- Anne Shirley (actress)
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Anne Shirley 
from the trailer for the film
Vigil in the Night (1940)Born Dawn Evelyeen Paris
April 17, 1918
New York City, New York, U.S.Died July 4, 1993 (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.Other names Dawn O'Day Occupation Actress Years active 1922–1944 Spouse John Payne (1937–1943) (divorced) 1 child
Adrian Scott (1945–1948) (divorced)
Charles Lederer (1949–1976) (his death) 1 childDawn Evelyeen Paris (April 17, 1918 – July 4, 1993), known as Anne Shirley, was an American film actress.
Beginning her career as a child actress under the name Dawn O'Day, Shirley adopted the name of the character she played in Anne of Green Gables in 1934, and 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.
She retired from acting in 1944, and remained in Los Angeles, where she died in 1993.
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Early life
Born in New York City, she began acting under the name of Dawn O'Day. She began acting at the age of five, and had a highly successful child star career in Pre-Code movies, appearing in such films as the 1930 version of Liliom, Tom Mix's Riders of the Purple Sage, So Big, Three on a Match and Rasputin and the Empress.
Career
In 1934 she starred as the character of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, and took that character's name as her stage name.
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 such movies as Vigil in the Night, Anne of Windy Poplars, The Devil and Daniel Webster and Murder, My Sweet, her final film. Of her portrayal in Saturday's Children, The New York Times commented that she "endows the little wife with heroic integrity and strength of character."[1]
Personal life
Her first husband was the actor John Payne, and their daughter is former actress Julie Payne. Her second husband was producer Adrian Scott. When he was blacklisted and decided to move the family to Europe, at the last minute she wrote him a "Dear John" letter saying she'd rather stay behind and divorce him.[2] Her third husband was Charles Lederer, nephew of Marion Davies. They had a son named Daniel Lederer.
Shirley died from lung cancer in Los Angeles, aged 75 on July 4, 1993. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Blvd.
Filmography
Shirley in Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Year Film Role Notes 1922 The Hidden Woman Girl as Dawn O'Day Moonshine Valley Nancy as Dawn O'Day 1923 The Rustle of Silk Girl as Dawn O'Day The Spanish Dancer Don Balthazar Carlos as Dawn O'Day 1924 The Man Who Fights Alone Dorothy as Dawn O'Day The Fast Set Little Margaret as Dawn O'Day 1925 Riders of the Purple Sage Fay Larkin uncredited Alice's Egg Plant Alice as Dawn O'Day 1927 Night Life Daughter of War Profiteer as Dawn O'Day The Callahans and the Murphys Mary Callahan as Dawn O'Day 1928 Mother Knows Best Sally, as a child as Dawn O'Day 4 Devils Marion, as a girl as Dawn O'Day Sins of the Fathers Mary, as a child as Dawn O'Day 1930 City Girl Marie Tustine as Dawn O'Day Liliom Louise as Dawn O'Day 1931 Gun Smoke Horton's Daughter as Dawn O'Day Hello Napoleon The Little Girl as Dawn O'Day Howdy Mate - as Dawn O'Day Rich Man's Folly Anne, as a child as Dawn O'Day 1932 Emma Isabelle as a Child uncredited Young America Girl as Dawn O'Day So Big! Selina Peake, as a Child uncredited The Purchase Price Sarah Tipton, the Daughter uncredited Three on a Match Vivian Revere as a Child as Dawn O'Day Rasputin and the Empress Princess Anastasia uncredited 1933 The Life of Jimmy Dolan Mary Lou uncredited 1934 This Side of Heaven Flower Girl as Dawn O'Day/Scenes deleted Picture Palace Dawn as Dawn O'Day School for Girls Catherine Fogarty Finishing School Billie as Dawn O'Day Private Lessons Dawn as Dawn O'Day The Key Flower Girl as Dawn O'Day Bachelor Bait Miriam Ann Johnson, Marriage License Applicant uncredited Anne of Green Gables Anne Shirley 1935 Chasing Yesterday Jeanne Alexandre Steamboat Round the Bend Fleety Belle 1936 Chatterbox Jenny Yates M'Liss M'liss Smith So and Sew - Make Way for a Lady June Drew 1937 Too Many Wives Betty Jackson Meet the Missus Louise Foster Stella Dallas Laurel 'Lollie' Dallas 1938 Condemned Women Millie Anson Law of the Underworld Annabelle Porter Mother Carey's Chickens Nancy Carey Girls' School Natalie Freeman A Man to Remember Jean Johnson 1939 Boy Slaves Annie Sorority House Alice Fisher Career Sylvia Bartholomew 1940 Vigil in the Night Lucy Lee Saturday's Children Bobby Halevy Anne of Windy Poplars Anne Shirley 1941 West Point Widow Nancy Hull Unexpected Uncle Kathleen Brown The Devil and Daniel Webster Mary Stone 1942 Four Jacks and a Jill Karanina 'Nina' Novak The Mayor of 44th Street Jessey Lee 1943 Ona zashchishchayet rodinu Pasha English voice Lady Bodyguard A.C. Baker The Powers Girl Ellen Evans Bombardier Burton Hughes Government Girl May Harness Blake 1944 Man from Frisco Diana Kennedy Music in Manhattan Frankie Foster Murder, My Sweet Anne Grayle References
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (1940-05-04). "THE SCREEN; John Garfield and Anne Shirley Seen at Strand in 'Saturday's Children'--'Star Dust' at Roxy". The New York Times (New York City: The New York Times Company): para. 4. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9902E1DE1439E731A25757C0A9639C946193D6CF. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ^ "The Red and the Blacklist" by Norma Barzman.
External links
- Anne Shirley at the Internet Movie Database
- Anne Shirley at Find a Grave
- Anne of Green Gables Centenary - This site includes information about the centenary anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.
Categories:- American child actors
- American film actors
- Deaths from lung cancer
- Actors from New York City
- Cancer deaths in California
- 1918 births
- 1993 deaths
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