Mary Duncan

Mary Duncan

Duncan circa 1930
Born Mary Annie Dungan
(1895-08-13)August 13, 1895
Luttrellville, Virginia U.S.
Died May 9, 1993(1993-05-09) (aged 97)
Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Resting place Green Hill Cemetery, Amsterdam, New York, U.S.
Alma mater Cornell University[1]
Years active 1927-1933
Spouse(s) Stephen "Laddie" Sanford (1933-1977; his death)

Mary Duncan (born Mary Annie Dungan, August 13, 1895 May 9, 1993) was an American stage and silent film actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in F.W. Murnau's City Girl (1930) and Morning Glory (1933).

Biography

Duncan was born Mary Annie Dungan in Northumberland County, Virginia, the sixth of eight children born to Capt. William Dungan and his wife, Ada Thaddeus Douglass. She attended Cornell University before settling on acting as a career. She began her career as a child actress playing on the Broadway stage from 1910. In 1926 she played "Poppy" in the smash hit and controversial play The Shanghai Gesture, in which Florence Reed played her mother (known as "Mother Goddam"). Reed's character kills her daughter in a startling end to the play. This play was turned into a very sanitized film in 1941 with Gene Tierney. Duncan also starred in the 1930 film City Girl by director F.W. Murnau. Duncan's last film appearance was in the 1933 film Morning Glory, which starred Katharine Hepburn.

Personal life

Duncan met and married Stephen "Laddie" Sanford, who was an international polo player as well as director of the Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company, in 1933, after which she retired from films. They remained married until his death in 1977. She spent much of her remaining years working with several major charities, and earned a reputation as a socialite in Palm Beach, Florida.[2] She kept herself active by playing golf twice a week and swimming every morning before breakfast, which helped her maintain her size 8 figure. As an actress, she had followed the ministrations of Sylvia of Hollywood to keep her shape.

Death

Mary Duncan died in her sleep aged 97.[2] She was survived by a niece and great-niece, and she was the last known person to have in her possession a copy of the lost Murnau film 4 Devils; Martin Koerber, curator of Deutsche Kinemathek, has speculated that her heirs may still have the valuable print somewhere.

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1927 Very Confidential Priscilla Travers
1928 Soft Living Lorna Estabrook
1928 4 Devils The Lady
1929 Thru Different Eyes Viola
1929 The River Rosalee
1929 Romance of the Rio Grande Carlotta
1930 City Girl Kate
1930 Kismet Zeleekha
1930 The Boudoir Diplomat Mona
1931 Men Call It Love Helen Robinson
1931 Five and Ten Muriel Preston
1931 The Age for Love Nina Donnet
1932 State's Attorney Nora Dean
1932 Thirteen Women June Raskob
1932 The Phantom of Crestwood Dorothy Mears
1933 Morning Glory Rita Vernon

References

  1. "Movie Star Chosen for Round-Up Queen". Heppner Gazette-Times. Pendleton, Oregon. August 21, 1928. p. 6.
  2. 1 2 "Mary Duncan; Movie Actress and Socialite". The Los Angeles Times. May 17, 1993. Retrieved January 22, 2016.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.