Baby Marie
Encyclopedia
Baby Marie Osborne was the first major child star
of American silent films. She was usually billed simply as Baby Marie.
, the daughter of Roy and Mary Myres. She soon became — under mysterious circumstances — the child of Leon and Edith Osborn, who called her Marie and added the “e” to the surname, apparently to obscure the adoption. Her foster parents, the Osbornes, introduced their daughter to silent films when they left Colorado to work at Balboa Studios in Long Beach, California
. Osborne made her debut in 1914's Kidnapped in New York.
Signed to a lucrative contract with Balboa Films (and working with director Henry King
and writer Clara Beranger
), by the age of five she was starring in silent films, including her best remembered movie, Little Mary Sunshine from 1916 (see the film's IMDb profile), one of her few films which still survive on celluloid. Some of her other films include Maid of the Wild (1915), Sunshine and Gold (1917), What Baby Forgot (1917), Daddy's Girl (1918), The Locked Heart (1918), Winning Grandma (1918), The Sawdust Doll (1919) and Daddy Number Two (1919). At the age of eight, she completed her final film as a child star, Miss Gingersnap in 1919. In all, she was featured or starred in 29 films in a six year period. Most of her films were produced at Diando Studios, the former Kalem Movie Studio
in Glendale, California
.
She returned to motion pictures 15 years later – at the request of director Henry King – to appear in his 1934 movie Carolina, starring Janet Gaynor
and Lionel Barrymore
. Over the next 16 years, Osborne worked as a film extra, additionally serving as a stand-in
for actresses such as Ginger Rogers
, Deanna Durbin
, and Betty Hutton
. After appearing in more than a dozen films, she made her last on-screen appearance in Bunco Squad (1950), starring Robert Sterling
and Joan Dixon
.
, a clothing supplier for the motion picture industry. Osborne worked on the wardrobes for such films as Around the World in 80 Days
(1956), How to Murder Your Wife
(1965), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and Harry and Walter Go to New York
(1976). In 1963, Osborne worked as a special costumer for Elizabeth Taylor
in the big-budget film, Cleopatra
. Osborne retired in 1977, and moved to San Clemente, California
.
, six days after her 99th birthday. She was survived by her daughter, Joan, and five grandchildren.
Child star
Child star can refer to:* a child actor* a child singer*"Child Star," a song by The Unicorns from their 2003 album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?...
of American silent films. She was usually billed simply as Baby Marie.
Early life and career
Born as Helen Alice Myres in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, the daughter of Roy and Mary Myres. She soon became — under mysterious circumstances — the child of Leon and Edith Osborn, who called her Marie and added the “e” to the surname, apparently to obscure the adoption. Her foster parents, the Osbornes, introduced their daughter to silent films when they left Colorado to work at Balboa Studios in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. Osborne made her debut in 1914's Kidnapped in New York.
Signed to a lucrative contract with Balboa Films (and working with director Henry King
Henry King (director)
Henry King was an American film director.Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres, and first started to take small film roles in 1912. He directed for the first time in 1915, and grew to become one of the most commercially successful Hollywood directors of the...
and writer Clara Beranger
Clara Beranger
Clara Berenger was an American screenwriter of the silent film era and a member of the original faculty of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.-Biography:...
), by the age of five she was starring in silent films, including her best remembered movie, Little Mary Sunshine from 1916 (see the film's IMDb profile), one of her few films which still survive on celluloid. Some of her other films include Maid of the Wild (1915), Sunshine and Gold (1917), What Baby Forgot (1917), Daddy's Girl (1918), The Locked Heart (1918), Winning Grandma (1918), The Sawdust Doll (1919) and Daddy Number Two (1919). At the age of eight, she completed her final film as a child star, Miss Gingersnap in 1919. In all, she was featured or starred in 29 films in a six year period. Most of her films were produced at Diando Studios, the former Kalem Movie Studio
Kalem Company
The Kalem Company was an American film studio founded in New York City in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion.The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
She returned to motion pictures 15 years later – at the request of director Henry King – to appear in his 1934 movie Carolina, starring Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor was an American actress and painter.One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven , Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Street Angel...
and Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul...
. Over the next 16 years, Osborne worked as a film extra, additionally serving as a stand-in
Stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting.Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else...
for actresses such as Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin
Deanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
, and Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer.-Early life:Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg, daughter of a railroad foreman, Percy E. Thornburg and his wife, the former Mabel Lum . While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for...
. After appearing in more than a dozen films, she made her last on-screen appearance in Bunco Squad (1950), starring Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling, born William Sterling Hart was an American film and television actor.-Early life:...
and Joan Dixon
Joan Dixon
Joan Dixon was an American film and television actress in the 1950s. She is known for her role in the film noir, Roadblock .-Biography:...
.
Later career
In the 1950s she started a new career as a costumer for Western CostumeWestern Costume
Western Costume is a costume warehouse in Hollywood, California which supplies costumes and costuming supplies to the film and TV industry. One of the oldest businesses in the industry, the company outdates any studio or production company currently in operation.The company was founded in 1912 by...
, a clothing supplier for the motion picture industry. Osborne worked on the wardrobes for such films as Around the World in 80 Days
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
(1956), How to Murder Your Wife
How to Murder Your Wife
How to Murder Your Wife is a 1965 American comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi. It was directed by Richard Quine, who also directed Lemmon in My Sister Eileen, It Happened to Jane, Operation Mad Ball and Bell, Book and Candle....
(1965), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and Harry and Walter Go to New York
Harry and Walter Go to New York
Harry and Walter Go to New York is a 1976 American period comedy film written by John Byrum, directed by Mark Rydell, and starring James Caan, Elliot Gould, Michael Caine, Diane Keaton, Charles Durning and Lesley Ann Warren. In the film, two down-on-their-luck con men try to pull off the biggest...
(1976). In 1963, Osborne worked as a special costumer for Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in the big-budget film, Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
. Osborne retired in 1977, and moved to San Clemente, California
San Clemente, California
San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish...
.
Personal life
Osborne married Frank J. Dempsey on May 2, 1931. Dempsey was the father of Osborne's only child, Joan (born May 13, 1932). They divorced in 1937. Osborne married 36-year old actor Murray F. Yeats on June 14, 1945, and moved to Sepulveda, California. She remained married until his death on January 27, 1975.Death
Marie Osborne Yeats died on November 11, 2010 in San Clemente, CaliforniaSan Clemente, California
San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish...
, six days after her 99th birthday. She was survived by her daughter, Joan, and five grandchildren.
External links
- NitrateVille Obituary
- Baby Marie Osborne 1999 profile
- Literature on Baby Marie Osborne
- 2005 biography of Baby Marie Osborne
- Marie Osborne Yeats at Find A Grave
Further reading
- Balboa Films – A History and Filmography of the Silent Film Studio; ISBN 078640496-5