She was born on March 5, 1893 in New York City. Her mother, Marie Savage,was a successful opera singer. Nelly danced with the Fokine's ballet and the Covent Garden opera in London. In 1920 she made her Broadway debut in musical Mecca. Then she joined the cast of the Ziegfeld Follies. She quickly became known for having the longest hair on the stage. Her dark locks were 36 3/4 inches long! Nelly stared working as an extra and landed a small role in the 1923 film The Mad Dancer. She became friends with Natasha Rambova who got her a part in Rudolph Valentino's drama Monsieur Beaucaire. D.W. Griffith cast her in his movies Isn't Life Wonderful and The Sorrows Of Satan (she was often credited as Nellie Savage).
Nelly appeared in:
Ziegfeld Follies of 1922 (Jun 05, 1922 - Jun 23, 1923)
Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 [Summer Edition] (Jun 25, 1923 - Sep 15, 1923