Mary Duncan

Born: 1895-08-12

From Wikipedia Mary Duncan (August 13, 1895 – May 9, 1993) was an American actress. Mary Duncan was born in Northumberland county, Virginia, the sixth of eight children born to Capt. William "Bill" Dungan and his wife, the former 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 the daughter "Poppy" in the smash hit and controversial play The Shanghai Gesture. Florence Reed played her mother called Mother Goddam in which Reed kills Duncan in a startling end to the play. This play was turned into a very sanitized film in 1941 with Gene Tierney. She 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. Her last film appearance was with Katharine Hepburn in the 1933 film Morning Glory. 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. Mary Duncan died in her sleep aged 97. 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.


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Thirteen Women

as June Raskob
Released: 1932-09-16

Thirteen women who were schoolmates ask a swami to cast their horoscopes. The news they receive...

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City Girl

as Kate
Released: 1930-01-12

A waitress from Chicago falls in love with a man from rural Minnesota and marries him, with the...

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Morning Glory

as Rita Vernon
Released: 1933-08-18

Wildly optimistic chatterbox Eva Lovelace is a would-be actress trying to crash the New York...

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The River

as Rosalee
Released: 1929-10-06

Passion carried an innocent boy and a worldly woman beyond the barriers of conscience.

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Soft Living

as Lorna Estabrook
Released: 1928-02-05

Nancy Woods, secretary to a divorce lawyer, is tantalized by the idea of collecting alimony...

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Five and Ten

as Muriel Preston
Released: 1931-06-13

John owns the largest chain of five and ten cent stores in the country. He moves his family to...

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State's Attorney

as Nora Dean
Released: 1932-05-20

Corrupt alcoholic attorney Tom Cardigan is one of the best lawyers around, commanding the...

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The Phantom of Crestwood

as Dorothy Mears
Released: 1932-10-14

Five men have to prove their innocence when a blackmailer is murdered.

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Kismet

as Zeleekha
Released: 1930-10-30

Hajj, a rascally beggar on the periphery of the court of Baghdad, schemes to marry his daughter...

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4 Devils

as The Lady
Released: 1928-10-03

The circus provides the backdrop for this melodrama that chronicles the lives of four children...

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Men Call It Love

as Helen
Released: 1931-03-14

Pre-code melodrama about high society marriage and fidelity.

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The Boudoir Diplomat

as Mona
Released: 1930-12-05

A ladies' man flirts with the wives of other governments' officials.

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Thru Different Eyes

as Viola
Released: 1929-04-13

Harvey Manning is placed on trial for the murder of Jack Winfield, his closest friend, whose...

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Very Confidential

as Priscilla Travers
Released: 1927-11-06

A young lady impersonates a famous sportswoman while trying to win over a man.

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Romance of the Rio Grande

as Carlotta
Released: 1929-11-17

Fox's immediate follow-up to its successful early-talkie western In Old Arizona was 1929's...

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The Age for Love

as Nina Donnet
Released: 1931-10-17

A comedy-drama about marriage and divorce. A wife does not want children, her husband leaves her...

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