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Marion Martin
Actor

Marion Martin

7 Jun 1908Born
13 Aug 1985Died
77Age at death
76Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marion Martin (born Marion Suplee, June 7, 1909 – August 13, 1985) was an American movie and stage actress.

Martin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a Bethlehem Steel executive. She became an actress after her family fortune was lost in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and appeared in the Broadway productions Lombardi Ltd. and Sweet Adeline.

She made her film debut in She's My Lillie, I'm Her Willie and subsequently played minor roles, often as showgirls. Several of her early roles were in musicals and she achieved some success as a singer.

Read the full biography

By the end of the decade she had played leading female roles in several "B" pictures, playing one of her most notable roles in James Whale's Sinners in Paradise (1938). Despite her success she was often cast in minor roles in more widely seen films such as His Girl Friday (1940). The majority of her roles were in comedies but she also appeared in dramas such as Boom Town (1940) in which she played a dance hall singer who is briefly romanced by Clark Gable. She played secondary roles in three Lupe Vélez "Mexican Spitfire" films in the early 1940s, and was a comic foil for the Marx Brothers in The Big Store, where the back of her skirt is cut away by Harpo.

She played a ghost in Gildersleeve's Ghost, and was the subject of a legendary fistfight between Gildersleeve star Harold Peary and Warner Bros studio mogul Bud Stevens at the Mocambo nightclub in 1943. Her more substantial roles included Alice Angel, a dizzy showgirl, in the murder mystery Lady of Burlesque with Barbara Stanwyck and Angel on My Shoulder. She also appeared in The Big Street with Lucille Ball, in the western The Woman of the Town with Claire Trevor and in The Great Mike at PRC in 1944.

By the late 1940s, her roles were often minor. Three Stooges fans will remember her as western cowgirl Gladys in Merry Mavericks. She played "Belle Farnol" in a 1950 episode of The Lone Ranger entitled "Pardon for Curley". Shortly afterward, she made her final film appearance in 1952. Married to a physicist, Martin retired, and although she expressed the desire to return to show business, suitable roles were not offered to her.

She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to motion pictures, at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard. She died in 1985 in Santa Monica, California, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1952Oklahoma AnnieFilm: LaBelle La Tour
  2. 1951Journey Into LightFilm: Diana (as Marian Martin)
  3. 1951Merry MavericksFilm: Gladys
  4. 1950Dakota LilFilm: Blonde Singer
  5. 1950Key to the CityFilm: Emmy
  6. 1949Oh, You Beautiful DollFilm: Bar Blonde
  7. 1949Come to the StableFilm: Rossi's Manicurist (uncredited)
  8. 1948Thunder in the PinesFilm: Pearl (as Marian Martin)
  9. 1947Should Husbands Marry?Film: Loud Friend's Girlfriend
  10. 1947That's My GalFilm: Pepper
  11. 1947LighthouseFilm: JoJo, the Blonde
  12. 1946That Brennan GirlFilm: Marion, Natalie's Girl Friend (as Marian Martin)
  13. 1946Nobody Lives ForeverFilm: Lou, Blonde (uncredited)
  14. 1946Angel on My ShoulderFilm: Rosie Morgan Bentley
  15. 1946Black AngelFilm: Millie
  16. 1946Queen of BurlesqueFilm: Lola Cassell
  17. 1946Deadline for MurderFilm: Laura Gibson
  18. 1946SuspenseFilm: Shooting Gallery Blond (uncredited)
  19. 1946Cinderella JonesFilm: Burlesque Queen
  20. 1945Girls of the Big HouseFilm: Dixie
  21. 1945Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in HollywoodFilm: Miss Milbane
  22. 1945On Stage EverybodyFilm: Bubbles (uncredited)
  23. 1945Gangs of the WaterfrontFilm: Rita (as Marian Martin)
  24. 1945Penthouse RhythmFilm: Irma King
  25. 1945The Phantom SpeaksFilm: Betty Hanzel
  26. 1945Eadie Was a LadyFilm: Rose Allure
  27. 1944The Great MikeFilm: Kitty Tremaine
  28. 1944Mystery of the RiverboatFilm: Celeste Eltree [Chs. 1-4, 7]
  29. 1944The Merry MonahansFilm: Soubrette
  30. 1944Gildersleeve's GhostFilm: Terry Vance
  31. 1944It Happened TomorrowFilm: Nurse (uncredited)
  32. 1944Sweethearts of the U.S.A.Film: Ghost of Josephine
  33. 1943The Woman of the TownFilm: Daisy Davenport
  34. 1943Lady of BurlesqueFilm: Alice Angel
  35. 1943They Got Me CoveredFilm: Gloria
  36. 1942The McGuerins from BrooklynFilm: Myrtle
  37. 1942Mexican Spitfire's ElephantFilm: Diana De Corro
  38. 1942The Big StreetFilm: Mimi Venus
  39. 1942Tales of ManhattanFilm: Squirrel
  40. 1942Powder TownFilm: Sue, Blonde Piano Player
  41. 1942Mexican Spitfire at SeaFilm: Fifi Russell
  42. 1942Wedded BlitzFilm: Mrs. Errol
  43. 1942Fly By NightFilm: Nurse
  44. 1941Weekend for ThreeFilm: Mrs. Gloria Weatherby
  45. 1941The Mexican Spitfire's BabyFilm: Fifi
  46. 1941Lady ScarfaceFilm: Ruby / Mary Jordan
  47. 1941New WineFilm: Mitzi
  48. 1941Cracked NutsFilm: Flashy Blonde in Corridor
  49. 1941Love at First FrightFilm: Liza Hatrack
  50. 1941The Big StoreFilm: Peggy Arden
  51. 1941The Lady from CheyenneFilm: Gertie
  52. 1941Blonde InspirationFilm: Wanda
  53. 1941Tall, Dark and HandsomeFilm: Dawn
  54. 1940Ellery Queen, Master DetectiveFilm: Cornelia
  55. 1940Blondes and BlundersFilm: Blondie, Jewel Thief
  56. 1940Boom TownFilm: Whitey
  57. 1940UntamedFilm: 2nd Girl in Limousine (uncredited)
  58. 1940His Girl FridayFilm: Evangeline (uncredited)
  59. 1939Invisible StripesFilm: Blonde (uncredited)
  60. 1939The Man in the Iron MaskFilm: Mlle. de la Valliere
  61. 1939Invitation to HappinessFilm: Lola Snow
  62. 1939Sergeant MaddenFilm: Charlotte LePage
  63. 1939Pirates of the SkiesFilm
  64. 1938His Exciting NightFilm: Gypsy McCoy
  65. 1938The StormFilm: Jane
  66. 1938Youth Takes a FlingFilm: Girl on Beach
  67. 1938Sinners in ParadiseFilm: Iris Compton
  68. 1938Cupid Takes a HolidayFilm: Annabelle Postal -1st Prospective Bride
  69. 1938The Miss They MissedFilm
  70. 1936Boy, Oh BoyFilm: Miss Glory Hutchinson
  71. 1935Richard Himber and His OrchestraFilm: Singer
  72. 1935The Magic of MusicFilm: Blonde guest
  73. 1935Moon Over ManhattanFilm: Dot
  74. 1934She's My Lilly, I'm Her WillieFilm: Miss Brooks
  75. 1934Crime Without PassionFilm: Theatre Cashier (uncredited)
  76. 1934Mr. W's Little GameFilm: The Blonde

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.