Mary Carlisle is a former American singer, actress, and dancer. She played the lead in many Hollywood movies in the 30s. In 1932, she was chosen as one of the 15 girls as WAMPAS Baby Stars. It may be noted that the WAMPAS Baby Stars list featured young actress who were thought to have the potential to become stars in the future.
In 1933, Mary got her first starring role in the movie College Humor alongside Bing Crosby. They acted together in more movies. She stopped acting in 1942 after her marriage. Her last acting job was in the 1943 movie ‘Dead Men Walk.’
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Early Life and Education
Mary was born as Gwendolyn Witter on February 3, 1914, to Henry J. Kaiser and Leona Ella Witter, in Boston, MA. Her parents relocated to the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston around 6 months after she was born. Her family was quite religious and she studied in a convent school.
When Carlisle was 4 years old, her father passed away. Subsequently, her mother and she moved to Los Angeles, CA, where her uncle lived.
Career
In 1923, Mary’s uncle helped her to get a role in the 1923 silent film ‘Long Live the King’ directed by Jackie Coogan. Her role was not in the credits.
Carl Laemmle, Jr., a studio executive at Universal Studios, discovered Carlisle while she was having lunch with her mother in the cafeteria of the studio. She was only 14 years old at that time. But she had blonde hair, round, big blue eyes, and dimples and was five feet tall. Her angelic appearance was what attracted the executive and he offered her a screen test. She passed it and began working as an extra. She was however spotted by a welfare officer who asked the studio to stop her working as she was underage and had to complete her schooling first.
After finishing school, Mary went to MGM studio and looked for work. She was asked by the casting director if she could dance. She replied in the affirmative even though she could not dance. The audition was to occur some days later, and during this time, Mary took a short-duration lesson in tap dancing. She passed the test and got a brief role in one movie. In 1930, she signed a 1-year contract with the studio and began working as a back-up dancer. During this early phase of her acting career, she had minor roles in different movies like Passion Flower, Grand Hotel, and Madam Satan. She found recognition in 1932 after being named as a WAMPAS Baby Star.
Carlisle’s big break in acting occurred in 1933 after she was loaned by Paramount Studios to play the lead opposite Bing Crosby in the musical comedy movie College Humor. The two would work with each other again in 2 more films, Doctor Rhythm and Double or Nothing. Mary continued acting with varied studios as a female lead, particularly in B-movies.
Mary Carlisle – Young Pictures
Personal Life
- Mary got married to James Edward Blakeley in 1942. He was a British-born actor who later moved to 20th Century Fox as got promoted as an executive producer. The couple had 1 child. They remained married until James passed away in 2007.
- Carlisle got her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in Feb 1960.
- Since the studios considered beauty as a favorable characteristic in female actors, Mary often indulged in dieting to keep her figure.
- Mary is the only living WAMPAS Baby Star as all others have passed away.
Mary Carlisle – Net Worth
Her net worth is estimated to be in the range of $700,000 to $1 million.
