<About his complicated relationships with women and his ideal images of them> (written by me)
Joyce Moore and Frank Mayo in a group photo of Balboa Players at a ball at the Hotel Virginia. (The Moving Picture World, 4 March 1916)
His first wife was Joyce Eleanor Moore. They were married in England.(*Photoplay, Apr 1917) Later, they moved to America and worked at Balboa Studios. One article describes Joyce Moore's conjugal pastime was throwing lamps at her husband.(*Motion Picture Magazine, January 1922) In 1919, they are separated. In 1920, Joyce Moore charged Dagmar Godowsky, a vamp-type actress and a daughter of famous pianist Leopold Godowsky, with being the home-breaker.(*Photoplay, May 1920)
Frank Mayo received interlocutory decree of divorce. 3 days later, he married Dagmar Godowsky in Tia Juana, Mexico, because California laws require a divorced person to wait one year before marrying again. In other words, he married Dagmar before his divorce decree became final. The wedding day was October 1, 1921. Like Rudolph Valentino, Henry Walthall, he was investigated for bigamy. Unlike the general press, movie magazines incorrectly reported that Frank Mayo had married Dagmar after his divorce was finalized, which gave Mayo and Dagmar's marriage considerable support. The disgrace was that his picture appeared in the newspaper next to Henry Walthall's photo while he was investigated for bigamy, and the problem was that Lormy had no reason to flee to another country and marry whereas Henry Walthall had reason to flee to another state and marry(his mistress, Mary Charleson, had already given birth to his baby eight months earlier), so unlike Henry Walthall's marriage, Lormy's marriage could only be seen as bigamy no matter how they look at it. It must have left a huge stain on his career.
”Often, when the subject of Mrs. Mayo's career is broached, there is a friendly argument between husband and wife, for Frank wishes her to be content as the wife of a man who adores her."(*Pantomime, Feb 25, 1922) In response to Dagmar Godowsky's question, “But Frank, do married women have no rights? Must I sit at home just because I am your wife?” Lormy is said to have replied, “You must.”(*Pantomime, Feb 25, 1922) He once said, "I don't believe a woman should work after she is married.(*Photoplay, June 1922) I personally think that home life is happier for a woman's remaining in the home and making a career of domestic life; yet I sympathize with my wife's ambitions, and I know we shall continue to be happy no matter what happens."(*Picture-Play, April 1922) His idealized image of a woman seems to reflect Belle Stoddard Johnstone rather than his mother.
Frank Mayo and Dagmar Godowsky (Picture-Play, April 1922)
Frank Mayo and Dagmar Godowsky (Photoplay, April 1923)
In 1923, Joyce attempted to have the decree of divorce set aside. Joyce Moore said that she was not notified of the divorce proceedings. Frank Mayo said that she was.(*Photoplay, January 1923)
In 1925, one article reported that "Here it is almost the season for brides and not a single film star has announced her engagement. More of them seem to be contemplating divorce. Dagmar Godowsky is getting one from Frank Mayo but it seems to be that the papers have been full of that for years."(*Picture-Play, Jun 1925) The event that cemented Dagmar Godowsky's decision to divorce was her husband's involvement with Anna Luther.
Anna Luther (Motion Picture Magazine, August 1918)
Anna Luther (Motion Picture Magazine, Feb 1920)
"Anna Luther was a Keystone-Triangle leading lady during 1915-16, who left for Foxfilm comedies and feature films in the 1920s."(*Brent E. Walker, Mack Sennett's Fun Factory, p.591) Dagmar Godowsky named Anna Luther as co-respondent in a suit brought against Frank Mayo in March 1925. Dagmar Godowsky discovered her husband with Anna Luther in his apartment. She claimed that her husband was wearing only a bathrobe and Anna Luther was trying to get dressed in a hurry.
When Dagmar said, “Now I can get my divorce.”, Frank Mayo reportedly said, “But why bother about that?” Dagmar then said, “You and I were never legally married and so the courts have nothing to say about parting us.”(*The Troy Sunday Budget, Troy, New York, Jul 12, 1925)
Meanwhile, Anna Luther claimed that she had been friends with Frank Mayo since the days when she was still at Keystone Studios and was merely comforting Mayo, who was suffering from a headache. "It looks pretty funny to me, Don't forget that Dagmar herself was the co-respondent in Frank Mayo's first divorce suit," unashamed but witty Anna Luther said.
In the same year, 1925, Frank Mayo applied for $2500 attorney fees to permit Joyce Moore to appear in connection with a suit between them over a property settlement that they had entered into in 1923. Joyce Moore was said to be in England and without means to come to America and appear in the suit over the contract under which Frank Mayo was to pay her $150 a week alimony. Joyce Moore also filed a motion after the interlocutory decree was entered, asking her default be set aside on the ground that she had been unable to come to America and fight the divorce suit. She was said to have been working at the time in Paris, France, as a chorus girl at a salary of $25 a week. During the arguments in the new case it developed that a final decree of divorce had never been entered.(*Photoplay, January 1925)
However, I think that only movie fans were unaware that their divorce was not yet final but the parties (Frank Mayo and Joyce Moore) were aware of that. (There were reports in the general press outside of movie magazines that Frank Mayo's marriage was being investigated for bigamy.)
This is what made marriage between Mayo and Godowsky was annulled.
In May 29, 1925, He is granted a final decree of divorce from Joyce Moore.
An article about the preview of the 1927 film Ragtime, directed by Scott Pembroke, reveals that the hostess of the preview was Joyce Moore. The article describes Joyce Moore as “Mrs. Frank Mayo” and “known in stage and screen circles as Joyce Mayo”.(*Moving Picture World, 27 Aug 1927)
Margaret Shorey (The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida, Dec 7, 1925)
In August 25, 1928, Frank Mayo married vaudeville performer Margaret Louise Shorey. The wedding took place in Lynchburg, Virginia, where the two were filling a stage engagement.(*Picture-Play, Jul 1929) They lived together according to United States Census, 1930 and United States Census in 1940.
Lormy wrote "Isabelle Johnstone(aunt)" on the space 'Name and address of person who will always know your address' on his WW2 draft registration.
Lormy may have married English-born woman named Evelyn according to the United States Census, 1950.
