Mary Lee (October 24, 1924 – June 6, 1996) was a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

singer and

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 feature ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

from the late 1930s into the 1940s, appearing mostly in

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

. She did not make any screen appearances after 1944.

Early years

Born Mary Lee Wooters in

Centralia, Illinois Centralia is a city in Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Illinois with the largest portion in Marion County. The city is the largest in three of the counties; Clinton, Marion, and Washington, but is not a co ...

, on October 24, 1924, her mother and father were Lela Myrtle Telford and Louis Ellis Wooters. They had four daughters, Vera Mae, Dorris Lucille, Mary Lee, and Norma Jean. Dorris Lucille died shortly after birth in 1923.FamilySearch, Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, Dorris Lucille Wooters, (Click on the link to view.) When Mary Lee was four years old the family moved to

Ottawa, Illinois Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi Riv ...

, where Louis Wooters opened a barbershop. At age six, Mary Lee began singing with her father and older sister, Vera, who were already performing country and popular songs over a low power radio station and at various events in the

LaSalle County, Illinois LaSalle County is located within the Fox Valley and Illinois River Valley regions of the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population of 109,658. Its county seat and largest city is Ottawa. LaSalle County is part of the ...

, area.

Music

In mid-June 1938, Lee joined the Ted Weems Orchestra, traveling with the group four months a year, accompanied by either her mother or her older sister as companion and teacher. She recorded five sides with the Weems band including "Back to Smokey Mountain", a duet with

Elmo Tanner William Elmo Tanner, known as Elmo Tanner (August 8, 1904 – December 20, 1990) was an American whistler, singer, bandleader and disc jockey, best known for his whistling on the chart-topping song “ Heartaches” with the Ted Weems Orche ...

from an October 5, 1939 session, issued as

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

2829-B. In the summer of 1942, Lee recorded eight tracks in two sessions with Bob Crosby's Bob Cats, reissued in Australia on Swaggie CD 504 as ''Bob Crosby's Bob Cats - Volume Four 1941-1942''. Decades later a review of

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...

CD VSD-5910 / ''Gene Autry With His Little Darlin' Mary Lee'' in the trade publication ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described Lee as a "clear-voiced, expressive singer", noting that she was "heralded as

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

's answer to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

." The CD, released in 1998, is a compilation of songs from Lee's appearances in Gene Autry films including "Give Out With a Song" from ''

Gaucho Serenade ''Gaucho Serenade'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Written by Betty Burbridge and Bradford Ropes, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up against a gr ...

'' (May 10, 1940) and "Sing A Song Of Laughter" from ''

Ridin' on a Rainbow ''Ridin' on a Rainbow'' is a 1941 American Western musical film directed by Lew Landers and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Mary Lee. Written by Bradford Ropes and Doris Malloy, based on a story by Ropes, the film is about a singi ...

'' (June 24, 1941).

Film

Lee's first screen appearance was with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, in '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'', released February 18, 1939, where she portrayed Mary Nickerson, the younger sister of

Nancy Drew Nancy Drew is a Fictional character, fictional character appearing in several Mystery fiction, mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwriter, ghostwritten by a number of authors and published ...

's (

Bonita Granville Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer. The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a child actress, making h ...

) boyfriend, Ted Nickerson ( Frank Thomas, Jr.). The film utilized her vocal talents in the "Nursery Rhyme Medley". In the fall of 1939, Mary Lee accepted a job at

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

where she starred alongside

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

and

June Storey Mary June Storey (April 20, 1918 – December 18, 1991) was a Canadian-born American film actress who appeared in 45 films during the 1930s and 1940s. She was leading lady to cowboy singer Gene Autry in 10 films. Early years Storey was bor ...

in '' South of the Border'' (15 December 1939). Republic signed her to a five-year contract in June 1940. She starred in a total of nine Autry films, the first five of those with June Storey, always playing the leading lady's younger sister "Patsy" except in ''

Melody Ranch ''Melody Ranch'' is a 1940 Western musical film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, and Ann Miller. Written by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbert, Bradford Ropes, and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowbo ...

'' (15 November 1940) where her character's name was "Penny". Mary Lee's last appearance in an Autry film was in ''

The Singing Hill ''The Singing Hill'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Virginia Dale. Based on a story by Jesse Lasky Jr. and Richard Murphy, the film is about a singing cowboy and foreman of ...

'' (26 April 1941) with

Virginia Dale Virginia Dale (born Virginia Paxton; July 1, 1917 – October 3, 1994) was an American actress and dancer. Biography Dale was born in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Lula Helms Paxton, and she graduated from Central High School in Ch ...

. She also appeared in nine additional Republic feature films, including ''

Barnyard Follies ''Barnyard Follies'' is a 1940 Republic Pictures musical B movie directed by Frank McDonald with music directed by Cy Feuer and dance choreography by Josephine Earl. In the rural American West, a small-town orphanage struggles to become self-s ...

'' in 1940 with June Storey and younger sister Norma Jean Wooters and two

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

films in 1944, plus three of Republic's "Meet the Stars" shorts. Her other films included '' Rancho Grande'', '' Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride'', ''

Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot ''Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and written by Gordon Rigby and Bradford Ropes. The film stars Ruth Terry, Johnny Downs, Barbara Jo Allen, Billy Gilbert, Claire Carleton and Mary Lee. The film ...

'', '' Carolina Moon'' and ''

''. "Nobody's Darling" is a 1943 American musical film directed by Anthony Mann and written by Olive Cooper. The film stars Mary Lee(as Janie Farnsworth), Louis Calhern, Gladys George, Jackie Moran, Lee Patrick and Benny Bartlett. The film was released on August 27, 1943, by Republic Pictures

World War II

Gene Autry enlisted in July 1942 in the

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

, where he would serve for the duration of the war plus six months. With Autry unavailable, Republic soon billed Mary Lee as "America's Little Sister" and starred her in B musicals '' Shantytown'' (20 April 1943), ''

Nobody's Darling ''Nobody's Darling'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by Anthony Mann and written by Olive Cooper. The film stars Mary Lee, Louis Calhern, Gladys George, Jackie Moran, Lee Patrick and Benny Bartlett. The film was released on August 2 ...

'' (27 August 1943), and '' Three Little Sisters'' (31 July 1944) in addition to giving her starring roles in the two

films. In her first Rogers film, '' Cowboy and the Senorita'' (13 May 1944), Roy's first picture with

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Early life Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on ...

, Mary Lee was given second billing above Dale and is featured in the film's elaborate musical productions. There, with the

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music perf ...

(Ken Carson, Karl Farr, Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, and Hugh Farr), Mary Lee sing
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
In the finale, Dale Evans, Mary Lee, and Roy Rogers sin
"Enchilada Man" and "Cowboy and the Senorita"
with the Sons of the Pioneers. Then, in ''

Song of Nevada ''Song of Nevada'' is a 1944 American musical Western film directed by Joseph Kane, and starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Plot Rancher John Barrabee is upset his daughter doesn't want to stay in the West; instead, she is a New York City nigh ...

'' (5 August 1944), Mary Lee's last screen appearance, backed by the Sons of the Pioneers, she sing
"The Wigwam Song"
written by Glenn Spencer, and reprises it in th
''Song of Nevada'' Finale
Compare Mary Lee's height there at age nineteen to that of Dale Evans who was 5′-4″ tall. Having married in 1943, with a child born in November 1944, and her five-year contract at Republic Pictures running out in February 1945, Mary Lee did not re-sign with Republic Pictures but may have done some further work with Ted Weems.

Personal life

In Ottawa, Illinois, Mary Lee attended Lincoln Elementary School, graduating from the eighth grade in 1938.Eltrevoog, Howard and Mike Murphy, "Time capsule - 1938 Ottawa Lincoln School Graduating Class", The Times Newspaper, Ottawa, Illinois, April 3, 2011, row 2, 2nd from left, Mary Lee Wooters (Click on the link to view.) In late 1939 or early 1940 the Wooters family moved from Ottawa to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. There Mary Lee attended Mar-Ken School, a private school in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

for professional children. As a Junior she was elected Secretary of the Student Body. She graduated from Mar-Ken in 1942. On November 12, 1943, Mary Lee Wooters married Harry J. Banan, First Sergeant,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, who had recently returned from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

service at

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

, to whom she would remain married until his death in 1990. Together they had two children, Harry Philip and Laura Lee. In the late 1950s through the 1960s the Banans resided in

Pullman, Washington Pullman () is the largest city in Whitman County, located in southeastern Washington within the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. The population was 29,799 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 34,506 in 2019. Originally founded as Thr ...

where M.Sgt. Harry J. Banan was an

Army ROTC The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based offic ...

instructor at

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...

.''The 1962 Chinook'', Washington State University Yearbook, 1962, p. 115, Army ROTC Instructional Staff photo, row 2, 4th from left, M.Sgt Harry Banan (Click on the link to view.) Later, after they returned to California, Mary Lee was an account teller at

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...

where she worked for 15 years.Anderson, Chuck, The Old Corral, (Click on the link to view.)

Death

Mary Lee (Wooters) Banan died in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

on June 6, 1996, aged 71, and is interred alongside her husband at Sacramento's East Lawn Sierra Hills Cemetery.

Soundtracks and reissues on CD

*''Bob Crosby's Bob Cats - Volume Four 1941-1942'', 8 tracks, CD-502, Swaggie Records, Australia *''Gene Autry: The Singing Cowboy - Chapter Two'', 2 tracks, VSD-5909 Varèse Sarabande Records, United States, 1998 *''Gene Autry: With His Little Darlin' Mary Lee'', 17 tracks, VSD-5910, Varèse Sarabande Records, United States, 1998

References

External links

* *
Mary Lee biodata
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Mary People from Centralia, Illinois Actresses from Illinois American film actresses 1924 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American actresses