Merna Kennedy

Merna Kennedy with Glenn Tryon in Skinner Steps Out (1929)

Merna Kennedy (* 7. September 1908 in Kankakee , Illinois as Maude Kahler ; † 20th December 1944 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American actress .

Life

Merna Kennedy appeared on vaudeville stages for the first time at the age of seven . The actress, dancer and singer was close friends with Charlie Chaplin's second wife, Lita Gray . The friendship ended in 1927 when Lita Gray found out about the affair between Merna and her husband. As the female lead in Chaplin's film The Circus , she made her film debut in 1928, which was also the greatest success of her short career. She still made some silent and sound films that are lesser known today, before she retired from acting in 1934 after a total of 28 films.

Merna Kennedy was married to director and choreographer Busby Berkeley from 1934 to 1936 . On December 16, 1944, just four days before her death, she was second married to Forrest Brayton. She died of heart failure at the age of only 36. Her grave is in the famous Inglewood Park Cemetery .

Filmography

• 1928: The Circus (The Circus)
• 1929: Broadway
• 1929: Barnum Was Right
• 1929: Skinner Steps Out
• 1930: The Rampant Age
• 1930: Embarrassing Moments
• 1930: The King of Jazz
• 1930: Worldly Goods
• 1930: Midnight Special
• 1931: Stepping Out
• 1932: The Gay Buckaroo
• 1932: Lady with a Past
• 1932: Ghost Valley
• 1932: Come On, Tarzan
• 1932: The All-American
• 1932: Red-Haired Alibi
• 1933: Laughter in Hell
• 1933: Emergency Call
• 1933: Easy Millions
• 1933: Don't Bet on Love
• 1933: I Love That Man
• 1933: Arizona to Broadway
• 1933: Police Call
• 1933: The Big Chance
• 1933: Broken mast and sheet (Son of a Sailor)
• 1934: Wonder Bar
• 1934: A fine gentleman (Jimmy The Gent)
• 1934: I Like It That Way

Web links

• Merna Kennedy in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Merna Kennedy in the database of Find a Grave (English)