Blanche Mehaffey

Blanche Mehaffey
Mehaffey about 1922
BornJuly 28, 1903
DiedMarch 31, 1968 (aged 64)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • showgirl
Years active1922–1938
Spouses
George Joseph Hausen
​
​
(m. 1928; div. 1928)​
​
​
(m. 1932; div. 1938)​

Blanche Mehaffey (July 28, 1903 – March 31, 1968) was an American showgirl and film actress.

Early years

Mehaffey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio,[1] the daughter of a dentist father and opera singer mother. [2] She was graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.[3]

She began her professional career in 1921 when she was cast as a showgirl in Florenz Ziegfeld's Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic.[4] In 1922 she won first prize in a contest a Cincinnati contest to pick the three most beautiful girls in Ohio.[3] She was then cast in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922.[5]

Film career

Mehaffey began her movie career in 1923 when she was cast in the George Jeske comedy, Fully Insured. She made over 60 films during a career that lasted until 1938. Mehaffey was among the WAMPAS "Baby Stars" of 1924 chosen by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers.[6]

She spent 1930 away from films studying voice and languages in New York City.[7]

One critic considers Mehaffey's films to be "eminently forgettable [B movies]",[8] although another cites A Woman of the World as one of a hundred "essential silent film comedies."[9]

Personal life

Mehaffey wed George Joseph Hausen in Los Angeles in January 1928 and obtained a divorce in April of the same year.[10] She was married to film producer Ralph M. Like from 1932 to 1939.[11][12] She later married James Collins,[13] and died on March 31, 1968.[14][1]

Filmography

References

  1. 1 2 Truitt, Evelyn Mack (1983). Who Was Who on Screen (3rd ed.). R.R. Bowker Co. p. 499. ISBN 978-0-8352-1578-7.
  2. ↑ Segal, Eugene (1924-07-10). "Luck Follows Cincinnati Girl to Film Success: Blanche Mehaffey is One of Baby Stars of 1924". The Cincinnati Post. p. 5.
  3. 1 2 "Theater Notes". The New York Herald. February 11, 1922. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  4. ↑ "New Tableaux in Show". The Billboard. New York, NY. October 16, 1921. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ "All American Beauties Chosen for the Follies of 1922". The Mid-Week Pictorial. New York, NY. June 1, 1922. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Blanche Mehaffey Back at Studios". Reno Gazette-Journal. San Francisco, CA. December 27, 1930. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Beauties Await Ball". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, CA. December 24, 1930. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ Davis, Hank (2018). Classic Cliffhangers, Vol. 1, 1914-1940. Albany, GA: Bearmanor Media. ISBN 9781887664769.
  9. ↑ Root, James (2017). 100 Essential Silent Film Comedies. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 257–259. ISBN 9781442278240.
  10. ↑ "Film Actress Gets Decree". The New York Times. p. 23. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Miss Mehaffey, Film Star, Becomes Bride of Former Davenporter, Ralph Like". The Davenport Democrat and Leader. 28 August 1932. p. 9.
  12. ↑ "Blanche Mehaffey Granted Divorce". San Pedro News-Pilot. AP. 2 November 1938. p. 1.
  13. ↑ "Television Rights Key Issue in $100,000 Suit". The Los Angeles Times. 1948-04-23. p. 21.
  14. ↑ "Mrs. James Collins; Former Ziegfield Girl". The Daily Item. 1968-04-02. p. 14.
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