Toby Wing

Martha Virginia Wing was born in Virginia on July 14, 1915. Toby found herself in Hollywood in the early 1920's when her father became an assistant director at Paramount. As as result of his position, Toby ended up a juvenile extra in several films her dad was working on, and had been in 11 silent films by 1926. Her next film role, after finishing high school, was as a Goldwyn girl in Eddie Cantor's Palmy Days (1931). Of her next twenty films, beginning with a Mack Sennett short, Jimmy's New Yacht (1932), up through Torch Singer (1933), she was uncredited in sixteen. Those where she was credited were minor roles. What is interesting is that even with those small roles, her beauty and personality made her one of the most photographed "uncredited" actresses of all time. Toby particularly stands out, but still uncredited, in 42nd Street (1933), and one might have thought that would allow for a breakthrough. It wasn't to be. She appeared in another twenty films from 1934, Including Murder At The Vanities, credited, to her final film in 1938, Sweethearts, as an uncredited telephone operator.

On the personal side, Toby was said to be one of the most engaging and engaged actresses in Hollywood at the time. After several engagements, including one to Jackie Coogan, she married world-record setting Eastern Airlines pilot Dick Merrill, who was 22 years her senior. They married in June, 1938 and remained together until his death in 1982.

Toby, a chorus girl, with very few prominent appearances on film, still made her mark, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame to prove it. Toby died in March of 2001 in her home state of Virginia.

Double-click on the images for a larger view.

Publicity photo for 42nd Street.

Warner Baxter is in a tough spot.


Toby glows throughout the "Young and Healthy" number.

Publicity photo for 42nd Street, featuring uncredited Toby.

Frame grabs from The Kid From Spain (1932), another uncredited role, with the star of the film.

Publicity still, wearing an outfit from The Kid From Spain.

Publicity still for The Kid From Spain.

Modern Screen - December 1933, pictures Toby for her role in This Day and Age, again uncredited.

Frame grabs of Toby in Torch Singer and Baby Face (1933).

Frame grabs from Murder At The Vanities. Toby has about 15 seconds near the beginning of the film, and about 2 minutes in the final scene.


Frame grabs from Mr. Boggs Steps Out (1938). Toby is credited, but between her and Helen Chandler, the split is about 90/10, with Toby having the 10.

Undated publicity still.

Photoplay Magazine -September 1934, when they still hadn't mastered color imagery. Consuelo of Claghorne is Toby's role in the Cary Grant film Kiss and Make Up (1934).

Two publicity stills at the beach and on the rocks.

Love the image, not sure of the film or what's actually going on.

Pensive publicity still.

Four undated stills.

Toby Wing - What do you think - Allure?

Asides - Film Fun, April 1927

In an earlier post I provided some information on Film Fun ( here ), along with some covers and inside spreads from a few assorted issues. However, this time out we are concentrating on just one issue, April, 1927. This means we will only be looking at images and stills from silent films. However, Film Fun was already in full swing with its successful formula of emphasizing the female form, coupled with "witty" copy provided by the editors. This approach kept the magazine in business until 1942, when the censors stepped in. Tame by today's standards, Film Fun is a delight because of its lighthearted approach and frisky/risque nose thumbing at more "sophisticated" magazines of the day.

Be sure to double-click on the images to read the copy that accompanies the images.

Film Fun, April, 1927, sporting a St. Patrick's Day look, presuming the magazine actually hit the stands in March. The cover artist is Enoch Bolles, who did all the covers for Film Fun from 1923 until its last issue in 1942.

Released as When a Man Loves, this film with opulent sets and costumes is available from the Warner Archive Collection. Dolores Costello, Drew Barrymore's grandmother, has the lead female role. More about Dolores here on this site.

Gotta have a least one harem shot in any issue of Film Fun worth its salt.
A Harem Knight was the release title for this 19 minute comedy.
Madeline Hurlock one of thirteen Wampas Baby Stars of 1925.

I hadn't know of Jane Winton, but she did appear in 42 films before her retirement from the screen in 1935.

Poor Helene Costello (Dolores Costello's sister) is second to Rin Tin Tin in While London Sleeps.

Some quips from Sally Phipps and a scene with Louise Fazenda from 1926's Millionaires. More on Sally Phipps here on this site.

Tillie the Toiler was a newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russ Westover. The strip ran from 1921 to 1959. This ad is on the second inside page. Unfortunately the film is not available.

One of Ruth's non-serial roles. And we get a tip for males.

Here is a typical page layout for Film Fun. Always a bit of whimsy and some cheesecake.

Here is Olive Borden in a lost film from late 1926, The Country Beyond. A bit more about Olive here on this site.

The Vaughn sisters appeared together in this picture, but in reality they were only in one film together, Stop Kidding, a Hal Roach comedy short in 1921. Ada Mae, a Wampas Baby Star for 1927, only made 9 films, three uncredited, while Alberta was in 131 films. She was a Wampas Baby Star of 1924.

Of the close to 40 films released in March of 1927, only seven still exist, and only two are outside of an archive and available for public viewing.

Somebody's Fault - Not lost, but not avail.
Children of Divorce - Not lost, but not avail.
Tarzan and the Golden Lion - Available
The Notorious Lady - Available
Tillie the Toiler - Not lost, but not avail.
Turkish Delight - Not lost, but not avail.
Sensation Seekers - Not lost, but not avail.

What an amazing product, carries your smokes and wards off thugs and other lowlifes. Read all the copy - it's hilarious. And...Style Number 2 does away with the pack of cigarettes option and has three screw-cap bottles for buttermilk, cider, and near-beer. Ah, prohibition and how the public and business made the best of it.

Glenda Farrell

Glenda Farrell was born June 30, 1904, in Enid, Oklahoma. With a stage and Broadway background, and after one uncredited film role and and one comedy short, Glenda was signed with Warner Brothers in July, 1930. For her first role she was given the female lead in Little Caesar (1931), opposite Edward G. Robinson and Douglas Fairbanks,Jr. In 1932 she received another female lead role in I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (1932), opposite Paul Muni. Both films are classics, but Glenda was generally not given roles of that magnitude going forward. That said, she became one of Warner's busiest actresses throughout the 1930s, appearing in 53 films prior to 1940.

A hard boiled, sassy personality, was Glenda's strength. The films she appeared in were mostly "A pictures", and headed by leading stars of the day. They included The Match King (1932), Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933), Lady For A Day (1933), The Keyhole (1933) starring Kay Francis, Bureau of Missing Persons (1933), starring Bette Davis, and Hi, Nellie (1934), in the female lead role, again paired with Paul Muni. Her popularity was such that eventually she was starred in her own series as Torchy Blane, "Girl Reporter", and portrayed Torchy in seven films from 1937 to 1939.

When her Warner's contract expired she concentrated on her stage career once again. However, in the 50's she returned to the camera, but this time on television, and in 1963, won an Emmy Award for her work on TV's Ben Casey. In 1971, Glenda died from lung cancer, aged 66, at her home in New York City.

Glenda has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6524 Hollywood Boulevard.

Double click on the images for a larger view.

Frame captures from Little Caesar.

Nominated for a best picture Oscar, strong female performances were
provided by both Glenda and Noel Francis.

Glenda sings and dances as Missouri Martin in this
Capra Oscar nominated film.

Glenda appeared in nine films with Allen Jenkins.

Glenda and Joan Blondell were together in eight films.

Fay La Rue is Glenda's name in this film and you can guess she is not the shy and retiring miss, that is left to Loretta Young.

Publicity still from Man's Castle.

Film still from The Personality Kid (1934)

Publicity still from Hi, Nellie.

Glenda and Allen Jenkins again, along with Joan Blondell and Pat O'Brien.

The picture belongs to Aline McMahon and Ann Dvorak, but Glenda holds her own.

Glenda shared the screen with Guy Kibbee in five films and Hugh Herbert in eight films.

Publicity still from Merry Wives of Reno.


Here is Hugh again.


I've got them all, except Fly Away Baby, hence the lobby card.

Publicity still from Smart Blonde.

Glenda Farrell - What do you think - Allure?