Dorothy Appleby
| Dorothy Appleby | |
|---|---|
 Dorothy Appleby (second from right) watches in horror as Curly Howard gets a haircut in the film In the Sweet Pie and Pie. | |
| Born |
January 6, 1906 Portland, Maine, USA |
| Died |
August 9, 1990 (aged 84) Long Island, New York, USA |
| Years active | 1931-1943 |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Drake (1943-1990) |
Dorothy Appleby (January 6, 1906 – August 9, 1990) was an American film actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1943.
Career
Appleby was seen in many supporting roles, almost always in short subjects or low-budget feature films. She never progressed to leading roles in important pictures because of her height, which made her difficult to cast. The trim brunette stood just over five feet tall, and her early leading men (like comedian Charley Chase) towered over her. She soon found steady if not prestigious work in Columbia Pictures' two-reel comedies. She appeared frequently with The Three Stooges, who were only a few inches taller than she was, and in 1940 she became Buster Keaton's leading lady, for the same reason: her height complemented his. She also worked with Columbia comics Andy Clyde, El Brendel, and Hugh Herbert.
Some of her Stooge comedies were Loco Boy Makes Good, So Long Mr. Chumps, and In the Sweet Pie and Pie.[1] One memorable appearance was as Mexican brunette Rosita in 1940's Cookoo Cavaliers. In the film, Appleby gets clobbered by the Stooges when a facial "mud pack" made of cement dries on her face. Her petite figure belied her age, and she continued to play "younger" roles into the 1940s. One of her last screen roles was a one-line bit (playing a college co-ed at age 35) in the 1941 Jane Withers feature Small Town Deb.
Personal and death
Appleby left Hollywood in 1943 and married musician Paul Drake soon thereafter. They remained married until her death on August 9, 1990.
Selected filmography
- Under 18 (1931)
- Jail Birds of Paradise (1934)
- As the Earth Turns (1934)
- I Give My Love (1934)
- Let 'Em Have It (1935)
- Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
- Riffraff (1936)
- Nothing but Pleasure (1940)
- Rockin' Thru the Rockies (1940)
- From Nurse to Worse (1940) (uncredited)
- The Spook Speaks (1940)
- Convicted Woman (1940)
- Cookoo Cavaliers (1940) (uncredited)
- High Sierra (1941) (uncredited)
- So Long Mr. Chumps (1941) (uncredited)
- Manpower (1941)
- In the Sweet Pie and Pie (1941)
- Loco Boy Makes Good (1942)
- What's the Matador? (1942)
References
External links
- Dorothy Appleby at the Internet Movie Database
- Dorothy Appleby at AllMovie
- Dorothy Appleby at threestooges.net
