Lucille Carlisle was born Ida Lucille White in Galesburg, Illinois. After her father abandoned the family her mother opened a boarding house in Spokane, Washington. At the age of sixteen Lucille was briefly married. Soon after she she won a beauty contest organized by Photoplay Magazine. She moved to New York City and began her career on Broadway as Lucille Zintheo. Later she changed her stage name Lucille Carlisle. In 1918 she was signed by Vitagraph Pictures and was cast in the Larry Semon comedy Boodle and Bandits. Larry and Lucille would make more than a twenty movies together including The Simple Life and A Pair of Kings. They became a popular onscreen team while off screen they had a tempestuous romance. Lucille was unhappy with the shape of her nose and underwent numerous plastic surgeries.