Mary Astor (1906 - 1987)


'Mary Astor
Mary Astor

Mary Astor was born Lucile de Vasconcellos Langhanke, in Illinois in May, 1906, the daughter of ambitious German immigrants. At the instigation of her parents she took acting lessons and entered beauty contests as a child, which brought her to the attention of Hollywood talent scouts, and she was signed up at age fourteen. So her 44 year movie career began as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s.

In 1924 she played opposite John Barrymore in the movie 'Beau Brummel' and also had an affair with him. It was the turning point of her career and she became a major star. When the Talkies came, because of her strong speaking voice, she was able to easily make the transition and continued at the top with films such as 'Red Dust' in 1932, 'Man of Iron' in 1935, and 'The Prisoner of Zenda' in 1937.

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She is best remembered for her role as the duplicitous Brigid O'Shaughnessy in 'The Maltese Falcon' in 1941. In her career-defining turn, Astor was cast against type as a femme fatale: with her upswept hair and classy mendacity, she is almost matronly beside the sexpots who would dominate film noir.

Astor came to 'The Maltese Falcon' as a Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for her portrayal of Sandra Kovak in 'The Great Lie' in 1941. Three years after Brigid, she became the matriarch in 'Meet Me in St. Louis' in 1944, which led to Marmee March in 'Little Women' in 1949.

From the 1950's on, she worked mostly in TV - giving her Norma Desmond in a 1956 'Robert Montgomery Presents version of 'Sunset Boulevard'. Her last screen role was a minor grotesque in 'Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte' in 1964.

Her offscreen live was as lively and up and down as her career; married four times, she was dogged by scandal. She suffered a breakdown following the tragic death of her first husband, director Kenneth Hawks, in a plane crash in 1930. In 1934, Astor was sued by her parents for support and the feud was thrust into the public eye. Her court battles continued through the mid-1930's when her divorce from her second husband, Dr Franklin Thorpe, made the headlines with a custody battle over their daughter and accusations of adultery. Her ensuing alcoholism led her to a stint in rehab, after which she converted to Roman Cathlicism and wrote five novels and a best-selling autobiography, 'My Story'.

Mary Astor lived her final years in the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where she died of a heart attack on September 25, 1987 at the age of 81.



Mary Astor Filmography
1920
1921
Bullets or Ballots (uncredited)
The Bashful Suitor (uncredited)
Brother of the Bear (uncredited)
Sentimental Tommy
My Lady o' the Pines (uncredited)
The Beggar Maid (uncredited)
Wings of the Border
1922
The Angelus (uncredited)
The Young Painter
John Smith
Hope
The Man Who Played God
The Rapids
1923
Second Fiddle
Success
The Bright Shawl
Puritan Passions
The Marriage Maker
Woman-Proof
To the Ladies
1924
The Fighting Coward
Beau Brummel
The Fighting American
Unguarded Women
The Price of a Party
Inez from Hollywood
1925
Oh, Doctor!
Enticement
Playing with Souls
Don Q Son of Zorro
The Pace That Thrills
Scarlet Saint
1926
High Steppers
The Wise Guy
Don Juan
Forever After
1927
The Sea Tiger
The Sunset Derby
Two Arabian Knights
Rose of the Golden West
The Rough Riders
No Place to Go
1928
Sailors' Wives
Dressed to Kill
Three-Ring Marriage
Heart to Heart
Dry Martini
Romance of the Underworld
1929
New Year's Eve
The Woman from Hell
1930
The Runaway Bride
Ladies Love Brutes
Holiday
The Lash
1931
The Royal Bed
Other Men's Women
Behind Office Doors
The Sin Ship
White Shoulders
Smart Woman
Men of Chance
1932
The Lost Squadron
Those We Love
A Successful Calamity
Red Dust
1933
The Little Giant
Jennie Gerhardt
The Kennel Murder Case
The World Changes
Convention City
1934
Easy to Love
Upperworld
Return of the Terror
The Man with Two Faces
The Case of the Howling Dog
I Am a Thief
1935
Red Hot Tires
Straight from the Heart
Dinky
Page Miss Glory
Man of Iron
1936
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
And So They Were Married
Trapped by Television
Dodsworth
Lady from Nowhere
1937
The Prisoner of Zenda
The Hurricane
1938
No Time to Marry
Paradise for Three
There's Always a Woman
Woman Against Woman
Listen, Darling
1939
Midnight
1940
Turnabout
Brigham Young
1941
The Great Lie
The Maltese Falcon
1942
Across the Pacific
The Palm Beach Story
1943
Young Ideas
Thousands Cheer
1944
Meet Me in St. Louis
Blonde Fever
1945
1946
Claudia and David
1947
Fiesta
Desert Fury
Cynthia
Cass Timberlane
1948
Act of Violence
1949
Little Women
Any Number Can Play
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
A Kiss Before Dying
The Power and the Prize
1957
The Devil's Hairpin
1958
This Happy Feeling
1959
A Stranger in My Arms
1960
1961
Return to Peyton Place
1962
1963
1964
Youngblood Hawke
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte

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Actors and Actresses June Allyson Judith Anderson Dana Andrews Jean Arthur Fred Astaire Mary Astor Lauren Bacall Lucille Ball Ralph Bellamy Joan Bennett Ingrid Bergman Humphrey Bogart Ward Bond Ernest Borgnine Marlon Brando James Cagney Charlie Chaplin Montgomery Clift Claudette Colbert Gary Cooper Joan Crawford Tony Curtis Bebe Daniels Bette Davis Olivia de Havilland Marlene Dietrich Kirk Douglas Irene Dunne Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Errol Flynn Henry Fonda Joan Fontaine Clark Gable Greta Garbo Ava Gardner Judy Garland Greer Garson John Gilbert Paulette Goddard Betty Grable Cary Grant Sydney Greenstreet Jean Harlow Gabby Hayes Rita Hayworth Audrey Hepburn Katharine Hepburn William Holden Judy Holliday Bob Hope Leslie Howard John Huston Ruby Keeler Gene Kelly Grace Kelly Deborah Kerr Alan Ladd Veronica Lake Hedy Lamarr Burt Lancaster Charles Laughton Janet Leigh Vivien Leigh Jack Lemmon Joan Leslie Carole Lombard Myrna Loy Ida Lupino Fred MacMurray Karl Malden Fredric March James Mason Raymond Massey Joel McCrea Hattie McDaniel Ray Milland Ann Miller Thomas Mitchell Robert Mitchum Marilyn Monroe Paul Muni Paul Newman Laurence Olivier Maureen O'Sullivan Gregory Peck Sidney Poitier Eleanor Powell Dick Powell William Powell Tyrone Power Claude Rains Edward G. Robinson Ginger Rogers Cesar Romero Jane Russell Rosalind Russell George Sanders Randolph Scott Norma Shearer Frank Sinatra Barbara Stanwyck James Stewart Elizabeth Taylor Gene Tierney Spencer Tracy John Wayne Johnny Weismuller Esther Williams Richard Widmark Fay Wray Jane Wyman Loretta Young


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