Cecilia Parker
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Parker was a Canadian-born American film actress.
, she was brought to southern California
as a child by her mother, Mrs. Naudy Anna Parker. Her father was an English
soldier. Parker graduated from the Convent of the Immaculate Heart in Hollywood in June 1931. At the time she resided with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Parker, at 546 North Fuller Street in Los Angeles, California
. Parker was selected from among a group of extras to attend the Fox Film studio training school for younger players.
Soon she was selected to play opposite George O'Brien in The Rainbow Trail (1932). The Rainbow Trail, written by Zane Grey
, was the novelist's sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage
. Parker starred with Tom Tyler
and Carmelita Geraghty
in a 1932-1933 movie serial produced by Universal Pictures
entitled The Jungle Mystery
. In July 1933, she was chosen to play the heroine in the Ken Maynard
western, The Trail Drive (1933). That same year, she was John Wayne
's leading lady in the first singing cowboy
movie, Riders of Destiny
.
After playing the sister of Greta Garbo
in 1934's The Painted Veil
, Parker signed a seven year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. The studio wanted a blonde who resembled Garbo as a young girl. Her new contract called for a starting salary of $75 a week and scales up to $1000 a week for the seventh year.
In November 1935, Parker purchased a new home in Beverly Hills, California
. The following year she joined the ballet school of Dave Gould at M.G.M., along with Maureen O'Sullivan
. By the fall of 1936, Parker was studying singing.
She starred as Marian Hardy in a series of Andy Hardy
movies in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Beginning with A Family Affair
in 1937, the series featured Hollywood luminaries like Mickey Rooney
, Lewis Stone
, Ann Rutherford
, and Fay Holden
. The motion pictures were directed by George "one take" Seitz
. Out West With The Hardys (1938) features the entire Hardy family on a western trek to a large ranch. You're Only Young Once was the entry which revolved around Parker's romance with a married life-guard on Catalina Island
. Marion's various romances was a recurring feature of the Hardy series.
It is rumored that she gave MGM some trouble at one point, because in 1941 she was "loaned" to ultra-low-rent studio Producers Releasing Corporation
(PRC) for one picture, a fate that usually befell actors who had displeased the higher-ups at the studios. All was apparently forgiven, though, as she made five more pictures at MGM before she retired in 1942. She returned in 1958 for one final Andy Hardy film, but then went back to the real estate business she and her husband operated in Ventura, California
, where she died in 1993.
In 1938 she married actor Dick Baldwin, who helped her to become a naturalized citizen in 1940. Her death at 79 on the 25 July 1993 was shrouded with mystery when her cause of death was simply reported by The New York Times as "a long illness".
She was survived by her husband Robert Sr., a daughter, Ann Bridges of San Diego; two sons, Robert Jr., of Tracy, California and John, of Ventura; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Early life and career
Born in Fort William, OntarioFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
, she was brought to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as a child by her mother, Mrs. Naudy Anna Parker. Her father was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soldier. Parker graduated from the Convent of the Immaculate Heart in Hollywood in June 1931. At the time she resided with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Parker, at 546 North Fuller Street in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Parker was selected from among a group of extras to attend the Fox Film studio training school for younger players.
Soon she was selected to play opposite George O'Brien in The Rainbow Trail (1932). The Rainbow Trail, written by Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
, was the novelist's sequel to Riders of the Purple Sage
Riders of the Purple Sage
Riders of the Purple Sage is Zane Grey's best-known novel, originally published in 1912. Most critics agree that it played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre.- Plot in a paragraph :...
. Parker starred with Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler was an American actor in silent and sound motion pictures, best known for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the acclaimed 1941 movie serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.-Biography:...
and Carmelita Geraghty
Carmelita Geraghty
Carmelita Geraghty was an American silent-film actress.-Early life:Her father was screenwriter Tom Geraghty. She was the sister of writers Maurice Geraghty and Gerard Geraghty....
in a 1932-1933 movie serial produced by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
entitled The Jungle Mystery
The Jungle Mystery
The Jungle Mystery is a Universal movie serial based on the book The Ivory Trail by Talbot Mundy.-Cast:* Tom Tyler as Kirk Montgomery* Cecilia Parker as Barbara Morgan* William Desmond as Mr. Morgan* Philo McCullough as Shillow...
. In July 1933, she was chosen to play the heroine in the Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard was an American motion picture stuntman and actor.-Biography:Born Kenneth Olin Maynard in Vevay, Indiana, he was one of five children. His younger brother, Kermit Maynard, also became a stuntman and actor....
western, The Trail Drive (1933). That same year, she was John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's leading lady in the first singing cowboy
Singing cowboy
A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and 1940s...
movie, Riders of Destiny
Riders of Destiny
Riders of Destiny is a 1933 Western musical film starring 26-year-old John Wayne as Singin' Sandy Saunders, the screen's first singing cowboy...
.
After playing the sister of Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
in 1934's The Painted Veil
The Painted Veil (1934 film)
The Painted Veil is a 1934 drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Ryszard Bolesławski and produced by Hunt Stromberg from a screenplay by John Meehan, Salka Viertel, and Edith Fitzgerald, adapted from the 1925 W. Somerset Maugham novel The Painted Veil. The music score was by Herbert Stothart,...
, Parker signed a seven year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. The studio wanted a blonde who resembled Garbo as a young girl. Her new contract called for a starting salary of $75 a week and scales up to $1000 a week for the seventh year.
In November 1935, Parker purchased a new home in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The following year she joined the ballet school of Dave Gould at M.G.M., along with Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen Paula O’Sullivan was an Irish actress.-Early life:O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the daughter of Roman Catholic parents Mary Lovatt and Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in The Connaught Rangers who served in The Great War...
. By the fall of 1936, Parker was studying singing.
She starred as Marian Hardy in a series of Andy Hardy
Andy Hardy
Andy Hardy was a fictional character played by Mickey Rooney in an MGM film series from 1937 to 1958. Spanning over 20 years, the 16 movies were based on characters in the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol....
movies in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Beginning with A Family Affair
A Family Affair (film)
A Family Affair is the first entry in the Andy Hardy film series, though Mickey Rooney has a secondary role as the son of Judge Hardy, played by Lionel Barrymore. The highly respected judge has to deal with family and political problems. The film was based on the play Skidding by Aurania...
in 1937, the series featured Hollywood luminaries like Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, Lewis Stone
Lewis Stone
Lewis Shepard Stone was an American actor.Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, son of Bertrand Stone and Philena Heald Ball. Stone's hair grew gray by the time he was twenty. He fought in the Spanish-American War, then returned to a career as a writer. He soon began acting...
, Ann Rutherford
Ann Rutherford
Ann Rutherford is a Canadian-American actress in film, radio, and television. She has had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict on the big screen of the 1930s and 1940s in the Andy Hardy series, and on The Bob Newhart Show as Newhart's character's...
, and Fay Holden
Fay Holden
Fay Holden , was a British-born American-based actress. She was known as Gaby Fay early in her career....
. The motion pictures were directed by George "one take" Seitz
George B. Seitz
George Brackett Seitz was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, including:*The Perils of Pauline *The Exploits of Elaine...
. Out West With The Hardys (1938) features the entire Hardy family on a western trek to a large ranch. You're Only Young Once was the entry which revolved around Parker's romance with a married life-guard on Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
. Marion's various romances was a recurring feature of the Hardy series.
It is rumored that she gave MGM some trouble at one point, because in 1941 she was "loaned" to ultra-low-rent studio Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the more lower-end Hollywood film studios on Poverty Row from the late '30s to the mid-'40s. PRC, as it was commonly known, made low-budget B-movies for the lower-half of a double bill. A few of its films have gained a respectable reputation over the...
(PRC) for one picture, a fate that usually befell actors who had displeased the higher-ups at the studios. All was apparently forgiven, though, as she made five more pictures at MGM before she retired in 1942. She returned in 1958 for one final Andy Hardy film, but then went back to the real estate business she and her husband operated in Ventura, California
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
, where she died in 1993.
Personal life
Parker's sister, Linda, was an actress who appeared in a number of uncredited roles in the early 1930s. Both sisters once tested for the same part in David Copperfield. Parker was a close friend of actress Anne Shirley. During the mid-1930s the two kept a standing dinner date on Thursday nights.In 1938 she married actor Dick Baldwin, who helped her to become a naturalized citizen in 1940. Her death at 79 on the 25 July 1993 was shrouded with mystery when her cause of death was simply reported by The New York Times as "a long illness".
She was survived by her husband Robert Sr., a daughter, Ann Bridges of San Diego; two sons, Robert Jr., of Tracy, California and John, of Ventura; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.