Dorothy Montana Coburn (June 8, 1905 – May 15, 1978) was an American film actress who appeared in a number of early

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

silents. She was a niece of author

Walt Coburn Walter John Coburn (October 23, 1889 – May 1971) was an American writer of Westerns. Coburn was born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana Territory, the son of Robert Coburn Senior, the founder of the noted ''Circle C Ranch'' located south of Malt ...

and granddaughter of Robert Coburn Sr., founder of the ''Circle C Ranch'' in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

Early years

Coburn was born to cowboy-poet and Western film producer Wallace Coburn and Ann Reifenrath Coburn in

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...

but raised in

Prescott, Arizona Prescott ( ) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona T ...

Career

Her documented film repertoire consisted of 16 silent short subjects for the

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

studios, and she appeared in scores of films as horseback-

stuntwoman 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 ...

opposite such stars as

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

and

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he beca ...

, and as a stand-in for

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

in several of her dancing films with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

. Coburn retired from the movie business in the early 1930s. An accomplished rider and a fit athlete, Coburn occasionally worked as a stunt performer in westerns.

Later years

After leaving the movie business in 1936, she found employment as a receptionist for an insurance company. She was married twice. Coburn died in 1978, aged 72, from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

. She is interred in

Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery Grand View Memorial Park and Crematory is a historic cemetery located in Glendale, California, in the United States. Established in 1884 as Glendale Cemetery, it changed its name to Grand View Memorial Park in 1919. The cemetery was the focus of ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

. Before her death, Dorothy Coburn lived in Rancho Palos Verdes with her second husband, Harry W. Heap. Mr. Heap would die in Sandoval, New Mexico on January 7,1994. They married in 1973 in Santa Barbara, CA. Her previous husband was Joseph Maier who died in Santa Barbara on March 4, 1959.

Filmography

* ''

The Battle of the Century ''The Battle of the Century'' is a 1927 silent short film starring comedy double act Laurel and Hardy, who appeared in 107 films between 1921 and 1951. The film is famous for its use of more than 3,000 cream pies (although the Guinness Book of ...

'' (1927) * ''

Putting Pants on Philip ''Putting Pants On Philip'' is a silent short film starring British/American comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Made in 1927, it is their first "official" film together as a team. The plot involves Laurel as Philip, a young Scot newly arrived in the ...

'' (1927) * ''Us'' (1927) * '' Hats Off'' (1927) * '' The Second Hundred Years'' (1927) * ''

Sailors, Beware! ''Sailors, Beware!'' is a silent comedy short film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy. The team appeared in a total of 107 films between 1921 and 1951. Plot An honest cab driver ( ...

'' (1927) * ''

Sugar Daddies ''Sugar Daddies'' is a silent comedy short film starring Jimmy Finlayson, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy prior to their official billing as the duo Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Cl ...

'' (1927) * ''All for Geraldine'' (1928) * ''The Cross Country Bunion Race'' (1928) * ''Do Gentlemen Snore?'' (1928) * ''Look Pleasant'' (1928) * ''That Night'' (1928) * ''Rubber Necks'' (1928) * '' Should Married Men Go Home?'' (1928) * '' Barnum & Ringling, Inc.'' (1928) * ''

From Soup to Nuts ''From Soup to Nuts'' is a silent short subject directed by E. Livingston Kennedy starring comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. It was released on March 24, 1928, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Stan and Ollie are hired as waiters at an upper class dinn ...

'' (1928) * '' The Finishing Touch'' (1928) * ''

Flying Elephants ''Flying Elephants'' is a two-reel silent film from 1928 directed by Frank Butler and produced by Hal Roach. It stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as a pair of battling cavemen. Plot The film takes place in the Stone Age, where the King of the ...

'' (1928) * ''

Leave 'Em Laughing ''Leave 'Em Laughing'' is a 1928 two-reel silent film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Produced by the Hal Roach Studios, it was shot in October 1927 and released January 28, 1928 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Opening title ''What's worse ...

'' (1928) * ''

Playin' Hookey ''Playin' Hookey'' is a 1928 American short silent comedy film directed by Anthony Mack. It was the 69th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast The Gang * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Allen Hoskins as Farina * Jannie Hoskin ...

'' (1928) * ''Sailor Suits'' (1929) * ''Up and Down Stairs'' (1930) * ''Hot – And How!'' (1930) * ''

Shivering Shakespeare ''Shivering Shakespeare'' is an ''Our Gang'' short film directed by Anthony Mack. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 95th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The gang participates in a play ent ...

'' (1930)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coburn, Dorothy 1905 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Arizona Actresses from Montana American silent film actresses American stunt performers Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery Deaths from emphysema Hal Roach Studios actors People from Great Falls, Montana People from Prescott, Arizona