Born on August 1, 1898, in Norfolk, Virginia, Pearl Eaton was introduced to the world of performing arts at a young age. She performed professionally with her six siblings as part of The Dancing Eatons, laying the foundation for her future career in entertainment.
Pearl made her Broadway debut in Robinson Crusoe, Jr. at the age of seventeen and then went on to tour with The Passing Show. While on the road, she met her first husband, violinist Harry Levant. The pair had a daughter named Doris, but would divorce in 1928.
In 1918, Pearl was hired on as a chorus dancer for The Ziegfield Follies, and Flo Ziegfield himself reportedly said that Pearl had the most beautiful legs in America. After leaving the Follies, she became professionally involved with producer Charles Dillingham and became the only female musical comedy producer in New York.
After starring in several more Broadway shows and finding great success, she moved to Los Angeles in the late 1920s and worked as a dance director and choreographer for RKO Studios.
However, the Great Depression saw her career, as well as those of her famous family, decline precipitously, and though she did get a few small roles in RKO films during the 1930s, she eventually fell back on teaching at the Ernest E. Ryan School of Dancing.
Pearl Eaton, as well as some of her siblings, had suffered some personal setbacks over the years; several of them battled alcoholism and prescription drug dependence, for example, and Pearl herself became a recluse after the death of her second husband, Dick Enderly, in 1952. Whether any of this had anything to do with Pearl’s tragic end is anyone’s guess.
The events leading up to Pearl’s murder are still a subject of speculation. On September 10th, 1958, neighbors reported hearing loud noises coming from her apartment, followed by an eerie silence. Concerned for her well-being, they alerted the authorities.
Pearl was found brutally beaten and lifeless in her Manhattan Beach apartment, lying in a pool of blood. The investigation revealed signs of forced entry, indicating that someone had broken into her home with malicious intent. The exact sequence of events leading to her untimely demise remains unclear, as the case quickly grew cold due to a lack of substantial evidence.
The circumstances surrounding Pearl Eaton’s murder have led to numerous theories and speculations over the years. Some believe that her troubled personal life may have played a role in her death, while others suggest a more sinister motive related to her involvement in the entertainment industry.
However, without concrete evidence or witnesses coming forward, the truth behind her murder continues to elude investigators, and the crime remains unsolved more than sixty years later.
Crime Immemorial 