MARIE DRESSIER

Evening Star, Issue 21785, 30 July 1934, Page 8

MARIE DRESSIER

DEATH IN CALIFORNIA VETERAN SCREEN STAR PriM Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SANTA BARBARA (California), July 28. Marie Dressier, the veteran sfsge and screen star, died here this afternoon; aged sixty-tw.o. She had been ill for about two months, suffering from cancer, uremic poisoning, and heart trouble. ' [Marie Dressier, whose real name Was Leila Loerber, was born at Coburg, Canada, on November 9, 1873. She was married to J. H. Dalton. _ Her first stage appearance was made in 1886, as Cigarette in ‘ Under Two Flags.’ Subsequently she played on tour as Katisha jn ‘The Mikado.’ Up till 1906 she toured America to appear on the stage in numerous operatic, roles, as well as in drama and musical comedy. She made her first appearance in New York on May 28, 1892, and on October 28, 1907, .she was introduced to London audiences, meeting with instantaneous success. On February 27, 1909, she first appeared at the Aldwyoh Theatre (famous home of Ralph Lynn, Tom Walls, Mary Brough, and Winifred Shotter), but the venture was a failure, and she returned to America to win stardom on the musical comedy stage in ‘Tillie’s Nightmare,’ in 1910- That part she played in her first picture in 1914; and she won immediate fame. Although she continued to make films, she did not forsake the stage, but was tmieh in demand, chiefly in New York, until. 1923, in which year she also reappeared in London. Her silent films included ‘ Tillie’s Punctured Romance, 1 ‘The Callaghans and the Murphys,’ ‘ Bringing Up Father,’ ‘ The Patsy,’ ‘ Breakfast at Sunrise,’ ‘ The Divine Lady,’ ‘ Dangerous Females,’ and ‘ The Joy Girl.’ Talking films brought her into her true- light, and before her death, which indeed must be sad news to her millions of admirers the world over, she proved herself a great artistone who was never overshadowed, even in the company of front-rank actors and actresses. In 1931 she won the award of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, for the best performance of an actress during the year. The foie thus recognised was in ‘ Min and Bill,’ which followed a series of comedies (some with music), in which Marie appeared with Polly Moran— ‘ Caught Short,’ ‘ Chasing Rainbows,’ ‘ Reducing,’ ‘ Politics,’ and 4 Prosperity. Among Other talking films in which she played were ‘ Let Us Be Gay,’ ‘ Anna Christie,’ ‘ Emtpa,’ ‘Dinner at B,’ and ‘ Her Sweetheart,’ the last-named' being her last to be shown locally three weeks ago.l