, ▁ 1 9 4 0 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁actress ▁in ▁silent ▁and ▁in ▁early ▁sound ▁films . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁Ch ad wick ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁Ch ad wick s , ▁New ▁York , ▁which ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁her ▁great - grand father . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁George ▁W . ▁Ch ad wick ▁Jr . ▁and ▁Marie ▁Louise ▁N orton ▁Ch ad wick . ▁Her ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁singer ▁who ▁performed ▁on ▁the ▁stage ▁and ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁business ▁man . ▁ ▁She ▁began ▁making ▁films ▁for ▁Pat he ▁Pictures ▁in ▁Manh attan , ▁New ▁York . ▁Her ▁first ▁film ▁was ▁The ▁Challenge ▁( 1 9 1 6 ), ▁which ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁A stra ▁Film ▁Corporation ▁and ▁released ▁by ▁Pat he . ▁A ▁director ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁Ch ad wick s ' s ▁talent ▁as ▁an ▁e quest rian , ▁thus ▁she ▁began ▁acting ▁as ▁a ▁western ▁star ▁but ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁continue ▁with ▁the ▁ex od us ▁of ▁film ▁production ▁from ▁the ▁east ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁coast . ▁Sign ed ▁by ▁Samuel ▁Gold w yn , ▁Ch ad wick ▁went ▁to ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁entered ▁silent ▁mov ies ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁At ▁the ▁p inn acle ▁of ▁her ▁acting ▁career , ▁she ▁earned ▁a ▁sal ary ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁$ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁week . ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 5 ,