Mary Brian

Mary Brian was born Louise Byrdie Dantzler in Corsicana, Texas, on February 17, 1906. She got her start in pictures when Esther Ralston (on this blog) suggested she be interviewed for a role in Peter Pan (1924), being produced by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. She got the role, and though she was eighteen, the studio claimed she was only sixteen, figuring the public would think eighteen was too old for the role of Wendy. The studio was also behind the name change to Mary Brian.

Mary was dubbed "The Sweetest Girl in Pictures" and was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1926, along with Mary Astor, Dolores Costello, Joan Crawford, Dolores Del Rio, Janet Gaynor, and Fay Wray, not bad company for a twenty year old just breaking into film. Being a Charlie Chan buff, I always enjoy seeing her as Yvette Lamartine in Charlie Chan in Paris (1935), one of the best of the Chan films in my opinion.

Mary was in over 75 films by the time she retired from the screen in 1947. She then devoted herself to her husband's career; George Tomasini worked as film editor for Hitchcock on the classics Rear Window (1954) and Psycho (1960). Mary died at the age of ninety-six in December of 2002.

Mary Brian - What do you think - Allure?