Mary Philbin (1902-1993) was an American actress and a prominent figure in silent cinema during the 1920s. Discovered in a beauty contest, her career took off rapidly, leading her to be named a "WAMPAS Baby Star" in 1922, an accolade for promising young actresses. Her fame is primarily linked to two masterpieces of the silent era: her role as Christine Daaé in *The Phantom of the Opera* (1925), opposite Lon Chaney, and as Dea in *The Man Who Laughs* (1928), alongside Conrad Veidt. Specializing in roles as ethereal and vulnerable heroines, her career came to an abrupt halt with the advent of sound film. After making a few partially sound films, she retired from the screen in the early 1930s, choosing to live the rest of her life in complete privacy and away from the spotlight.