Marian Nixon
| Marian Nixon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Marian Nissinen October 20, 1904 Superior, Wisconsin, USA |
| Died |
February 13, 1983 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Other names | Marion Nixon |
| Occupation | Actress, vaudevillian, dancer |
| Years active | 1922–1936 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joseph Benjamin (m.1925–1927; divorced) Edward Hillman, Jr. (m.1929–1933; divorced) William A. Seiter (m.1934–1964; his death) 1 son Ben Lyon (m.1974–1979; his death) |
| Relatives |
Richard Lyon (stepson) Barbara Lyon (stepdaughter) |
Marian Nixon (October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress.
Career
Born Marian Nissinen in Superior, Wisconsin, Nixon began her career as a teen working as a chorus dancer on the vaudeville circuit. She began appearing in bit part in films in 1922 and landed her first substantial role in the 1923 film Cupid's Fireman, opposite Buck Jones. The following year, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star.[1] Nixon continued to work steadily throughout the mid to late 1920s appearing in Riders of the Purple Sage (1925), Hands Up! (1926), and The Chinese Parrot (1927). In 1929, she made her talkie debut as the lead in Geraldine. Later that same year, Nixon appeared opposite Al Jolson in Say It with Songs followed by General Crack in 1930.
In 1932, she starred as Rebecca in the film adaption of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm with Ralph Bellamy. Following the release of Rebecca, Nixon co-starred in Winner Take All with James Cagney. The next year she had a supporting role in John Ford's Pilgrimage. In 1934, Nixon attempted to change her wholesome image with a role in the comedy We’re Rich Again. The film wasn't a success and after appearing in eight more films, Nixon retired from acting in 1936. She made her last film, Captain Calamity at the age of 32.
Personal life and death
Nixon married boxer Joseph Benjamin in 1925, but later divorced in 1927.
On August 11, 1929, Nixon married Chicago department store heir, Edward Hillman, Jr., at the home of his parents. The couple divorced in 1933. The following year, she married her We’re Rich Again director, William A. Seiter. The marriage lasted until Seiter's death in 1964. They had three children, including Christopher Seiter (1934-2003). In 1974, married actor/producer Ben Lyon. After Lyon's death in 1979, Nixon never remarried. Nixon died of complications following open heart surgery on February 13, 1983.[2] and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Marian Nixon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street in Los Angeles, California. Her grandsons are the screenwriters Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin.[3]
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Rosita | Undetermined Bit Role | Uncredited |
| Big Dan | Dora Allen | ||
| Cupid's Fireman | Agnes Evans | ||
| 1924 | The Vagabond Trail | Lou Macon | |
| The Circus Cowboy | Bird Taylor | ||
| The Last of the Duanes | Ruth | ||
| 1925 | The Hurricane Kid | Joan Langdon | as Marion Nixon |
| The Saddle Hawk | Rena Newhall | ||
| Let 'er Buck | Jacqueline McCall | Credited as Marion Nixon | |
| Where Was I? | Alicia Stone | ||
| The Sporting Life | Nora Cavanaugh | Lost film | |
| 1926 | Hands Up! | Mae | extant |
| What Happened to Jones | Lucille Bigbee | extant | |
| Devil's Island | Rose Marie | extant | |
| Spangles | Spangles Delancy | extant | |
| 1927 | Heroes of the Night | Mary Allen | |
| Taxi! Taxi! | Rose Zimmerman | lost | |
| The Auctioneer | Ruth Levi | lost | |
| 1928 | The Fourflusher | June Allen | lost |
| Out of the Ruins | Yvonne Gilbert | Lost film | |
| How to Handle Women | Beatrice Fairbanks | Lost film | |
| Jazz Mad | Elsa Hausmann | extant; Library of Congress | |
| 1929 | Rainbow Man | Mary Lane | extant; Library of Congress |
| Young Nowheres | Annie Jackson | lost | |
| 1930 | Scarlet Pages | Nora Mason | |
| Ex-Flame | Lady Catherine | lost | |
| The Pay-off (1930) | |||
| The Lash | Dona Dolores Delfino | ||
| 1931 | Sweepstakes | Babe Ellis | |
| Women Go on Forever | Betty | ||
| 1932 | Charlie Chan's Chance | Shirley Marlowe | |
| After Tomorrow | Sidney Taylor | ||
| Amateur Daddy | Sally Smith | ||
| 1933 | Best of Enemies | Lena Schneider | |
| Chance at Heaven | Glory Franklyn | Credited as Marion Nixon | |
| 1934 | Strictly Dynamite | Sylvia Montgomery | |
| We're Rich Again | Arabella Sykes | ||
| Embarrassing Moments | Jane | ||
| 1935 | Sweepstakes Annie | Annie Foster | Alternative title: Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore |
| 1936 | Tango | Treasure McGuire | |
| Captain Calamity | Madge Lewis |
References
- ↑ Lowe, Denise (2004). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films, 1895-1930. Haworth Press. p. 404. ISBN 0-7890-1842-X.
- ↑ Lamparski, Richard (1989). Whatever Became Of ...? All New Eleventh Series. Crown Publishers. p. 135. ISBN 0-517-57150-1.
- ↑ Marian Nixon, Finnish Hollywood, 25.brinkster.com
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marian Nixon. |
- Marian Nixon at the Internet Movie Database
- Marian Nixon at the TCM Movie Database
- Marian Nixon at AllMovie
- Photographs of Marian Nixon
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