Madeline (Madeleine) (November 15, 1900 â€" January 15, 1989) and her
twin sister Marion Fairbanks (November 15, 1900 â€" September 20,
1973) were American stage and motion picture actresses active in the
silent era. The two sisters were seemingly inseparable. However, their
Thanhouser filmographies are slightly different, as on occasion one
twin appeared in a film without the other.Born in New York City, the
twins were mainly educated by private tutors at home and while
traveling. Their mother was actress Jennie M. Fairbanks, a.k.a. Jane
Fairbanks, and their father was the son of Nathaniel Fairbanks, who
served in the American Civil War, and a descendant of Jonathan
Fairbanks, a Massachusetts hero of the Revolution. Madeline and Marion
had an older brother, Robert.The twins began their career on the stage
in such productions as Alias Jimmy Valentine, Mother, Salomy Jane,
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, and countless others. Starting in
1909 they performed with Nora Bayes in The Jolly Bachelors. Madeline
wrote a note to President William Howard Taft, who received the twins
at a private reception when they performed in Washington, D.C. After
the meeting, he presented them with an autographed picture. At first
Marion desired to be a dramatic actress while Madeline aspired to
playing comedic roles.They entered films with Biograph circa 1910.
They joined the Thanhouser Film Corporation in 1912, where they were
billed as "The Thanhouser Twins", and remained there until 1916. The
Fairbanks sisters appeared with Teddie Gerard in the cast of the
Florenz Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic in August 1920.
twin sister Marion Fairbanks (November 15, 1900 â€" September 20,
1973) were American stage and motion picture actresses active in the
silent era. The two sisters were seemingly inseparable. However, their
Thanhouser filmographies are slightly different, as on occasion one
twin appeared in a film without the other.Born in New York City, the
twins were mainly educated by private tutors at home and while
traveling. Their mother was actress Jennie M. Fairbanks, a.k.a. Jane
Fairbanks, and their father was the son of Nathaniel Fairbanks, who
served in the American Civil War, and a descendant of Jonathan
Fairbanks, a Massachusetts hero of the Revolution. Madeline and Marion
had an older brother, Robert.The twins began their career on the stage
in such productions as Alias Jimmy Valentine, Mother, Salomy Jane,
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, and countless others. Starting in
1909 they performed with Nora Bayes in The Jolly Bachelors. Madeline
wrote a note to President William Howard Taft, who received the twins
at a private reception when they performed in Washington, D.C. After
the meeting, he presented them with an autographed picture. At first
Marion desired to be a dramatic actress while Madeline aspired to
playing comedic roles.They entered films with Biograph circa 1910.
They joined the Thanhouser Film Corporation in 1912, where they were
billed as "The Thanhouser Twins", and remained there until 1916. The
Fairbanks sisters appeared with Teddie Gerard in the cast of the
Florenz Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic in August 1920.
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