Anne Shirley (actress)

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

For the fictional literary character, see Anne Shirley.
Anne Shirley
Born
Dawn Evelyn Paris

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

      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

      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
      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

      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
      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
      1922The Hidden WomanGirlas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      Moonshine ValleyNancyas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      1923The Rustle of SilkGirlas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      The Spanish DancerDon Balthazar Carlosas Dawn O'Day
      1924The Man Who Fights AloneDorothyas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      The Fast SetLittle Margaretas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      1925Riders of the Purple SageFay Larkinuncredited
      Alice's Egg PlantAliceShort, as Dawn O'Day
      1927The Callahans and the MurphysMary Callahanas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      Night LifeDaughter of War Profiteeras Dawn O'Day
      1928Mother Knows BestSally, as a childas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      4 DevilsMarion, as a girlas Dawn O'Day
      lost film
      Sins of the FathersMary, as a childas Dawn O'Day
      1930City GirlMarie Tustineas Dawn O'Day
      LiliomLouiseas Dawn O'Day
      1931Gun SmokeHorton's Daughteras Dawn O'Day
      Hello NapoleonThe Little Girlshort, as Dawn O'Day
      Howdy Mate-short, as Dawn O'Day
      Rich Man's FollyAnne, as a childas Dawn O'Day
      1932EmmaIsabelle as a Childuncredited
      Young AmericaMabel Saundersas Dawn O'Day
      So Big!Selina Peake, as a Childuncredited
      The Purchase PriceSarah Tipton, the Daughteruncredited
      Three on a MatchVivian Revere as a Childas Dawn O'Day
      Rasputin and the EmpressPrincess Anastasiauncredited
      1933The Life of Jimmy DolanMary Louuncredited
      1934This Side of HeavenFlower Girlscenes deleted, as Dawn O'Day
      School for GirlsCatherine Fogarty
      Finishing SchoolBillieas Dawn O'Day
      The KeyFlower Girlas Dawn O'Day
      Bachelor BaitMiriam Ann Johnson, Marriage License Applicantuncredited
      Anne of Green GablesAnne Shirley
      Picture PalaceDawnshort, as Dawn O'Day
      Private LessonsDawnshort, as Dawn O'Day
      1935Chasing YesterdayJeanne Alexandre
      Steamboat Round the BendFleety Belle
      1936ChatterboxJenny Yates
      M'LissM'liss Smith
      Make Way for a LadyJune Drew
      1937Too Many WivesBetty Jackson
      Meet the MissusLouise Foster
      Stella DallasLaurel "Lollie" Dallasnominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
      1938Condemned WomenMillie Anson
      Law of the UnderworldAnnabelle Porter
      Mother Carey's ChickensNancy Carey
      Girls' SchoolNatalie Freeman
      A Man to RememberJean Johnson
      1939Boy SlavesAnnie
      Sorority HouseAlice Fisher
      CareerSylvia Bartholomew
      1940Vigil in the NightLucy Lee
      Saturday's ChildrenBobby Halevy
      Anne of Windy PoplarsAnne Shirley
      1941West Point WidowNancy Hull
      Unexpected UncleKathleen Brown
      The Devil and Daniel WebsterMary Stone
      1942Four Jacks and a JillKaranina 'Nina' Novak
      The Mayor of 44th StreetJessey Lee
      1943Lady BodyguardA.C. Baker
      The Powers GirlEllen Evans
      BombardierBurton Hughes
      Government GirlMay Harness Blake
      1944Man from FriscoDiana Kennedy
      Music in ManhattanFrankie Foster
      Murder, My SweetAnne Graylefinal film role

      References
      1. "Anne Shirley At Weller". The Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. July 7, 1940. p. 16. Retrieved July 13, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.open access
      2. 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
      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
      7. "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.
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