Mary Carlisle

Mary Carlisle (1933)

Mary Carlisle (born Gwendolyn Witter on February 3, 1914 in Boston , Massachusetts , † August 1, 2018 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American actress and singer , who was known mainly through her roles in music films with Bing Crosby and in so-called B-Movies became known. In the course of her career from 1930 to 1943, Carlisle worked with directors such as Cecil B. DeMille , Sam Wood and George Stevens .

life and career

Childhood and youth

Mary Carlisle was born under the name Gwendolyn Witter as the only child of Leona and Arthur Witter in Boston. She grew up in the Boston borough of Back Bay and attended a convent school there. After her father died, Carlisle moved to Hollywood with her mother at the age of four . Through relationships with her uncle Robert Carlisle, who worked as a film producer, she was discovered during a casting for choir girls at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . In 1923 Carlisle was given a small, uncredited extra role in Long Live the King alongside Jackie Coogan . After this film, she interrupted her film career in favor of school. The actress chose her later stage name Mary Carlisle based on her maternal grandmother, Mary Ella Carlisle.

At the age of 14, Carlisle was discovered by the film producer Carl Laemmle junior , whose father was the founder of the film studio Universal Pictures . Although she passed the subsequent screen tests, she was not allowed to act in films for another two years because she was still a minor and was only due to graduate from school.

Film career

First film appearances

In 1930 Mary Carlisle received her first small film role in Long Live the King seven years earlier as a dancer in the love comedy The Girl Said No, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under the direction of Sam Wood . In the same year she was a Statistin in a party scene of Montana Moon to see where Joan Crawford played the leading role. Also in 1930 Carlisle took on the small role of Little Bo Peep in Cecil B. DeMille's Madam Satan . This was their first film for Universal Pictures, which they had planned to sign years earlier. Carlisle's next film that same year was Passion Flower , produced by DeMille's older brother William . However, she continued to work mainly as an extra. An exception was the short film The Devil's Cabaret , also produced in 1930 , in which she played the supporting role of Impy .

In 1931 Carlisle was seen as a fan asking for an autograph in the music film The Great Lover , in which Adolphe Menjou and Irene Dunne played the leading roles. It was her only film appearance that year.

Breakthrough as a film actress

Mary Carlisle (center) with June Knight and Dorothy Burgess in Ladies Must Love , 1933

In 1932 Mary Carlisle took on other supporting roles: as Cassandra Phelps in the comedy This Reckless Age and as Alicia in the crime film Hotel Continental . Her breakthrough came in the same year with the star-studded production People in the Hotel , in which she played the supporting role of Mrs. Hoffman. Although Carlisle was not featured in the credits, the film made her better known. In the same year she was elected WAMPAS Baby Star along with 13 other young actresses (including later film stars such as Ginger Rogers and Gloria Stuart ) .

A few larger supporting and leading roles followed, mostly in so-called low-budget productions. Her role as a party guest in the drama Liebesleid with Norma Shearer remained unnamed in the credits. Carlisle gained further notoriety in 1933 in the female lead as a film partner of Bing Crosby in the musical comedy College Humor . In 1933 she starred with Lionel Barrymore in the comedy Should Ladies Behave . Both actors had previously stood in front of the camera in people in the hotel . Another collaboration with Barrymore came about in 1934 on the drama This Side of Heaven .

Also in 1934 Carlisle starred alongside Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray in Once to Every Woman . In the same year there were leading roles in Murder in the Private Car , the comedies Handy Andy and Girl o 'My Dreams , the drama Million Dollar Ransom and in George Stevens ' musical comedy Kentucky Kernels , in which Carlisle also appeared as a singer.

Another highlight in Carlisle's career was the color short film La Fiesta de Santa Barbara from 1935, in which she played herself like all the actors in the film. La Fiesta de Santa Barbara was nominated for an Oscar in 1936 . The cast includes some of the greatest movie stars of the time, including Warner Baxter , Ida Lupino , the Marx Brothers , Buster Keaton , Gary Cooper and the later film icon Judy Garland .

In 1935, Carlisle took on the role of Grace Gridley on the side of Jack Benny in the comedy It's in the Air . In the same year she was seen as Phyllis in the drama Kind Lady , in which Basil Rathbone also starred . 1937 followed a second collaboration with Bing Crosby in the musical comedy Double or Nothing . A third collaboration arose in 1938 with Dr. Rhythm , in which Carlisle again played the leading female role as Crosby's film partner.

In 1938, Mary Carlisle was Lloyd Nolan's two-time film partner in the crime films Tip-Off Girls and Hunted Men . Both films were made under the direction of Louis King , who also made the crime film Illegal Traffic with Carlisle in the lead role . In 1939, Carlisle starred alongside Gene Autry in Rovin 'Tumbleweeds , her only western .

Last films and end of career

After being regularly seen in new film roles in previous years, Mary Carlisle's career slowly declined from 1940 onwards. Her best-known role in these later years is that of Sally in the music film Dance, Girl, Dance from 1940, in which she was seen alongside Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball . She played other leading roles in 1942 in the crime comedy Baby Face Morgan and in 1943 in the horror film Dead Men Walk with Dwight Frye in his last film appearance.

Shortly before filming Dead Men Walk , Carlisle married actor James Edward Blakeley, who later became a producer at 20th Century Fox . In the same year she ended her acting career. Carlisle acted in a total of 64 films in her career.

Later years

In 1949 Mary Carlisle became the manager of the Elizabeth Arden Salon in Beverly Hills, which she ran until 1972. On February 8, 1960, she received a star for her achievements on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, which opened on the same day with the official groundbreaking.

In her later years, Carlisle was interviewee for books and documentaries about the golden age of Hollywood and its actors. In November 1993 she gave an interview, quoted in later specialist literature, about the publisher and media mogul William Randolph Hearst , whom Carlisle knew professionally. In 2012 she took part in the production of the short film Curse of the Sunset Starlet with Sally Kirkland as the leading actress, which pays homage to "old" Hollywood. Carlisle provided photo material of old movie stars shown in the film, which she and her husband had collected under the name James Blakely Estate .

James Edward Blakely died in 2007 at the age of 96. The couple have one child together. Mary Carlisle spent the last years of her life at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital , a senior filmmaking center in Los Angeles, where she died on August 1, 2018 at the age of 104. She was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Act

Although Mary Carlisle was never among the top ranks of Hollywood stars, she gained greater notoriety in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s through her leading roles in B-Movies . In large star-studded film productions such as People in the Hotel , Carlisle was mostly only seen in small roles.

She often played the role of the innocent woman in her films. Her appearances in larger film productions were mostly inconspicuous. After the death of the actress , Der Spiegel noted that it would have been her job not to steal the show from the big stars.

Carlisle gained growing popularity in the last years of her life due to her old age and the fact that she was one of the last surviving actresses of the early talkies. In addition, she was one of the last surviving silent film actors through her appearance in Long Live the King .

Filmography

1923: Long Live the King
1930: The Girl Said No.
1930: Montana Moon
1930: Children of Pleasure
1930: Madam Satan
1930: Passion Flower
1930: Remote Control
1930: The Devil's Cabaret (short film)
1931: Whippet Racing (documentary)
1931: The Great Lover
1932: This Reckless Age
1932: Hotel Continental
1932: People in the hotel (Grand Hotel)
1932: Night Court
1932: Now's the Time
1932: Ship A Hooey
1932: Down to Earth
1932: Liebesleid (Smilin 'Through)
1932: Her Mad Night
1933: Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 (short film)
1933: Men Must Fight
1933: Ladies Must Love
1933: College Humor
1933: The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
1933: East of Fifth Avenue
1933: Should Ladies Behave
1933: Saturday's Millions
1934: Palooka
1934: This Side of Heaven
1934: Once to Every Woman
1934: Murder in the Private Car
1934: Handy Andy
1934: Million Dollar Ransomware
1934: That's Gratitude
1934: Kentucky Kernels
1934: Girl o'My Dreams
1935: Grand Old Girl
1935: The Great Hotel Murder
1935: One Frightened Night
1935: Champagne for Breakfast
1935: The Old Homestead
1935: It's in the Air
1935: super speed
1935: Child Lady
1935: La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
1936: Love in Exile
1936: Lady Be Careful
1937: Hotel Haywire
1937: Double or Nothing (Double or Nothing)
1937: Hold 'Em Navy
1938: Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 5 (documentary)
1938: Tip-Off Girls
1938: Hunted Men
1938: Touchdown, Army
1938: Illegal Traffic
1938: Doctor Rhythm
1938: Say It in French
1939: Fighting Thoroughbreds
1939: Call a Messenger
1939: Inside Information
1939: Hawaiian Nights
1939: Beware Spooks!
1939: Rovin 'Tumbleweeds
1940: Dance, Girl, Dance
1941: Rags to Riches
1942: Torpedo Boat
1942: Baby Face Morgan
1943: Dead Men Walk

Web links

Commons : Mary Carlisle - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

literature

Harris M. Lentz III: Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018 . McFarland, Jefferson 2019, ISBN 978-1-4766-3655-9

Individual evidence

↑ In some sources, 1912 is also given as the date of birth. Carlisle herself stated her date of birth as 1914 in several interviews. A few sources also mention Los Angeles as the place of birth
↑ Ronald Bergan: Mary Carlisle obituary. In: The Guardian . August 7, 2018, accessed December 2, 2018 .
↑ Film star Mary Carlisle dies at the age of 104. In: The star . August 2, 2018, accessed August 2, 2018 .
↑ David Lobosco: MARY CARLISLE AT 101 December 19, 2015, accessed March 2, 2017 .
^ Anita Gates: Mary Carlisle, Depression-Era Movie Ingénue, Is Dead at 104. In: The New York Times . August 3, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .
^ Harrison, Paul: Mary Carlisle Sets Record! Opposite Bing Crosby Second Time . In: Ottawa Citizen, May 29, 1937, 10.
^ Edwin M. Bradley: The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931 . McFarland, Jefferson 2015, ISBN 978-1-4766-0684-2 , 214.
Jump up ↑ Cliff Aliperti: Mary Carlisle, Former Wampas Baby Star, Bing Crosby Co-Star Turns 100 Today. February 3, 2013, accessed February 3, 2017 .
↑ Mary Carlisle. Retrieved October 13, 2016 .
↑ Louis Pizzitola: Hearst Over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies . Columbia University Press , New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-231-50755-4 , Epilog.
↑ Lori Precious: Curse of the Sunset Starlet. In: curseofthesunsetstarlet.com. 2014, accessed on August 16, 2019 .
↑ Mike Barnes: Mary Carlisle, Bing Crosby's co-star in Delightful Musicals, Dies at 104. In: The Hollywood Reporter . August 1, 2018, accessed August 2, 2018 .
↑ At the age of 104: Mary Carlisle has died. In: Focus Online . August 2, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .
↑ Obituaries. In: Spiegel Online . August 4, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .
^ Harris M. Lentz III: Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018 . McFarland, Jefferson 2019, ISBN 978-1-4766-3655-9 , 63.

personal data
SURNAME	Carlisle, Mary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Witter, Gwendolyn (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American actress and singer
DATE OF BIRTH	February 3, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Boston , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH	August 1, 2018
Place of death	Los Angeles , California

[1] In some sources, 1912 is also given as the date of birth. Carlisle herself stated her date of birth as 1914 in several interviews. A few sources also mention Los Angeles as the place of birth

[2] Ronald Bergan: Mary Carlisle obituary. In: The Guardian . August 7, 2018, accessed December 2, 2018 .

[3] Film star Mary Carlisle dies at the age of 104. In: The star . August 2, 2018, accessed August 2, 2018 .

[4] David Lobosco: MARY CARLISLE AT 101 December 19, 2015, accessed March 2, 2017 .

[5] Anita Gates: Mary Carlisle, Depression-Era Movie Ingénue, Is Dead at 104. In: The New York Times . August 3, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .

[6] Harrison, Paul: Mary Carlisle Sets Record! Opposite Bing Crosby Second Time . In: Ottawa Citizen, May 29, 1937, 10.

[7] Edwin M. Bradley: The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931 . McFarland, Jefferson 2015, ISBN 978-1-4766-0684-2 , 214.

[8] Jump up ↑ Cliff Aliperti: Mary Carlisle, Former Wampas Baby Star, Bing Crosby Co-Star Turns 100 Today. February 3, 2013, accessed February 3, 2017 .

[9] Mary Carlisle. Retrieved October 13, 2016 .

[10] Louis Pizzitola: Hearst Over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies . Columbia University Press , New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-231-50755-4 , Epilog.

[11] Lori Precious: Curse of the Sunset Starlet. In: curseofthesunsetstarlet.com. 2014, accessed on August 16, 2019 .

[12] Mike Barnes: Mary Carlisle, Bing Crosby's co-star in Delightful Musicals, Dies at 104. In: The Hollywood Reporter . August 1, 2018, accessed August 2, 2018 .

[13] At the age of 104: Mary Carlisle has died. In: Focus Online . August 2, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .

[14] Obituaries. In: Spiegel Online . August 4, 2018, accessed February 5, 2019 .

[15] Harris M. Lentz III: Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018 . McFarland, Jefferson 2019, ISBN 978-1-4766-3655-9 , 63.