Polly Rowles

Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Rowles[1] (January 10, 1914 – October 7, 2001 in Concord, New Hampshire) was an American actress.

Polly Rowles
Rosalind Russell (left) and Polly Rowles in the original Broadway production of Auntie Mame (1957)
Born
Mary Elizabeth Rowles

(1914-01-10)January 10, 1914
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedOctober 7, 2001(2001-10-07) (aged 87)
Concord, New Hampshire, U.S.
Alma materCarnegie Institute of Technology
OccupationActress
SpouseFrank Snyder

Early years

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rowles was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph T. Rowles.[2] Her father was a steel executive, and her grandfather was an actor.[3] She graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology.[4] While Rowles was at Carnegie Tech, she appeared in 30 plays, often in leading roles. She gained additional acting experience with the Pittsburgh Little Theatre, where Ben Iden Payne was the director.[3] She was signed to make films for Universal based on the recommendation of Carnegie Tech's school of drama.[3]

Career

Roweles's film debut came in Love Letters of a Star.[5] Universal executives declined to pick up Rowles's option after her first year, attributing the decision to her right eye, which she said was slightly smaller than the left as a result of a childhood injury. They had ordered an operation on the eye but let her go anyway. She worked as a freelance actress, including making a film with Gene Autry, but then decided that she could put her dramatic training to better use on stage, so she headed east to Broadway.[6]

Rowels performed in such films and television series as The Defenders,[7] Sweet Liberty and Power.[8] Rowles portrayed Laurie in the Jamie TV series.[9] Television work included soap opera characters in roles on The Nurses, Somerset, and The Edge of Night. Rowles was also known as Inspector No. 12 in a series of television commercials for Hanes underwear.[4][10]

Rowles's Broadway debut came in Julius Caesar (1938).[11] She also appeared as Vera Charles in the original Broadway production of Auntie Mame (1956–1958)[12] with Rosalind Russell in the title role. Rowles also acted on stage in the Strand Theatre in London in Dark Eyes (1948).[13]

Rowles had a program that was "an early version of talk radio" on KDKA in Pittsburgh.[14]

Personal life and death

Rowles was married to Frank Snyder,[15] and she had a daughter.[1] On October 7, 2001, Rowles died at a nursing home in Concord, New Hampshire, aged 87.[4]

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Hollywood, Broadway actress known for Hanes commercials dies". Ventura County Star. California, Ventura. October 22, 2001. p. 47. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Having Starred On Screen, Tech Queen Enjoys Stage". The Pittsburgh Press. February 25, 1938. p. 31. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Polly Rowles Comes To State in 'Love Letters of a Star'". The Jackson Sun. January 17, 1937. p. 23. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Polly Rowles, 87, Actress In TV and Film". The New York Times. October 20, 2001.
  5. Krug, Karl (January 24, 1937). "Pittsburgh's Polly Rowles seen in first photoplay role in Fulton". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. Part 5, page 2. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Monahan, Kaspar (March 6, 1939). "Show Shops: In which Miss Polly Rowles Discusses Movie Career". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 6. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  8. "Polly Rowles". AllMovie. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  9. Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 525. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  10. "Polly Rowles, 87; Actress Best Known for Hanes Commercial". The Los Angeles Times. October 21, 2001.
  11. Suskin, Steven (May 29, 2003). Broadway Yearbook 2001-2002: A Relevant and Irreverent Record. Oxford University Press. p. 362. ISBN 978-0-19-534794-4. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  12. "Polly Rowles". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. "'Dark Eyes' in London". The New York Times. March 25, 1948. p. 34. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. "Polly Rowles". Variety. October 24, 2001. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  15. Monahan, Kaspar (March 28, 1940). "Playhousers Score A Hit With Comedy". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 22. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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