Gladys Brockwell (née Lindeman; September 26, 1894 – July 2, 1929) was an American actress whose career began during the silent film era. She took on the stage name Gladys Brockwell and made her film debut in 1913 for Lubin Studios. Within a short time, she was starring in a number of films. Developing her craft, she moved to Hollywood, where she garnered a role in the acclaimed 1922 version of Oliver Twist and in The Hunchback of Notre Dame the following year.

 

Her mother, Lillian, took to the screen in 1914 and also adopted the surname Brockwell, first as Lillian Brockwell, then as Billie Brockwell, achieving fame in her own right but after her daughter. The name Brockwell appears to be a corruption of Gladys' fiance's surname, Broadwell, but may stem from a remarriage of Lillian around 1907/8 with both mother and daughter taking a new surname.

 

By the mid-1920s, she was past the age of 30 and, although still given top female billing, Brockwell performed mainly in supporting roles. Regarded as one of the finest character actresses of the day who not only adapted to sound films but excelled in them, her first appearance in a "talkie" came in 1928 in Lights of New York. Her performance received strong reviews at the time of the film's release as well as by present-day critics of the preserved film. A Warner Bros. feature-length production, Lights of New York was filmed with microphones strategically hidden around the sets, creating the first motion picture released with fully synchronic dialogue. She was then signed by Warner Bros. and was looking forward to continued success in talkies but sadly died in an automobile accident in 1929.