Boots Mallory
Encyclopedia
Patricia "Boots" Mallory (October 22, 1913 – December 1, 1958) was an American film actress, dancer and model
.
, Mallory grew up in Mobile, Alabama
, attended Murphy High School, and was working in the Lyric Theater as an usherette when the Ziegfeld Follies came to Mobile. Ziegfeld offered her a spot in his show. She eventually travelled to New York City
where she made a strong impression in the Broadway production of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1931
.
Moving to Hollywood, she found employment with Fox Films and was cast in the film version of Dawn Powell
's play Walking Down Broadway. This was the first sound film by Erich von Stroheim
. He shared both screenwriting and directing credits and regarded Mallory as his discovery. The play told the story of a young unmarried woman involved in a love triangle who becomes pregnant. The finished film, however, strongly suggested a lesbian relationship between Mallory's character and the character played by ZaSu Pitts
. Other sexual themes involving the character played by James Dunn
were considered too daring. Fox executives brought in director Alfred L. Werker
to drastically cut Von Stroheim's version and to shoot additional scenes. The film was finally released under the new title Hello, Sister!
(1933) with little promotion and was not a success. Von Stroheim's original version was neither copyrighted nor released, and is considered lost.
In 1932 her second completed film, Handle with Care, also co-starring James Dunn, was released and marked her debut. It was well received and Mallory was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars
of 1932, but the extensive media publicity surrounding her WAMPAS recognition, was undermined by the poor reception given to Hello, Sister! when it was finally released.
A tall blonde, Mallory was well regarded for her striking looks and was photographed by such photographers as George Hurrell
. However, she also posed for risque lingerie photographs, and was painted nude by the pin-up artist Rolf Armstrong
.
Over the next few years, Mallory played the lead in several "B" pictures
, including the Rin Tin Tin
feature The Wolf Dog
(1933), and received top-billing in Carnival Lady (1934) and The Big Race (1934). She worked with James Cagney
in a radio production for Lux Radio Theatre, but she had difficulty breaking into more prestigious productions. She made her final film appearance in an uncredited role in the Laurel and Hardy
film Swiss Miss
(1938).
William Cagney, brother of actor James Cagney
. She was married to actor Herbert Marshall
from 1947 until her death from chronic throat disease in Santa Monica, California
in 1958.
Though usually billed as Boots Mallory, she was sometimes billed as "Boots" Mallory, complete with quotation marks, and she used the quotation marks when signing autographs.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
.
Career
Born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Mallory grew up in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, attended Murphy High School, and was working in the Lyric Theater as an usherette when the Ziegfeld Follies came to Mobile. Ziegfeld offered her a spot in his show. She eventually travelled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she made a strong impression in the Broadway production of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1931
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
.
Moving to Hollywood, she found employment with Fox Films and was cast in the film version of Dawn Powell
Dawn Powell
Dawn Powell was an American writer of novels and stories.-Biography:Powell was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio, a village 45 miles north of Columbus and the county seat of Morrow County. Powell regularly gave her birth year as 1897 but primary documents support the earlier date...
's play Walking Down Broadway. This was the first sound film by Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
. He shared both screenwriting and directing credits and regarded Mallory as his discovery. The play told the story of a young unmarried woman involved in a love triangle who becomes pregnant. The finished film, however, strongly suggested a lesbian relationship between Mallory's character and the character played by ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
. Other sexual themes involving the character played by James Dunn
James Dunn (actor)
James Howard Dunn was an American film actor.-Biography:Born in New York City of Irish descent, Dunn was the son of a Wall Street stockbroker who, according to Dunn, "either had a million or nothing." He joined his father in his business for three years...
were considered too daring. Fox executives brought in director Alfred L. Werker
Alfred L. Werker
Alfred L. Werker was a film director whose work in movies spanned from 1917 through 1957. After a number of film production jobs and assistant directing, Werker co-directed his first film, Ridin' the Wind in 1925 alongside director Del Andrews...
to drastically cut Von Stroheim's version and to shoot additional scenes. The film was finally released under the new title Hello, Sister!
Hello, Sister!
Hello, Sister! is a 1933 drama film directed by Alan Crosland, Erich von Stroheim, Raoul Walsh, and Alfred L. Werker.-Cast:* James Dunn - Jimmy* Zasu Pitts - Millie* Boots Mallory - Peggy...
(1933) with little promotion and was not a success. Von Stroheim's original version was neither copyrighted nor released, and is considered lost.
In 1932 her second completed film, Handle with Care, also co-starring James Dunn, was released and marked her debut. It was well received and Mallory was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars
WAMPAS Baby Stars
The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934, and annual...
of 1932, but the extensive media publicity surrounding her WAMPAS recognition, was undermined by the poor reception given to Hello, Sister! when it was finally released.
A tall blonde, Mallory was well regarded for her striking looks and was photographed by such photographers as George Hurrell
George Hurrell
George Hurrell was a photographer who made a significant contribution to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
. However, she also posed for risque lingerie photographs, and was painted nude by the pin-up artist Rolf Armstrong
Rolf Armstrong
Rolf Armstrong was an American painter of pin-up art.-Biography:Rolf Armstrong was born in Bay City, Michigan on April 21, 1889 to Richard and Harriet Armstrong. His father owned the Boy-Line Fire Boat Company, which included a line of passenger ships. Some were deployed in Chicago for use at the...
.
Over the next few years, Mallory played the lead in several "B" pictures
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
, including the Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was the name given to a dog adopted from a WWI battlefield that went on to star in twenty-three Hollywood films. The name was subsequently given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin...
feature The Wolf Dog
The Wolf Dog
The Wolf Dog is a Mascot film serial. It was directed by Colbert Clark and Harry L. Fraser and starred Frankie Darro and Rin Tin Tin, Jr.. The plot concerns the heir to a fortune and a villain attempting to take the inheritance for himself.-Plot:...
(1933), and received top-billing in Carnival Lady (1934) and The Big Race (1934). She worked with James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
in a radio production for Lux Radio Theatre, but she had difficulty breaking into more prestigious productions. She made her final film appearance in an uncredited role in the Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
film Swiss Miss
Swiss Miss (film)
Swiss Miss, is a 1938 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone, produced by Hal Roach and starring Laurel and Hardy. It also features Walter Woolf King, Della Lind and Eric Blore in support.- Plot :...
(1938).
Personal life
Mallory was first married at the age of sixteen, and by 1932 had married her second husband, film producerFilm producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
William Cagney, brother of actor James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
. She was married to actor Herbert Marshall
Herbert Marshall
Herbert Marshall , born Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall, was an English actor.His parents were Percy F. Marshall and Ethel May Turner. He graduated from St. Mary's College in Old Harlow, Essex and worked for a time as an accounting clerk...
from 1947 until her death from chronic throat disease in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
in 1958.
Though usually billed as Boots Mallory, she was sometimes billed as "Boots" Mallory, complete with quotation marks, and she used the quotation marks when signing autographs.
Filmography
- Handle with Care (1932)
- Humanity (1933)
- Hello, Sister!Hello, Sister!Hello, Sister! is a 1933 drama film directed by Alan Crosland, Erich von Stroheim, Raoul Walsh, and Alfred L. Werker.-Cast:* James Dunn - Jimmy* Zasu Pitts - Millie* Boots Mallory - Peggy...
(1933) - The Wolf DogThe Wolf DogThe Wolf Dog is a Mascot film serial. It was directed by Colbert Clark and Harry L. Fraser and starred Frankie Darro and Rin Tin Tin, Jr.. The plot concerns the heir to a fortune and a villain attempting to take the inheritance for himself.-Plot:...
(1933) - Carnival Lady (1933)
- The Big Race (1934)
- Sing Sing Nights (1934)
- Powdersmoke Range (1935)
- Here's Flash CaseyHere's Flash CaseyHere's Flash Casey is a 1938 American film directed by Lynn Shores.- Cast :*Eric Linden as "Flash" Casey*Boots Mallory as Kay Lanning*Cully Richards as Tom Wade*Holmes Herbert as Major Rodney Addison*Joseph Crehan as Blaine...
(1938) - Swiss MissSwiss Miss (film)Swiss Miss, is a 1938 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone, produced by Hal Roach and starring Laurel and Hardy. It also features Walter Woolf King, Della Lind and Eric Blore in support.- Plot :...
(1938) (uncredited)