Beth Marion (born Betty Goettsche; July 11, 1912 – February 18, 2003) was an American

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

actress of the 1930s, starring in westerns, her career spanning only about five years, mostly in 1936.

Early years

Born in Clinton, Iowa, Marion was the daughter of actor George Paul Goettsche (who went by the name George Paul) and Marion Stuart Paul. Her parents had their own stock theater troupe, the George Paul Company, and Marion traveled with them until she was three years old. When her parents divorced, she was raised by her grandparents in Clinton while her mother worked in Chicago and eventually remarried. Marion's elementary and secondary schooling occurred in Clinton. She attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, where she sang in a trio with two other young women.

Career

Marion acted in stock theater before entering films. She began her film career in 1935. her films often saw her playing alongside

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western (genre), Western films. Early lif ...

, Bob Steele,

Jack Luden Jacob Benson Luden (February 8, 1902 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor. Early life The son of Jacob and Anna Luden, he grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania. His uncle was confectioner William H. Luden, who developed the menthol coug ...

, and George Houston. In 1935, she played Gail Winters in '' Between Men'', and Judy Baxter in ''

Trail of Terror ''Trail of Terror'' is a 1943 American Western film written and directed by Oliver Drake. The film stars Dave O'Brien, James Newill, Guy Wilkerson, Patricia Knox, Jack Ingram and I. Stanford Jolley. The film was released on September 7, 1 ...

''. In 1936, Marion played Peggy Wyman in '' Silver Spurs'', Mary Mortimer in ''

Avenging Waters ''Avenging Waters'' is a 1936 American western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Ken Maynard, Beth Marion, Ward Bond and John Elliott. It was written by Nate Gatzert. Plot Charles Mortimer buys cattle from Ken Morley and b ...

'', starred in ''

The Fugitive Sheriff ''The Fugitive Sheriff'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Ken Maynard, Beth Marion and Walter Miller.Pitts p.119 Cast * Ken Maynard as Ken Marshall * Beth Marion as June Roberts * Walter Mille ...

'' with

Ken Maynard Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western stars in Hollywood. Maynard was also an occasional screenwrit ...

, and played the role of Marion Henry in '' Everyman's Law''. She also starred as Betty Rose Hayden in '' Rip Roarin' Buckaroo'', Jeanne Moore in '' The Phantom of the Range'', which also starred

Tom Tyler Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 s ...

and

Sammy Cohen Sammy Cohen (1902–1981) was an American film actor and comedian. He was one of several popular Jewish comedians acting in films during the late 1920s.Erens p. 91-92 Selected filmography * '' What Price Glory?'' (1926) * '' The Return of Peter ...

, and billed as Betty Lloyd she starred in '' Wild Horse Roundup'' with

Kermit Maynard Kermit Maynard (September 20, 1897 – January 16, 1971) was an American actor and stuntman. Early years Born in Vevay, Indiana, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Maynard and a lookalike younger brother of actor Ken Maynard; they were ...

, and that same year she starred in '' Fugitive Sheriff'' with

. In 1938, Marion appeared in '' Phantom Gold'' and in '' Frontier Scout''. In 1955, she made an uncredited cameo appearance as a "woman with feather," in '' Ain't Misbehavin'''.

Personal life

In 1938, Marion married

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

Cliff Lyons Cliff Lyons (born 19 October 1961) is an indigenous Australian former international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A Clive Churchill Medalllist and two-time Dally M Medallist, he made 309 first-grade appearances wit ...

, and retired from acting to raise a family. The couple had two sons, but divorced in the 1950s. She later married Julian Koch, a building contractor, with whom she would remain for the rest of her life, moving to and residing in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Death

Marion died of a stroke at age 90 on February 18, 2003, in

Jacksonville, Oregon Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, approximately west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which flows through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes J ...

References

External links

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Beth Marion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marion, Beth People from Clinton, Iowa Actresses from Iowa American film actresses Western (genre) film actresses 1912 births 2003 deaths People from Jacksonville, Oregon 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women