Paula Stone (January 20, 1912 – December 23, 1997) was an actress in theater and motion pictures from
New York City.
She was the daughter of
Fred Stone, a stage actor, dancing comedian, and owner of the Fred Stone theatrical stock company. Her mother,
Allene Crater Stone, acted with her father and was a singer. The family had a ranch at
Lyme, Connecticut.
Theater
Stone made her debut in May 1925 at the
Illinois Theater in
Chicago, Illinois, in
Stepping Stones. She was 13 years old. Her sister Dorothy made her stage debut at 16. Dorothy performed with Fred Stone at the Globe Theater in
Manhattan, in
Criss-Cross in December 1926. Stone was then 14 and training to be a stage actress within two years. Her first ambition was to be a singer like her mother. Another sister, Carol, was 12. She also aspired to go into theater work.
Stone appeared with Fred and Dorothy in
Ripples, a show which debuted in
New Haven, Connecticut, in January 1930. The first New York show of the same production came at the
New Amsterdam Theater in February. Stone and her father teamed in
Smiling Faces, produced by the
Shubert Theater owners in 1931.
Mack Gordon and
Harry Revel wrote the music and lyrics. The musical had its first night in
Springfield, Massachusetts.
Stone toured in
You Can't Take It With You,
Idiots Delight, and other plays. In November 1940 she was cast with Marcy Wescott for the Dennis King musical show. It debuted at the Forrest Theater in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
When her husband was reported missing during
World War II, Stone began doing
camp and canteen shows with her father. The two joined again in a play produced by the
Theatre Guild in September 1950.
Movies
She signed with
RKO Radio for a singing and dancing role in a musical in May 1935. Her second motion picture role features her opposite
Dick Foran in
Treachery Rides The Range (1936), a
Warner Bros. release. The movie sought to illustrate injustices perpetrated by buffalo traders against
Cheyenne Indians. Foran and Stone provided the romantic interest. Her first motion picture paired her with
William Boyd in
Hopalong Cassidy (1935).
She had the role of Mabel, best friend of the
leading lady Pearl, in
The Girl Said No (1937). The movie was directed by
Andrew L. Stone and received an
Academy Award nomination. Her final motion picture was
Laugh It Off (1939), a musical released by
Universal Pictures.
Radio
Stone took singing lessons. She was hired by
WNEW in
West Palm Beach, Florida, to broadcast the news and gossip of
Broadway to servicemen. She wrote the scripts for this program and later secured her own show on the
Mutual Radio Network. In 1950 she hosted
Hollywood USA. The show related entertainment news and she interviewed celebrities. In 1952 her broadcast was known as The Paula Stone Program. She was affiliated with the
Mutual Broadcasting System in 1954.
Television
In 1954 Stone worked for Broadway Angels, Inc., in New York City. She was the
MC of
Angel Auditions, a television show which examined prospective Broadway shows. The plays were tried in summer stock and considered for production on Broadway.
Marriage
Stone announced that she intended to marry cafe owner Walter Mason in 1937, but she did not. She wed orchestra leader Duke Daly in July 1939, at her home in
Beverly Hills. Daly, 30, resided in
Miami, Florida. His real name was Linwood A. Dingley. She was married to Michael Sloane in 1946.
Paula Stone died in
Sherman Oaks, California, in 1997.
References
- "Film and Drama". Long Beach Press-Telegram. September 23, 1950. p. 10.
- "Walter Winchell On Broadway". Nevada State Journal. October 14, 1952. p. 4.
- "Rialto Gossip". New York Times. May 17, 1925. p. X1.
- "Some Advantages Of Having Relatives". New York Times. December 5, 1926. p. X9.
- "Fred Stone Falls In A Solo Flight; Breaks Both Legs". New York Times. August 4, 1928. p. 1.
- "Fred Stone Bounces Back In Ripples". New York Times. January 29, 1930. p. 30.
- "Jests Of Airplane Mishap". New York Times. February 12, 1930. p. 29.
- "Theatrical Notes". New York Times. September 17, 1931. p. 21.
- "Screen Notes". New York Times. May 25, 1935. p. 12.
- "The Screen". New York Times. May 30, 1936. p. 7.
- "News Of The Screen". New York Times. March 1, 1937. p. 15.
- "Paula Stone To Be Married". New York Times. August 6, 1937. p. 21.
- "Paula Stone To Be Wed". New York Times. July 13, 1939. p. 22.
- "Engaged For Dennis King Show". New York Times. November 13, 1940. p. 28.
- "Paula Stone And Phil Brito Are Heard On KPAC". Port Arthur News. August 28, 1945. p. 28.
External links
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