Pauline Theresa Moran (June 28, 1883 – January 25, 1952) billed as Polly Moran, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage and screen and comedian.

Career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, and widely toured North America, as well as various other locations that included Europe and South Africa. An attractive beauty of Irish descent, she left vaudeville in 1914 after signing for

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

at Keystone Studios as one of his

Sennett Bathing Beauties Sennett Bathing Beauties was a bevy of women performing in bathing costumes assembled by film producer Mack Sennett during the silent film era. Description The Sennett Bathing Beauties appeared in Mack Sennett comedy short subjects, in promotion ...

. There she honed the style of the brash, loud-mouthed, knock-about comedian by which she later became known. She proved effective at slapstick and remained with Sennett for several years until she was signed by

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 ...

. She partnered with the famous Broadway star Marie Dressler in ''

The Callahans and the Murphys ''The Callahans and the Murphys'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by George W. Hill. The film was based on a novel by Kathleen Norris, and was the first of several MGM films to star Marie Dressler and Polly Moran. The film was ...

'' (1927); and the two appeared in eight additional films together, such as '' Chasing Rainbows'' (1930), ''

Caught Short ''Caught Short'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Charles Reisner and written by Robert E. Hopkins, Joseph H. Johnson and Willard Mack. The film stars Marie Dressler, Polly Moran, Anita Page, Charles Morton and Thomas Conlin. ...

'' (1930), and '' Prosperity'' (1932). After Dressler's death in 1934, Moran's career declined, and she only starred in low-budget comedies or B-movies. In 1940, Moran retired to her home in Laguna Beach, California, but maintained an active Hollywood social life and was known for practical jokes. She once ran a failed campaign for a Laguna Beach City Council seat on a "Pro Dogs" platform. She made a brief comeback appearance in the Tracy-Hepburn classic comedy ''

Adam's Rib ''Adam's Rib'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor from a screenplay written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers who come to oppose each other in ...

'' in 1949. After playing the role, she said "I worked in the picture two days before I got a look at myself. I never went back."

Honors

Moran has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6300

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

Personal life and death

After a marriage that ended in divorce in 1917, Moran married attorney and former prizefighter Martin T. Malone in 1933. Malone was abusive; he beat her and threatened to kill her, but she would not leave him. She had one child, a son, who was adopted between her two marriages. She lived at 530 Mountain Road in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

. Moran died of cardiovascular disease in 1952. Although a number of biographies give Moran's date of death as being January 25, 1952, her grave marker reads January 24, 1952.

Partial filmography

*''

Their Social Splash ''Their Social Splash'' is a 1915 short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd. Cast * Slim Summerville - Harold * Dixie Chene - Gladys * Charles Murray - Hogan * Polly Moran - Polly * Frank Hayes - The Father * Harold Lloyd - The Minister * Har ...

'' (1915, Short) - Polly - the Unruly Guest *''

The Pullman Bride ''The Pullman Bride'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Gloria Swanson. Cast * Gloria Swanson as The Girl * Mack Swain as The Chosen One * Chester Conklin as A Rejected Suitor * Laura La Varn ...

'' (1917, Short) - Sheriff Nell - the Pullman Drunk's Wife *''

Skirts A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are ...

'' (1921) *''

Two Weeks with Pay ''Two Weeks with Pay'' is a lost 1921 American silent comedy romance film starring Bebe Daniels and directed by Maurice Campbell. Cast *Bebe Daniels as Pansy O'Donnell / Marie La Tour *Jack Mulhall as J. Livingston Smith * Jim Mason as Montagu ...

'' (1921) - Chambermaid *''

The Affairs of Anatol ''The Affairs of Anatol'' is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Wallace Reid and Gloria Swanson. The film is based on the 1893 play '' Anatol'' by Arthur Schnitzler. Plot Socialite Anatol Spencer ...

'' (1921) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) *''Luck'' (1923) - Dumb Dora - Fight Enthusiast *''

The Blackbird ''The Blackbird'' is a 1926 American silent crime film directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney. The screenplay was written by Waldemar Young, based on a story "The Mockingbird" by Tod Browning (which was originally supposed to be the ...

'' (1926) - Flower Lady at Music Hall (uncredited) *''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, ...

'' (1926) - Jeering Townswoman (uncredited) *''

Twinkletoes ''Twinkletoes'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Colleen Moore. The film, as with most of Moore's vehicles at this time, was produced by her husband John McCormick with the couple distribut ...

'' (1926) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Flesh and the Devil ''Flesh and the Devil'' is an American silent romantic drama film released in 1927 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent, directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the novel ''The Undying ...

'' (1926) - Family Retainer with Bouquet (uncredited) *'' The Show'' (1927) - Sideshow Spectator (uncredited) *''

'' (1927) - Mrs. Murphy *'' The Thirteenth Hour'' (1927) - Polly *'' London After Midnight'' (1927) - Miss Smithson, the New Maid *'' The Enemy'' (1927) - Baruska *''

Buttons A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood ...

'' (1927) - Polly *''

The Divine Woman ''The Divine Woman'' (1928) is an American silent film directed by Victor Sjöström and starring Greta Garbo. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Only a single nine-minute reel and an additional 45-second excerpt are currently know ...

'' (1928) - Mme. Pigonier *''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a ...

'' (1928) - Lady Jane *''

Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or ...

'' (1928) - Maggie Jiggs *''

The Trail of '98 ''The Trail of '98'' is a 1928 American silent action-adventure/drama film featuring Harry Carey and Dolores del Río about the Klondike Gold Rush. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-lived widescreen process called “Fantom S ...

'' (1928) - Lars' Nagging Wife (uncredited) *''Detectives'' (1928) - Hotel Guest (uncredited) *'' Telling the World'' (1928) - Landlady *'' Beyond the Sierras'' (1928) - Inez *''

While the City Sleeps While the City Sleeps may refer to: * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1928 film), an American silent film starring Lon Chaney * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1950 film), a Swedish drama scripted by Ingmar Bergman * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1956 film), ...

'' (1928) - Mrs. Minnie McGinnis *''

Show People ''Show People'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by King Vidor. The film was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the d ...

'' (1928) - The Maid *''

Shadows of the Night "Shadows of the Night" is a song composed by D.L. Byron explicitly for the 1980 film ''Times Square'', which tells the story of two young runaways in New York City. The song did not make it into the movie and Byron's own record label rejected it ...

'' (1928) - Entertainer *'' A Lady of Chance'' (1928) - Hotel Maid Who Coughs (uncredited) *'' Honeymoon'' (1928) - Polly *''The Five O'Clock Girl'' (1928) *''

China Bound ''China Bound'' is a 1929 silent film comedy produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A rarely revived comedy due to some of its Asian racial content, a selected scene was shown in Robert Youngson's 1965 ''MGM's Big Parade of Comedy''. P ...

'' (1929) - Sarah *''

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 ''The Hollywood Revue of 1929'', or simply ''The Hollywood Revue'', is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the studio's second feature-length musical, and one of their earliest sound films. Produce ...

'' (1929) - Polly Moran *''

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

'' (1929) - Waitress *'' The Unholy Night'' (1929) - Polly - the Maid *''

So This Is College ''So This Is College'' is a 1929 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Sam Wood, written by Al Boasberg, Delmer Daves and Joseph Farnham, and starring Elliott Nugent, Robert Montgomery in his film debut, Cliff Edwards, Sally Starr and Phy ...

'' (1929) - Polly *''

Hot for Paris ''Hot for Paris'' is a 1929 American pre-Code black-and-white romantic adventure musical film. This film is believed to be lost. The film is also known as ''Fifì dimmi di sì'' in Italy and ''Un marido afortunado'' in Spain. The film length ( ...

'' (1929) - Polly *'' Crazy House'' (1930, a short comedy with

Benny Rubin Benny Rubin (February 2, 1899 – July 15, 1986) was an American comedian and film actor. Born in Boston, Rubin made more than 200 radio, film and television appearances over a span of 50 years. Career In 1929, Rubin went to Hollywood, where he ...

) *'' Chasing Rainbows'' (1930) - Polly *'' The Girl Said No'' (1930) - Polly *''

'' (1930) - Polly Smith *'' Way Out West'' (1930) - Pansy *''

Those Three French Girls ''Those Three French Girls '' is a 1930 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Fifi D'Orsay, Reginald Denny, and Cliff Edwards. The dialogue was written by P. G. Wodehouse.Way for a Sailor ''Way for a Sailor'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code film starring John Gilbert.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; November 15, 1930, page 182. The supporting cast includes Wallace Beery, Jim Tully, Leila Hyams, and Polly Moran. The film was dire ...

'' (1930) - Polly *''

Remote Control In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such a ...

'' (1930) - Polly *'' Paid'' (1930) - Polly (uncredited) *'' Reducing'' (1931) - Polly Rochay *''

The Stolen Jools ''The Stolen Jools'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy short produced by the Masquers Club of Hollywood, featuring many cameo appearances by film stars of the day. The stars appeared in the film, distributed by Paramount Pictures, to raise fu ...

'' (1931, Short) - Norma Shearer's Maid *'' It's a Wise Child'' (1931) - Bertha *''

Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

'' (1931) - Ivy Higgins *''

Guilty Hands ''Guilty Hands'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime film starring Lionel Barrymore, Kay Francis and Madge Evans and directed by W. S. Van Dyke, with uncredited assistance from Barrymore. The story concerns an attorney who murders a man who w ...

'' (1931) - Aunt Maggie *''

The Passionate Plumber ''The Passionate Plumber'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick, and starring Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, and Irene Purcell. The screenplay by Laurence E. Johnson and Ralph Spence is based on the 1926 play ''Da ...

'' (1932) - Albine *'' Prosperity'' (1932) - Lizzie Praskins *''Le plombier amoureux'' (1932) - Patricia Alden *'' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) - Dodo Bird *'' Hollywood Party'' (1934) - Henrietta Clemp *''

Down to Their Last Yacht ''Down to Their Last Yacht'' is a 1934 comic adventure produced and distributed by RKO Pictures. Plot After the stock market crash of 1929, the Colt-Stratton family is forced to rent their yacht to the nouveau riche at the behest of Nella Fitzg ...

'' (1934) - Nella Fitzgerald *''

Two Wise Maids ''Two Wise Maids'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Phil Rosen, written by Samuel Ornitz, and starring Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Irene Manning, Donald Cook, Jackie Searl, and Lila Lee. It was released on February 15, 1937, by Repub ...

'' (1937) - Prudence Matthews *''

Ladies in Distress ''Ladies in Distress'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Gus Meins and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Robert Livingston, Virginia Grey, Max Terhune and Berton Churchill. T ...

'' (1938) - Lydia Bonney *''

Red River Range ''Red River Range'' is a 1938 "Three Mesquiteers" Western film starring John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune, and Polly Moran. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one movies in the popular series. The director was George Sherman. Plot ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Maxwell *''

Ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mo ...

'' (1939) - Cora, diner owner *''

Tom Brown's School Days ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...

'' (1940) - Sally Harowell *'' Meet the Missus'' (1940) - Widow Ella Jones *''

Petticoat Politics ''Petticoat Politics'' is a 1941 film, the ninth and final of Republic's Higgins Family series. Plot summary Lil Higgins become excessively worried that her newly retired husband Joe will die now that he has nothing to do all day. She has learne ...

'' (1941) - Widow Jones *''

'' (1949) - Mrs. McGrath *''

The Yellow Cab Man ''The Yellow Cab Man'' is a 1950 comedy film directed by Jack Donohue and starring Red Skelton, Gloria DeHaven and Edward Arnold. The inventor of unbreakable glass ("Elastiglass") tries to sell it to a taxicab company, hoping that they will mak ...

'' (1950) - Bride's Mother (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Polly Moran profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moran, Polly 1883 births 1952 deaths American women comedians 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses American film actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from Chicago Vaudeville performers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American actresses Comedians from Illinois 20th-century American comedians