died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite news|title=Death Takes Mother of Hope Hampton|work=Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph|date= December 9, 1931|page= 14}}</ref> In 1933 she performed the title role in ''Thaïs'' with the Montreal Grand Opera Company,<ref>{{cite news|title=''Thais'' At Imperial|url=https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-mcgill-daily-v23-n021-october-31-1933-8274/page/n1/mode/1up?q=%22Hope+Hampton%22|work=The McGill Daily|volume= 23|number=21|date=October 31, 1933}}</ref> and appeared as Manon at La Fenice in Venice.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton to Sing in Venice|work=New York Daily News|date=June 23, 1933|page=47}}</ref> She sang Manon at the Boston Opera House in February 1934 with Mario Chamlee as Des Grieux and Mario Valle as Lescaut;<ref>{{cite news|title=Grand Opera|work=The Boston Globe|date= February 8, 1934|page= 29}}</ref> repeating the role with the Chicago Grand Opera Company the following December.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hope Hampton Gains Success in Debut Here|work=Chicago Tribune|date= December 11, 1934|page= 17}}</ref>
==Brief return to film and later life== She returned to the screen in ''The Road to Reno'' (1938), a film directed by her husband which co-starred Randolph Scott and Glenda Farrell.
Later she was known as "The Duchess of Park Avenue",<ref name="Purnick"/> a leading member of New York's social set.
In 1978, she was crowned Queen of the Beaux Arts Ball.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beauxartssociety.org/19356.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2014-02-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215095556/http://beauxartssociety.org/19356.html |archivedate=December 15, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> She presided with King Arthur Tracy.
She died of a heart attack on January 23, 1982 in New York City. She was 84 years old.<ref name="Purnick"/>
==Personal life== Hampton and Brulatour took a honeymoon trip to Egypt, there a Sheikh offered Brulatour £10,000 British pounds to buy his wife. Brulatour smiled at the Sheikh and told him that Mrs. Brulatour's jewels were worth more than that.
Brulatour also gave Hope Hampton a 5-story home on Park Avenue (built in 1885 and redesigned in 1921 by Emery Roth). It was listed for $9 million in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tzeses|first=Jennifer|title=Tour Hope Hampton's $9 Million Park Avenue Home|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/hope-hamptons-park-avenue-home|access-date=2021-05-11|website=Architectural Digest|date=August 3, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Complete filmography== thumb|Hope Hampton on the cover of Motion Picture Classic magazine, Feb 1922, cover art by Benjamin Eggleston (1867-1937). {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! class="unsortable" | Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1918 || ''Woman'' || || |- |1920 || ''A Modern Salome'' || Virginia Hastings || '''Lost''' film |- |rowspan=2| 1921 || ''The Bait'' || Joan Grainger || '''Lost''' film |- |''Love's Penalty'' || Janis Clayton ||'''Lost''' film |- |rowspan=2|1922 || ''Stardust'' || Lily Becker || |- |''The Light in the Dark'' || Bessie MacGregor || A condensed 33 minute version survives, the original is '''lost''' |- |rowspan=4| 1923 || ''Lawful Larceny'' || Marion Dorsey || '''Lost''' film |- |''Hollywood'' || Herself || '''Lost''' film |- |''The Gold Diggers'' || Jerry La Mar || An '''incomplete''' copy exists, with reels 2 and 3 missing |- |''Does It Pay?'' || Doris Clark || '''Lost''' film |- |rowspan=2|1924 || ''The Truth About Women'' || Hilda Carr || '''Lost''' film |- |''The Price of a Party'' || Grace Barrows ||'''Incomplete''' |- |rowspan=3|1925 || ''Fifty-Fifty'' || Ginette || '''Lost''' film |- |''Marionettes'' || || Short subject |- | ''Lover's Island'' || Clemmy Dawson || |- |1926 || ''The Unfair Sex'' || Shirley Chamberlain || |- |rowspan=2|1927 || ''Springtime of Love'' || || Short subject |- |''The Call of the Sea'' || || Short Subject |- |1938 || ''The Road to Reno'' || Hope Hampton || |- |1961 || ''Hey, Let's Twist!'' || Herself || Cameo |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Hope Hampton}} *{{IMDb name|0358991}} *{{IBDB name|43977}} *[https://broadway.cas.sc.edu/content/hope-hampton Hope Hampton: Broadway Photographs](Univ. of South Carolina)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, Hope}} Category:1897 births Category:1982 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American operatic sopranos Category:American silent film actresses Category:Actresses from Texas Category:20th-century American actresses Category:American women film producers