Mary Parker (actor)
Encyclopedia
Mary Parker born Mary Frances Roberson in Fort Worth, Texas
, was an American stage, television and screen actress/performer. Parker appeared in 17 films from 1938 to 1954, but was also known for her dance work with partner Billy Daniel.
Parker (also known as "Punkins" Parker), was a protege of Mitchell Leisen
. Leisen recruited Parker for various projects both on and off the screen starting in 1938. Parker was discovered while performing at the Casa Mañana Theatre
in Fort Worth, Texas during the Texas Centennial celebrations and given a contract with Paramount Pictures
.Parker performed in several large budget films, and was chosen by Paramount and Max Factor Jr
as one of the most beautiful girls in the world, yet her fame was short lived. She was married to Lt. Richard B. Dixson, a decorated fighter pilot, for only a little over a year during World War II, and never remarried. Mary returned from Hollywood in the late 1940s
and would only be seen in a few movies from that point (all bit parts). Her television show "Mary Parker Playtime" was a show for children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, was an American stage, television and screen actress/performer. Parker appeared in 17 films from 1938 to 1954, but was also known for her dance work with partner Billy Daniel.
Parker (also known as "Punkins" Parker), was a protege of Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
. Leisen recruited Parker for various projects both on and off the screen starting in 1938. Parker was discovered while performing at the Casa Mañana Theatre
Casa Mañana
Casa Mañana Theatre, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, is located in the Fort Worth Cultural District and is known as the "House of Tomorrow." Originally an outdoor amphitheater, Casa opened in 1936 as the part of the official Texas Centennial Celebration....
in Fort Worth, Texas during the Texas Centennial celebrations and given a contract with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.Parker performed in several large budget films, and was chosen by Paramount and Max Factor Jr
Max Factor, Jr.
Max Factor, Jr. , was an American businessman who was president of the Max Factor Cosmetics empire.He was born Francis Factor in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Max Factor, a Polish immigrant...
as one of the most beautiful girls in the world, yet her fame was short lived. She was married to Lt. Richard B. Dixson, a decorated fighter pilot, for only a little over a year during World War II, and never remarried. Mary returned from Hollywood in the late 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
and would only be seen in a few movies from that point (all bit parts). Her television show "Mary Parker Playtime" was a show for children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Filmography
- The Great Diamond Robbery (1954) (uncredited) .... Drunk's Wife
- Million Dollar MermaidMillion Dollar MermaidMillion Dollar Mermaid is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical musical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a screenplay by Everett Freeman. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch, the...
(1952) (uncredited) - Lure of the WildernessLure of the WildernessLure of the Wilderness is a 1952 romantic adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, which was shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1941 novel Swamp Water by Vereen Bell, and is a remake of the Jean Renoir's 1941 adaption of the novel featuring Walter Brennan in a smaller version of his...
(1952) (uncredited) - Ziegfeld Follies(1945) (uncredited)
- Keep Your Powder DryKeep Your Powder DryKeep Your Powder Dry is a 1945 drama film starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. The film was directed by Edward Buzzell and written by George Bruce and Mary C...
(1945) (uncredited) - Music for MillionsMusic for MillionsMusic for Millions is a 1944 musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1946.-Plot:"Mike" , age 6, arrives in New York to stay with her sister Barbara Ainsworth , who lived together with a group of girls, her co-players in a symphony orchestra...
(1944) .... Anita. - Lady in the DarkLady in the Dark (film)Lady in the Dark is a 1944 Technicolor musical film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ginger Rogers. It was nominated for three Academy Awards; for Best Cinematography, Best Music and Best Art Direction ....
(1944) .... Miss Parker - Marie Green and Her Merry Men (1940/41)... aka "Melody Masters: Marie Green (Greene) and Her Merry (Merrie) Men"
- Ranch House Romeo (1939) .... Mitzi. Mary is a run away star that winds up on a ranch with Ray WhitleyRay WhitleyRaymond Otis Whitley , also known as Ray Whitley, was a Country and Western singer, radio and Hollywood movie star.-Singing and live performance:...
. - Sudden Money (1939) .... Ellen
- Cafe Society (1939) (uncredited) .... Southern Girl
- St. Louis BluesSt. Louis Blues (1939 film)St. Louis Blues is a 1939 musical film directed by Raoul Walsh that was set on a Mississippi River showboat. Although the plot was not related to the song, the "St. Louis Blues" was sung as one of the numbers. Artists included jazz singer Maxine Sullivan and composer/singer/actor Hoagy Carmichael...
(1939) .... Punkins - Artists and Models Abroad (1938) .... Punkins. According to the newspaper accounts of the day, Mary was supposed to play the lead, but was considered too young looking.)
- Campus Confessions (1938) (uncredited) .... Co-Ed
- Sing You Sinners (1938) (uncredited) .... Bit (Mary has one scene with Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
-He grabs her from a table in a club and the two of them jitterbug for a second, then waltz, then swing for a short bit - Hunted Men (1938) (uncredited) .... Bit Part
- Cocoanut Grove (1938) (uncredited) .... Girl
- Beauty and the Beach (1938)....This film starring Betty GrableBetty GrableElizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
and featuring Mary along with several other notables was shelved after production began due to Paramount feeling that they had too many musical projects going at once.
Stage
- Hit the Deck (musical) (1945 version; Mary as heroine) Musical written by Vincent Youman.
- Let's Face ItLet's Face It!Let's Face It! is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields is based on the 1925 play The Cradle Snatchers by Russell Medcraft and Norma Mitchell....
(1941–43)Wartime musical by Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
. - Abe Lincoln in IllinoisAbe Lincoln in Illinois (play)Abe Lincoln in Illinois is a play written by the American playwright Robert E. Sherwood in 1938. The play, in three acts, covers the life of President Abraham Lincoln from his childhood through his final speech in Illinois before he left for Washington. The play also covers his romance with Mary...
(1939/40).