Martha O'Driscoll (March 5, 1922 – November 3, 1998) was an American film actress from 1937 until 1947. She retired in 1947 after marrying her second husband, Arthur I. Appleton, mogger of Appleton Electric Company in Chicago.

Early life

O'Driscoll's mother was a financial partner in the Mar-Ken Professional Children's School,

Hollywood, Los Angeles Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

. The school's director, Mrs. Bessire, had a son, William Kent Bessire. The two women decided to name the school after their children—Mar came from Martha and Ken from Kent. The school remained open until the early 1960s.

Career

Trained in singing and dancing, O'Driscoll was seen by choreographer

Hermes Pan Hermes Pan (born Hermes Joseph Panagiotopoulos, December 10, 1909 – September 19, 1990) was an American dancer and choreographer, principally remembered as Fred Astaire's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s musical film, movie musica ...

in a local theater production in Phoenix; Pan suggested to her mother that O'Driscoll might do well in movies. Her mother and she moved to Hollywood in 1935, but Pan was out of town, so they answered an advertisement for dancers. O'Driscoll was given a role in '' Collegiate'' (1935), a musical in which

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

had an early leading role. O'Driscoll was given more visible parts and began pitching products in magazine advertisements for

Max Factor Max Factor is a line of cosmetics from Coty, founded in 1909 as Max Factor & Company by Maksymilian Faktorowicz. Max Factor specialized in movie make-up. Until its 1973 sale for US$500 million (approximately $ billion in 2017 dollars), Max Fa ...

and

Royal Crown Cola RC Cola (short for Royal Crown Cola) is a carbonated cola beverage owned in the United States by Keurig Dr Pepper and internationally by RC Global Beverages, Inc. History In 1901, the Cole-Hampton-Hatcher Grocery Store was established in Col ...

, among many others. These ads also promoted her upcoming pictures. She had other small dancing roles in '' Here Comes the Band'', ''

The Big Broadcast of 1936 ''The Big Broadcast of 1936'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and is the second in the series of ''Big Broadcast'' movies. The musical comedy starred Jack Oakie, Bing Crosby, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Ethel Merman, The ...

'', and ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical film, musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Lui ...

''. In the last, she was spotted by a

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

talent scout, who arranged for her to have a screen test, followed by a contract. Her roles were initially small; in her first Universal film, ''She's Dangerous'' (1937), she was not credited by name. In the

Deanna Durbin Edna May Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born American soprano and actress, who moved to the U.S. from Canada with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1 ...

vehicle ''

Mad About Music ''Mad About Music'' is a 1938 American musical film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Deanna Durbin, Herbert Marshall, and Gail Patrick. Based on a story by Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner, the film is about a girl at an exclusive boardi ...

'' (1937), she was billed as "Pretty Girl". Her face appeared on such advertisements as Charm-Kurl Supreme Cold Wave and Max Factor Hollywood Face Powder. Universal lent O'Driscoll to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

for parts in ''The Secret of Dr Kildare'' (1939) and ''Judge Hardy and Son'' (1940), starring

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

, however, gave O'Driscoll her first two starring roles, as romantic interest to the cowboy

Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures. In a career spanning more ...

in ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' (1940) and notably as Daisy Mae in the first screen version of

Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (w ...

's popular comic strip ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impoverished fictional mountain village of Dogpatch, ...

'' (1940), which also featured

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 films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

became interested in the actress and acquired her contract, casting her first as a maid in

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

's classic comedy, ''

The Lady Eve ''The Lady Eve'' is a 1941 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942). DeMille was too busy filming to appear at Grauman's Theater to plant his prints in concrete for the Walk of Fame, so instead they brought concrete in a mold to him. O'Driscoll, along with Hedda Hopper and Sid Grauman, were photographed at his side during that moment. O'Driscoll was then given the lead in the

B film A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

''Pacific Blackout'' (1942), starring Robert Preston. The actress followed this with a role in ''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of th ...

'' (1943). The studio lent her back to Universal, which cast her in Olsen and Johnson's '' Crazy House'' (1943), then to RKO for Richard Wallace's stylish thriller, ''The Fallen Sparrow'' (1943) with Maureen O'Hara. In the early 1940s, O'Driscoll toured with

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, performing for the troops all over the world. O'Driscoll co-starred with Noah Beery Jr., in five films. She also starred in the cult classic '' House of Dracula'' with Lon Chaney Jr., and

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later J ...

; and in ''Week-End Pass'' (both 1945). The following year, she made her last Universal film, '' Blonde Alibi'', receiving top billing as a girl who sets out to prove her lover (

Tom Neal Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and Amateur boxing, amateur boxer. Between 1932 and 1934, he was an amateur boxer who fought in many fights. As an actor, he was best known for his co-starring ...

) innocent of murder. Her last film was Edgar G. Ulmer's ''

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

'' (1947).

Personal life

Lieutenant Commander Richard D. Adams (U.S. Navy) met O'Driscoll in 1935 while spending time at the O'Driscoll home in Beverly Hills. They were married September 18, 1943 in Beverly Hills and separated ten months later. In August 1944, Adams' mother announced to the newspapers of O'Driscoll's intention to divorce her son. O'Driscoll announced her intention to divorce in January 1945, but because of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 it would be delayed until the end of the war. When Adams was released from active duty in March 1946, he contested the divorce. In March 1947, O'Driscoll established a new residence at the Hotel El Rancho in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, Nevada with the intention of filing for divorce a second time. On July 18, 1947, O'Driscoll was granted her divorce from Adams. O'Driscoll then married Navy veteran and Chicago businessman Arthur I. Appleton, president of the Appleton Electric Company, founded by his father. At the same time, she announced her intention to retire as an actress. The couple had four children: James, John, Linda, and William.Obituary: Martha O'Driscoll
by Tom Vallance, for ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''; published 9 November 1998; retrieved 10 May 2013 O'Driscoll served as an officer in such Chicago-based organizations as the Sarah Siddons Society, the Ways and Means Committee of Chicago's

Junior League The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...

, and the Women's Board of the Chicago Boys' Clubs; she was also treasurer of the World's Adoption International Fund. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was a guest speaker at numerous movie-nostalgia conventions. In 1976, the Appletons started Bridlewood Farm, a thoroughbred breeding, training and racing farm located in Ocala, Florida. Recognized as Florida Breeder of the Year in 1991, Appleton’s farm bred, raised and trained some 100 stakes winners, including 12 grade one winners. Among them are Florida-bred millionaires Jolie’s Halo, Super Nakayama, Forbidden Apple, Southern Image, David Junior, Wild Event, Eden’s Storm, Black Bar Spin and In Summation. Florida-bred Horse of the Year honors went to Forbidden Apple in 2001 and In Summation in 2004. Among the most high-profile horses to first train at Bridlewood Farm was Smarty Jones, winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby-G1, Belmont Stakes-G1 and 2004 Champion 3-year-old Colt. The Appletons split their time between a home on Northbrook, Illinois, the farm in Ocala, and an estate on exclusive Indian Creek Island in Miami-Dade. In 1984, the Appletons built and took delivery of a 138-ft

Feadship Feadship (First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders) is a cooperative venture between two shipyards: Royal Van Lent Shipyard and Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw. Feadship designs and constructs high-end luxury yachts and is one of the leadi ...

yacht, also named ''Bridlewood''. https://www.feadship.nl/fleet/bridlewood The Appletons also had two aircraft, Top Mama One and Top Mama Two. In 1984, the couple, along with Arthur Appleton's sister, Edith, built the

Appleton Museum of Art The Appleton Museum of Art is an art museum located in Ocala, Florida. It is affiliated with and governed by the College of Central Florida and has been since 2004. The Appleton Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of more than 24,000 wo ...

in Ocala. https://www.appletonmuseum.org/ After retirement, O'Driscoll and Appleton spent the remainder of their years between their home in Chicago, Bridlewood Farm, and their home in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

on Indian Creek Island. O'Driscoll died on November 3, 1998, aged 76, in Indian Creek Village, Florida.

Partial filmography

*''

Three Cheers for Love ''Three Cheers for Love'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by Ray McCarey, written by George Marion, Jr., and starring Eleanore Whitney, Robert Cummings, William Frawley, Elizabeth Patterson, Roscoe Karns and John Halliday. It was re ...

'' (1936) .... Chorine (uncredited) *'' She's Dangerous'' (1937) .... Blonde Girl (uncredited) *''

'' (1938) .... Pretty Girl (uncredited) *''

Girls' School Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, same-sex education, same-gender education, and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in se ...

'' (1938) .... Grace *'' The Secret of Dr. Kildare'' (1939) .... Mrs. Roberts *'' Judge Hardy and Son'' (1939) .... Leonora V. 'Elvie' Horton *'' Laddie'' (1940) .... Sally Pryor *''

Forty Little Mothers ''Forty Little Mothers'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring Eddie Cantor. Plot Out-of-work professor Gilbert Jordan Thompson stops a suicidal stranger named Marian Edwards from jumping off a pier and h ...

'' (1940) .... Janette *''

'' (1940) .... Helen Lee *''

'' (1940) .... Daisy Mae Scraggs *''

The Lady Eve ''The Lady Eve'' is a 1941 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.Her First Beau'' (1941) .... Julie Harris *'' Henry Aldrich for President'' (1941) .... Mary Aldrich *'' Pacific Blackout'' (1941) .... Mary Jones *''

The Remarkable Andrew ''The Remarkable Andrew'' is a 1942 film directed by Stuart Heisler and written by Dalton Trumbo based on his 1941 novel of the same name. It stars Brian Donlevy and William Holden. Plot Young bookkeeper Andrew Long is an avid student of Ame ...

'' (1942) .... Beamish's secretary *''

'' (1942) .... Ivy Devereaux *'' Youth on Parade'' (1942) .... Sally Carlyle *''

My Heart Belongs to Daddy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is a song written by Cole Porter for the musical '' Leave It to Me!'' which premiered on November 9, 1938. It was originally performed by Mary Martin, who played Dolly Winslow, the young "protégée" of a rich newspape ...

'' (1942) .... Joyce Whitman *''

'' (1943) .... Dottie Coburn *''Paramount Victory Short No. T2-4: The Aldrich Family Gets in the Scrap'' (1943, Short) .... Mary Aldrich *''

We've Never Been Licked ''We've Never Been Licked'' (or ''Texas Aggies'', ''Texas to Tokyo'', and ''Fighting Command'') is a 1943 World War II propaganda film produced by Walter Wanger and released by Universal Pictures. Released in the UK under the title, ''Texas to To ...

'' (1943) .... Deede Dunham *'' The Fallen Sparrow'' (1943) .... Whitney 'The Imp' Parker *'' Crazy House'' (1943) .... Marjorie Nelson, alias Marjorie Wyndingham *''

Week-End Pass ''Week-End Pass'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Clyde Bruckman. The film stars Martha O'Driscoll, Noah Beery Jr., George Barbier, Andrew Tombes, Irving Bacon and Dennis Moore. The film was released o ...

'' (1944) .... Barbara 'Babs' Bradley aka Barbara Lake *'' Prices Unlimited'' (1944, Short) *'' Follow the Boys'' (1944) .... Martha O'Driscoll *'' Ghost Catchers'' (1944) .... Susanna Marshall *'' Allergic to Love'' (1944) .... Pat Bradley *'' Hi, Beautiful'' (1944) .... Patty Callahan *'' Under Western Skies'' (1945) .... Katie Wells *'' Here Come the Co-Eds'' (1945) .... Molly McCarthy *'' Her Lucky Night'' (1945) .... Connie *'' Shady Lady'' (1945) .... Gloria Wendell *'' The Daltons Ride Again'' (1945) .... Mary Bohannon *'' House of Dracula'' (1945) .... Miliza Morrelle *'' Blonde Alibi'' (1946) .... Marian Gale *'' Down Missouri Way'' (1946) .... Jane Colwell *'' Criminal Court'' (1946) .... Georgia Gale *''

'' (1947) .... Ruth Haines (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Odriscoll, Martha 1922 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from California American film actresses Universal Pictures contract players