CINEFILER

Marion Martin

Born
June 7, 1908
Died
August 13, 1985
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. 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
His Girl Friday
(1940)
Evangeline (uncredited)
The Man in the Iron Mask
(1939)
Mlle. de la Valliere
Boom Town
(1940)
Whitey
The Big Street
(1942)
Mimi Venus
The Big Store
(1941)
Peggy Arden
It Happened Tomorrow
(1944)
Nurse (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
Mr. W's Little Game
(1934)
The Blonde
She's My Lilly, I'm Her Willie
(1934)
Miss Brooks
Crime Without Passion
(1934)
Theatre Cashier (uncredited)
Moon Over Manhattan
(1935)
Youth Takes a Fling
(1938)
Girl on Beach
Cupid Takes a Holiday
(1938)
Annabelle Postal -1st Prospective Bride
The Miss They Missed
(1938)
The Storm
(1938)
Jane
His Exciting Night
(1938)
Gypsy McCoy
Sinners in Paradise
(1938)
Iris Compton
Invitation to Happiness
(1939)
Lola Snow
The Man in the Iron Mask
(1939)
Mlle. de la Valliere
Pirates of the Skies
(1939)
Sergeant Madden
(1939)
Charlotte LePage
Invisible Stripes
(1939)
Blonde (uncredited)
Boom Town
(1940)
Whitey
Blondes and Blunders
(1940)
Blondie, Jewel Thief
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
(1940)
Cornelia
His Girl Friday
(1940)
Evangeline (uncredited)
Lady Scarface
(1941)
Ruby / Mary Jordan
Love at First Fright
(1941)
Liza Hatrack
Weekend for Three
(1941)
Mrs. Gloria Weatherby
The Big Store
(1941)
Peggy Arden
New Wine
(1941)
Mitzi
Blonde Inspiration
(1941)
Wanda
Tall, Dark and Handsome
(1941)
Dawn
The Lady from Cheyenne
(1941)
Gertie
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
(1941)
Fifi
Cracked Nuts
(1941)
Flashy Blonde in Corridor
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
(1942)
Fifi Russell
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
(1942)
Myrtle
The Big Street
(1942)
Mimi Venus
Tales of Manhattan
(1942)
'Squirrel' Grey
Wedded Blitz
(1942)
Mrs. Errol
Fly-By-Night
(1942)
Nurse
Powder Town
(1942)
Sue, Blonde Piano Player
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
(1942)
Diana De Corro
The Woman of the Town
(1943)
Daisy Davenport
Lady of Burlesque
(1943)
Alice Angel
They Got Me Covered
(1943)
Gloria
It Happened Tomorrow
(1944)
Nurse (uncredited)
Mystery of the Riverboat
(1944)
Celeste Eltree [Chs. 1-4, 7]
The Merry Monahans
(1944)
Soubrette
Gildersleeve's Ghost
(1944)
Terry Vance
Sweethearts of the U.S.A.
(1944)
Ghost of Josephine
The Great Mike
(1944)
Kitty Tremaine
The Phantom Speaks
(1945)
Betty Hanzel
Girls of the Big House
(1945)
Dixie
Eadie Was a Lady
(1945)
Rose Allure
Gangs of the Waterfront
(1945)
Rita (as Marian Martin)
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
(1945)
Miss Milbane
On Stage Everybody
(1945)
Bubbles (uncredited)
Penthouse Rhythm
(1945)
Irma King
Cinderella Jones
(1946)
Burlesque Queen
Queen of Burlesque
(1946)
Lola Cassell
Deadline for Murder
(1946)
Laura Gibson
Angel on My Shoulder
(1946)
Mrs. Bentley
Black Angel
(1946)
Millie
Suspense
(1946)
Shooting Gallery Blond (uncredited)
That Brennan Girl
(1946)
Marion, Natalie's Girl Friend (as Marian Martin)
Nobody Lives Forever
(1946)
Lou, Blonde (uncredited)
Lighthouse
(1947)
JoJo, the Blonde
Should Husbands Marry?
(1947)
Loud Friend's Girlfriend
Thunder in the Pines
(1948)
Pearl (as Marian Martin)
Oh, You Beautiful Doll
(1949)
Bar Blonde
Come to the Stable
(1949)
Rossi's Manicurist (uncredited)
Dakota Lil
(1950)
Blonde Singer
Key to the City
(1950)
Emmy
Journey Into Light
(1951)
Diana (as Marian Martin)
Merry Mavericks
(1951)
Gladys
Oklahoma Annie
(1952)
LaBelle La Tour
Data provided by TMDB