Rita Flynn (born Edith Flynn; August 16, 1905 – December 31, 1973) was an American film actress. She is known for starring in

Fatty Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

comedies and for appearing alongside

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

in ''

The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward ...

'' (1931).

Early life

She was born as Edith Flynn on August 16, 1905. Flynn was Miss San Francisco at the

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

All-American beauty pageant in 1925. From then, she became a theater performer and was known as Mickey Flynn.

Career

Flynn began her stage career in a New York musical comedy, receiving a favorable reception from

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

critics. She later left theater to become a film actress around 1929 when

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

became popular. Believing her theater

monicker A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

was not "ritzy enough" for film work, upon signing a contract with

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

in 1929, she insisted from that point that she would identify as Rita Flynn. Among her earliest film work was as a

chorus girl A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms s ...

in the 1929 films

and Fast Life. After receiving much attention for her part in the musical

The Girl from Woolworth's ''The Girl from Woolworth's'' is a 1929 American pre-Code romance film directed by William Beaudine and starring Alice White, Gladden James and Bert Moorhouse. It was released both as a sound film and in a slightly shorter silent version.Marsh ...

, she got more prominent roles in the 1930 films Sweet Mama and Top Speed. Flynn was the headline act in the ''Hollywood Girls'' short films, including The Lure of Hollywood and Hollywood Luck, being the only member of the original trio of girls to appear in the entire run. She left show business in 1933.

Personal life

Flynn was reportedly set to marry Pat Rooney III in 1929, son of the actor, according to a report by the ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...

'' in February 1929. In 1931, Flynn was expecting to marry David Coplin, a wealthy

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' ...

stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...

, however Coplin was not seeking marriage, instead just companionship. In filing court papers, Flynn said that she experienced "untold humiliation and loss of reputation" as she gave up her career and hurriedly travelled to New York in anticipation of marriage. In his own defence, Coplin alluded to a discovery he made relating to affairs with other men that Flynn had been involved with. Flynn went before the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

in December 1932 seeking emotional damages of $250,000. She married McKinley Bryant, a millionaire racer, in November 1933 in New York. She was given away by film producer Joseph M. Schenck. The couple quietly divorced in 1941.

Death

Flynn died on December 31, 1973, in Los Angeles.

Filmography

*'' My Man'' (1928) *''

'' (1929) *'' Fast Life'' (1929) *''

'' (1929) *''

Lord Byron of Broadway ''Lord Byron of Broadway'' (1930), also known as ''What Price Melody?'', is an American Pre-Code musical drama film, directed by Harry Beaumont and William Nigh. It was based on a best selling book by Nell Martin, which "was widely praised by ...

'' (1930) *'' Top Speed'' (1930) *''

Be Yourself! ''Be Yourself!'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Fanny Brice and Robert Armstrong. The plot involves an entertainer (Brice) managing a boxer (Armstrong). The cinematographer was Karl ...

'' (1930) *'' Sweet Mama'' (1930) *''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Magaz ...

'' (1931) *''

'' (1931) *'' Crashing Hollywood'' (1931) *'' The Lure of Hollywood'' (1931) *''

Queenie of Hollywood ''Queenie of Hollywood'' is a 1931 American comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle. Cast * Virginia Brooks * Rita Flynn * Jeanne Farrin * Queenie the Dog as Queenie See also * Fatty Arbuckle filmography __NOTOC__ These are the films of th ...

'' (1931) *''

Three Hollywood Girls ''Three Hollywood Girls'' is a 1931 American comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle (billed as William Goodrich) and starring Leota Lane. Cast * Leota Lane * Edward J. Nugent * Florence Oberle * Phyllis Crane * Rita Flynn * Ford West ...

'' (1931) *''

Hollywood Lights ''Hollywood Lights'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle, starring Rita Flynn, Virginia Brooks, Tut Mace, and Ted O'Shea. Cast * Rita Flynn * Virginia Brooks * Tut Mace * Ted O'Shea * Fern Emmett * Lynton Brent * ...

'' (1932) *'' Hollywood Luck'' (1932)

References

Citations Sources *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Rita 1905 births 1973 deaths Actresses from Tucson, Arizona American film actresses American musical theatre actresses 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses