Mary Carlisle

Mary Carlisle was born February 3, 1912 in Boston, Massachusetts. After her father died, when Mary was just four, her mother relocated to Hollywood and seems to have found employment at Universal in some non-film capacity. At age 14, while eating lunch with her mother at the company's commissary, Mary was spotted by Carl Laemmle, Jr. and offered a screen test. Though interested, it was decided that Mary finish high school before trying her luck as a film actress. Her first role (uncredited) was in the William Haines comedy, The Girl Said No (1930). Six more uncredited roles followed, including an appearance in Madam Satan, a must see film if you like an extravagant night club setting in a dirigible. Mary's first credited role was in 1932's The Reckless Age. Though one or two more uncredited appearances were to follow, she was working steadily in minor A and B pictures. Voted a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1932 also gave her career a boost.

She made seven films in 1933 including College Humor, her first of three with Bing Crosby. Other vehicles that year were Saturday's Millions starring Robert Young, and Should Ladies Behave starring Lionel Barrymore. 1934 appearances included the sweetheart of Joe Palooka (Stu Irwin) in Palooka and another role with Lionel Barrymore in This Side of Heaven. She also teamed with comedy team Wheeler and Woolsey for Kentucky Kernels (released in the UK as Triple Trouble). Unfortunately, youthful looks hindered her career, and though she went to live in England for a while in the mid-thirties, trying for "weightier" roles, she just found herself in lesser roles in decent films, and lead roles in B films. Indeed her last two films, 1942's Baby Face Morgan, and 1943's Dean Men Walk, were starring vehicles, but produced by PRC, pretty far down the list of B movie companies. Mary does quite well in both, but it was clear to her, after 61 films, it was time to leave the business. She did and I am pleased to say, as of this writing, Mary is still with us, at age 97. She and Gloria Stuart are the last surviving members of the 1932 group of WAMPAS Baby Stars.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Movie Classic magazine - January 1933

Screen Play - April 1933
No review of Mary's performance, but she got the photo op.

Cinelandia magazine - August 1933

Silver Screen - September 1933

Undated publicity stills

Modern Screen - April 1934

British Gallaher cigarette cards. Note the Triple Trouble card, the UK release name for Kentucky Kernels. Grand Old Girl (May Robson) was released in 1935.

Movie Classic - April 1934
The article shows 1933 as the year she was made a WAMPAS Baby Star, but there really wasn't a 1933 crop.

Frame captures from four films, including Girl of My Dreams (1934), a fun college sports/musical romp. It's from Monogram, but well produced.

Oops - late entry. While looking through my collection for some Halloween fare yesterday, I remembered this not so memorable film, 1935's One Frightened Night.

Later publicity still.

Mary Carlisle - What do you think - Allure?