Marian Nixon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marian Nixon (b. October 20, 1904 in Superior, Wisconsin – d. February 13, 1983) was a movie actress. She came from modest beginnings and supported herself from the age of fifteen.
Started out as a vaudeville chorus dancer in her early teens, Nixon entered films in 1922. In 1924, she was chosen by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers as a WAMPAS Baby Star, along with such other hopefuls such as future movie leading actresses, names like Clara Bow and Dorothy Mackaill.
After serving an apprenticeship as a Western ingénue, she was then given leading-lady assignments opposite such popular male leading stars, such names as Raymond Griffith, Reginald Denny, John Barrymore, Richard Barthelmess, and Al Jolson. She also was one of the few silent film stars who made a successful transition to talkies, starring with electrifying new leading man James Cagney in Winner Take All (1932), but her peaches-and-cream screen image was getting old. Her sound film debut came as Mary Lane in Rainbow Man (1929), which co-starred Eddie Dowling.
On August 11, 1929 Nixon married Chicago, Illinois department store heir, Edward Hillman Jr., at the home of his parents. The marriage lasted only until 1933.
In 1934, she tried in vain to change her image with a Gracie Allen-type scatterbrain role in We’re Rich Again. The film wasn't a success. However, in one respect it turned out to be beneficial to Nixon: She married the film's director, William Seitier, a union that lasted until Seiter's death in 1964.
Ten years later, in 1974, the long-retired Nixon married actor/producer Ben Lyon, the widower of actress Bebe Daniels. She died of complications following open heart surgery at age 78.
For her work in movies, she received a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street in Los Angeles, California.
[edit] References
- Lima, Ohio, How Cupid Two-Timed The Millionaire Playboy, April 9, 1933, Page 25.
