Marion Byron (born Miriam Bilenkin; 1911 – 1985) was an American movie comedian.

Early years

Born in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, Byron was one of five daughters of Louis and Bertha Bilenkin.

Career

After following her sister into a short stage career as a singer/dancer, she was given her first movie role as

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

's leading lady in the film ''

Steamboat Bill, Jr. ''Steamboat Bill, Jr.'' is a 1928 silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton. Released by United Artists, the film is the final product of Keaton's independent production team and set of gag writers. It was not a box-office success and became th ...

'' in 1928. From there she was hired by

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 ...

to co-star in short subjects with

Max Davidson Max Davidson (May 23, 1875 – September 4, 1950) was a German-American film actor known for his comedic Jewish persona during the silent film era. With a career spanning over thirty years, Davidson appeared in over 180 films. Career Born i ...

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

, and

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

, but most significantly with

Anita Garvin Anita Garvin (born Anna Frances Garvin; February 11, 1906 – July 7, 1994) was a tall American stage performer and film actress who worked in both the silent and sound eras."California Death Index, 1940-1997", Anita Garvin Stanley, February 11 ...

, where tiny (4'11" in high heels) Marion was teamed with the 5'9" Garvin for a brief three-film series as a "female

Laurel & Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in ...

" in 1928–1929. She left the Roach studio before it made talking comedies, then worked in musical features, like the

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...

film ''

Broadway Babies ''Broadway Babies'', aka ''Broadway Daddies'' (UK) and ''Ragazze d'America'' (Italy), is a 1929 talkie, all-talking Pre-Code Hollywood, Pre-Code black and white American musical film produced and distributed by First National Pictures, a subsidi ...

'' (1929) with

Alice White Alice White (born Alva White; August 25, 1904Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books. , pg. 1228. – February 19, 1983) was an American film ac ...

, and the early

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

feature '' Golden Dawn'' (1930). Her parts slowly got smaller until they were unbilled walk-ons in movies like ''

Meet the Baron ''Meet the Baron'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code comedy film starring Jack Pearl, Jimmy Durante, Edna May Oliver, ZaSu Pitts, Ted Healy and the Three Stooges, His Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). The title of ...

'' (1933), starring

Jack Pearl Jack Pearl (born Jack Perlman; October 29, 1894 – December 25, 1982) was a vaudeville performer and a star of early radio. He was best known for his character Baron Munchausen. Vaudeville and early films Born in New York, Pearl debuted as a ...

and ''

Hips Hips Hooray ''Hips, Hips, Hooray!'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code slapstick comedy starring Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Ruth Etting, Thelma Todd, and Dorothy Lee. During its initial theatrical run, it was preceded by the two-color Technicolor short ''Not ...

'' (1934) with

Wheeler & Woolsey Wheeler & Woolsey were an American vaudeville comedy double act who performed together in comedy films from the late 1920s. The team comprised Bert Wheeler (1895–1968) of New Jersey and Robert Woolsey (1888–1938) of Illinois. Collaboration a ...

; she returned to the Hal Roach studio for a bit part in the

short ''It Happened One Day'' (1934). Her final screen appearance was as a baby nurse to the

Dionne Quintuplets The Dionne quintuplets (; born May 28, 1934) are the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. The identical girls were born just outside Callander, Ontario, near the village of Corbeil. All five survived to adulthood. The Dionn ...

in ''

Five of a Kind Five of a kind may refer to: * Five of a kind (poker), a type of poker hand * ''Five of a Kind Five of a kind may refer to: * Five of a kind (poker) In poker, players form sets of five playing cards, called ''hands'', according to the rules ...

'' (1938).

Family

Byron is buried at

Hillside Memorial Park The Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a Jewish cemetery located at 6001 West Centinela Avenue, in Culver City, California. Many Jews from the entertainment industry are buried here. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (design ...

in Culver City, California.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1938) * ''

Swellhead ''Swellhead'' is a 1935 American comedy drama film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Wallace Ford, Dickie Moore and Barbara Kent.Dick p.239 Synopsis A cocky baseball player is forever bragging about his success on the field, and off it w ...

'' (1935) * '' Gift of Gab'' (1934) * ''It Happened One Day'' (1934) * ''

Hips, Hips, Hooray! ''Hips, Hips, Hooray!'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code slapstick comedy starring Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Ruth Etting, Thelma Todd, and Dorothy Lee. During its initial theatrical run, it was preceded by the two-color Technicolor short ''Not ...

'' (1933) * '' Only Yesterday'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * ''Husbands’ Reunion'' (1933) * '' College Humor'' (1933) * ''

Melody Cruise ''Melody Cruise'' is Slipping Stitches' first full-length release. Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks fame appears on the bonus tracks as producer, lyricist, and vocalist. Track listing Personnel Band * Cashmire Starz – vocals, guitar, keyboard ...

'' (1933) * '' Breed of the Border'' (1933) * '' The Crime of the Century'' (1933) * ''The Curse of a Broken Heart'' (1933) * '' Lucky Devils'' (1933) * '' Trouble in Paradise'' (1932) * ''

They Call It Sin ''They Call It Sin'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Loretta Young as a farmer's daughter who follows a traveling salesman to New York City, only to discover he already is engaged. Plot Small-to ...

'' (1932) * ''

Love Me Tonight ''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess ...

'' (1933) * ''The Hollywood Handicap'' (1932) * ''

Week Ends Only ''Week Ends Only'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Joan Bennett, Ben Lyon and John Halliday. It was made by Fox Film Corporation. The screenplay was written by William M. Conselman and Samuel Hopkins Adam ...

'' (1932) * '' The Tenderfoot'' (1932) * '' The Heart of New York '' (1932) * ''Running Hollywood'' (1932) * '' Working Girls'' (1931) * ''

Children of Dreams ''Children of Dreams'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical film, musical operetta drama film photographed entirely in Part Technicolor and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Alan Crosland. ''C ...

'' (1931) * ''

Girls Demand Excitement ''Girls Demand Excitement'' is a 1931 film starring Virginia Cherrill, John Wayne, and Marguerite Churchill. Wayne and Churchill had starred in the widescreen Western epic ''The Big Trail'' the previous year. The movie was written by Harlan Th ...

'' (1931) * '' The Bad Man'' (1930) * ''

The Matrimonial Bed ''The Matrimonial Bed'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film produced and released by Warner Bros. It was based on the French play by André Mouëzy-Éon and Yves Mirande. The English version of the play, by Sir Seymour Hicks, opened in New ...

'' (1930) * '' Golden Dawn'' (1930) * ''

Song of the West ''Song of the West'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical western film produced by Warner Bros., and photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the 1928 Broadway musical ''Rainbow'' by Vincent Youmans (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (ly ...

'' (1930) * ''

Playing Around ''Playing Around'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film with songs, starring Alice White, Chester Morris and William Bakewell. It was adapted from the story "Sheba", written by Viña Delmar. The film was produced and distributed by First ...

'' (1930) * '' Show of Shows'' (1929) * '' The Forward Pass'' (1929) - Mazie * '' So Long Letty'' (1929) * ''Social Sinners'' (1929) * ''

'' (1929) * ''The Unkissed Man'' (1929) * ''

His Captive Woman ''His Captive Woman'' is a 1929 American part-talking drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Milton Sills and Dorothy Mackaill. This film is "based on the short story "Changeling" by Donn Byrne in ''Changeling and Other Stories'' ...

'' (1929) * ''A Pair of Tights'' (1929) * ''Going Ga–Ga'' (1929) * '' Is Everybody Happy?'' (1929) * ''Feed’em and Weep'' (1928) * ''The Boy Friend'' (1928) * '' Plastered in Paris'' (1928) * ''

'' (1928)

References

External links

* * * 1911 births 1985 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from Dayton, Ohio 20th-century American actresses Hal Roach Studios short film series Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Comedians from Ohio 20th-century American comedians {{US-comedian-stub