| Dorothy Appleby |
|---|
| Born | (1906-01-06)January 6, 1906
Portland, Maine |
|---|
| Died | August 9, 1990(1990-08-09) (aged 84)
Long Island, New York |
|---|
| Years active | 1931-1943 |
|---|
| Spouse | Paul Drake (1943-1990) |
|---|
Dorothy Appleby (January 6, 1906 – August 9, 1990) was an American film actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1943.
Career
Appleby was seen in many supporting roles, almost always in short subjects or low-budget feature films. She never progressed to leading roles in important pictures because of her height, which made her difficult to cast. The trim brunette stood just over five feet tall, and her early leading men (like comedian
Charley Chase) towered over her. She soon found steady if not prestigious work in
Columbia Pictures' two-reel comedies. She appeared frequently with
The Three Stooges, who were only a few inches taller than she was, and in 1940 she became
Buster Keaton's leading lady, for the same reason: her height complemented his. She also worked with Columbia comics
Andy Clyde,
El Brendel, and
Hugh Herbert.
Some of her Stooge comedies were
Loco Boy Makes Good,
So Long Mr. Chumps, and
In the Sweet Pie and Pie.
[1] One memorable appearance was as
Mexican brunette Rosita in 1940's
Cookoo Cavaliers. In the film, Appleby gets clobbered by the Stooges when a
facial "mud pack" made of
cement dries on her face.
Her petite figure belied her age, and she continued to play "younger" roles into the 1940s. One of her last screen roles was a one-line bit (playing a college co-ed at age 35) in the 1941
Jane Withers feature
Small Town Deb.
Personal and death
Appleby left Hollywood in 1943 and married musician
Paul Drake soon thereafter. They remained married until her death August 9, 1990.
Selected filmography
References
External links
* * *
I think Dorothy Appleby was in more films with Buster Keaton than any other actress, something that has never been recognized. According to Bill Capello, she liked working with Buster Keaton, who she said was a "gentleman", and Jules White, because he was "helpful", but didn't like working with the Three Stooges because she felt their comedy "too rough for her liking".
Although Dorothy Appleby may be best remembered today for her roles in two-reel comedy films, she was in some feature films that are considered to be famous classics today, including STAGECOACH and HIGH SIERRA. But she had only small parts in these films and is easily overlooked as a result.
Dorothy Appleby had a career on Broadway before going into the movies. According to the internet movie database, she made her stage debut at the age of two and a half, in East Lynne at the Portland Theatre.
She was also selected as "Miss Maine" in 1923 by none other than silent movie star Rudolph Valentino, who remarked "some apple" when he heard her name.
|
|---|
|
