Anne Shirley (actress)

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Anne Shirley
Born
Dawn Evelyn Paris

(1918-04-17)April 17, 1918
New York City, NY, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1993(1993-07-04) (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesDawn O'Day
OccupationActress
Years active1922–1944
Known for
Spouses
(m. 1937; div. 1943)
(m. 1945; div. 1948)
(m. 1949; died 1976)
Children2, including Julie Payne

Anne Shirley (born Dawn Evelyn Paris; April 17, 1918 – July 4, 1993) was an American actress.

Beginning her career as a child actress under the stage name Dawn O'Day, she adopted the stage name of Anne Shirley, after playing the title character in the film adaptation of Anne of Green Gables in 1934,[1] after which she achieved a successful career in supporting roles. Among her films is Stella Dallas (1937), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Shirley left the acting profession in 1944, at the age of 26, and remained in Los Angeles, where she died at the age of 75.[2]

Early life[edit]

Born in New York City,[2] as a baby she began modeling, and made her film debut with a featured role in 1922's Moonshine Valley.[3] Shirley began acting at the age of five as the live action "Alice" in Walt Disney's pre-Mickey Mouse silent animated series "Alice in Cartoonland". She had a highly successful child star career in Pre-Code movies, appearing in films such as Liliom, Tom Mix's Riders of the Purple Sage, So Big, Three on a Match and Rasputin and the Empress.

Career[edit]

John Beal and Anne Shirley in 1936.

In 1934, she starred as the character of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables and took that character's name as her legal and stage name.[4]

After adopting the name Anne Shirley, she starred in Steamboat Round the Bend, Make Way for a Lady and Stella Dallas, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Later roles were in Vigil in the Night, Anne of Windy Poplars, The Devil and Daniel Webster and Murder, My Sweet, her final film. Of Shirley's portrayal in Saturday's Children, The New York Times wrote that she "endows the little wife with heroic integrity and strength of character."[5]

Personal life[edit]

Shirley married actor John Payne on August 22, 1937, in Montecito, California.[6] They had a daughter, former actress Julie Payne, and divorced in 1943.[7]

Her second husband was film producer and screenwriter Adrian Scott. When he was blacklisted and decided to move the family to Europe, she wrote a "Dear John" letter to him, stating she'd rather stay behind and divorce him, which she did in 1949.[8]

Her third husband was Charles Lederer, nephew of Marion Davies. They had a son, Daniel Lederer, before his death in 1976.[7]

Shirley had brief relationships with younger western star Rory Calhoun and with French movie star Jean-Pierre Aumont.

Shirley died from lung cancer in Los Angeles, aged 75, on July 4, 1993, and was cremated.[7] For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography[edit]

Shirley as "Alice", with Julius the Cat, in a scene from Alice's Egg Plant (1925)
Shirley in Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Year Title Role Notes
1922 The Hidden Woman Girl as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
Moonshine Valley Nancy as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1923 The Rustle of Silk Girl as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
The Spanish Dancer Don Balthazar Carlos as Dawn O'Day
1924 The Man Who Fights Alone Dorothy as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
The Fast Set Little Margaret as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1925 Riders of the Purple Sage Fay Larkin uncredited
Alice's Egg Plant Alice Short subject
as Dawn O'Day
1927 The Callahans and the Murphys Mary Callahan as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
Night Life Daughter of War Profiteer as Dawn O'Day
1928 Mother Knows Best Sally, as a child as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
4 Devils Marion, as a girl as Dawn O'Day
Lost film
Sins of the Fathers Mary, as a child as Dawn O'Day
1930 City Girl Marie Tustine as Dawn O'Day
Liliom Louise as Dawn O'Day
1931 Gun Smoke Horton's Daughter as Dawn O'Day
Hello Napoleon The Little Girl short, as Dawn O'Day
Howdy Mate - short, as Dawn O'Day
Rich Man's Folly Anne, as a child as Dawn O'Day
1932 Emma Isabelle as a Child uncredited
Young America Mabel Saunders as Dawn O'Day
So Big! Selina Peake, as a Child uncredited
The Purchase Price Sarah Tipton, the Daughter uncredited
Three on a Match Vivian Revere as a Child as Dawn O'Day
Rasputin and the Empress Princess Anastasia uncredited
1933 The Life of Jimmy Dolan Mary Lou uncredited
1934 This Side of Heaven Flower Girl scenes deleted, as Dawn O'Day
School for Girls Catherine Fogarty
Finishing School Billie as Dawn O'Day
The Key Flower Girl as Dawn O'Day
Bachelor Bait Miriam Ann Johnson, Marriage License Applicant uncredited
Anne of Green Gables Anne Shirley
Picture Palace Dawn short, as Dawn O'Day
Private Lessons Dawn short, as Dawn O'Day
1935 Chasing Yesterday Jeanne Alexandre
Steamboat Round the Bend Fleety Belle
1936 Chatterbox Jenny Yates
M'Liss M'liss Smith
Make Way for a Lady June Drew
1937 Too Many Wives Betty Jackson
Meet the Missus Louise Foster
Stella Dallas Laurel "Lollie" Dallas nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1938 Condemned Women Millie Anson
Law of the Underworld Annabelle Porter
Mother Carey's Chickens Nancy Carey
Girls' School Natalie Freeman
A Man to Remember Jean Johnson
1939 Boy Slaves Annie
Sorority House Alice Fisher
Career Sylvia Bartholomew
1940 Vigil in the Night Lucy Lee
Saturday's Children Bobby Halevy
Anne of Windy Poplars Anne Shirley
1941 West Point Widow Nancy Hull
Unexpected Uncle Kathleen Brown
The Devil and Daniel Webster Mary Stone
1942 Four Jacks and a Jill Karanina 'Nina' Novak
The Mayor of 44th Street Jessey Lee
1943 Lady Bodyguard A.C. Baker
The Powers Girl Ellen Evans
Bombardier Burton Hughes
Government Girl May Harness Blake
1944 Man from Frisco Diana Kennedy
Music in Manhattan Frankie Foster
Murder, My Sweet Anne Grayle final film role

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1937 10th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Stella Dallas Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Anne Shirley At Weller". The Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. July 7, 1940. p. 16. Retrieved July 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon[dead link]
  2. ^ a b Shipman, David (October 22, 2011). "Obituary: Anne Shirley". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  3. ^ "Information Desk". Modern Screen. Vol. 11, no. 2. July 1935. p. 10. Retrieved November 1, 2015.Open access icon
  4. ^ "Venus em Flor". Gazeta de Noticias (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 60, no. 156. Rio de Janeiro. 1935-07-04. p. 9.
  5. ^ Crowther, Bosley (May 4, 1940). "THE SCREEN; John Garfield and Anne Shirley Seen at Strand in 'Saturday's Children'--'Star Dust' at Roxy". The New York Times. para. 4. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Anne Marries". Mansfield News Journal. United Press. August 23, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon[dead link]
  7. ^ a b c "Anne Shirley". Variety. Associated Press. July 8, 1993. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  8. ^ Barzman, Norma (August 18, 2004). The Red and the Blacklist: The Intimate Memoir of a Hollywood Expatriate. Public Affairs. ISBN 978-1560256175.

External links[edit]