Anne Shirley (actress)


Anne Shirley was an American actress.
Beginning her career as a child actress under the stage name Dawn O'Day, she adopted the stage name of Anne Shirley, after playing the title character in the film adaptation of Anne of Green Gables in 1934,after which she achieved a successful career in supporting roles. Among her films is Stella Dallas, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Although Shirley left the acting profession in 1944, at the age of 26, she remained in Los Angeles, where she died at the age of 75.

Early life

Born in New York City as a baby she began modeling, and made her film debut with a featured role in 1922's Moonshine Valley. Shirley began acting at the age of five as the live action "Alice" in Walt Disney's pre-Mickey Mouse silent animated series "Alice in Cartoonland". She had a highly successful child star career in Pre-Code movies, appearing in such films as Liliom, Tom Mix's Riders of the Purple Sage, So Big, Three on a Match and Rasputin and the Empress.

Career

In 1934 she starred as the character of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, and took that character's name as her stage name.
After adopting the name Anne Shirley, she starred in Steamboat 'Round the Bend, Make Way for a Lady and Stella Dallas, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Later roles were in such movies as Vigil in the Night, Anne of Windy Poplars, The Devil and Daniel Webster and Murder, My Sweet, her final film. Of Shirley's portrayal in Saturday's Children, The New York Times commented that she "endows the little wife with heroic integrity and strength of character."

Personal life

Shirley married actor John Payne on August 22, 1937, in Montecito, California. They had a daughter, former actress Julie Payne.
Her second husband was film producer and screenwriter Adrian Scott. When he was blacklisted and decided to move the family to Europe, at the last minute she wrote him a "Dear John" letter saying she'd rather stay behind and divorce him. Her third husband was Charles Lederer, nephew of Marion Davies. They had a son named Daniel Lederer. Shirley had also a brief relationship with younger western star Rory Calhoun and another with French movie star Jean-Pierre Aumont.
Shirley died from lung cancer in Los Angeles, aged 75 on July 4, 1993 and was cremated. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1922The Hidden WomanGirlas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1922Moonshine ValleyNancyas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1923The Rustle of SilkGirlas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1923The Spanish DancerDon Balthazar Carlosas Dawn O'Day
1924The Man Who Fights AloneDorothyas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1924The Fast SetLittle Margaretas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1925Riders of the Purple SageFay Larkinuncredited
1925Alice's Egg PlantAliceShort, as Dawn O'Day
1927The Callahans and the MurphysMary Callahanas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1927Night LifeDaughter of War Profiteeras Dawn O'Day
1928Mother Knows BestSally, as a childas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
19284 DevilsMarion, as a girlas Dawn O'Day
Lost film
1928Sins of the FathersMary, as a childas Dawn O'Day
1930City GirlMarie Tustineas Dawn O'Day
1930LiliomLouiseas Dawn O'Day
1931Gun SmokeHorton's Daughteras Dawn O'Day
1931Hello NapoleonThe Little GirlShort, as Dawn O'Day
1931Howdy Mate-Short, as Dawn O'Day
1931Rich Man's FollyAnne, as a childas Dawn O'Day
1932EmmaIsabelle as a ChildUncredited
1932Young AmericaMabel Saundersas Dawn O'Day
1932So Big!Selina Peake, as a ChildUncredited
1932The Purchase PriceSarah Tipton, the DaughterUncredited
1932Three on a MatchVivian Revere as a Childas Dawn O'Day
1932Rasputin and the EmpressPrincess AnastasiaUncredited
1933The Life of Jimmy DolanMary LouUncredited
1934This Side of HeavenFlower Girl, as Dawn O'Dayas Dawn O'Day
1934School for GirlsCatherine Fogarty
1934Finishing SchoolBillieas Dawn O'Day
1934The KeyFlower Girlas Dawn O'Day
1934Bachelor BaitMiriam Ann Johnson, Marriage License Applicantuncredited
1934Anne of Green GablesAnne Shirley
1934Picture PalaceDawnShort, as Dawn O'Day
1934Private LessonsDawnShort, as Dawn O'Day
1935Chasing YesterdayJeanne Alexandre
1935Steamboat Round the BendFleety Belle
1936ChatterboxJenny Yates
1936M'LissM'liss Smith
1936So and Sew-Short, Uncredited
1936Make Way for a LadyJune Drew
1937Too Many WivesBetty Jackson
1937Meet the MissusLouise Foster
1937Stella DallasLaurel "Lollie" DallasNominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1938Condemned WomenMillie Anson
1938Law of the UnderworldAnnabelle Porter
1938Mother Carey's ChickensNancy Carey
1938Girls' SchoolNatalie Freeman
1938A Man to RememberJean Johnson
1939Boy SlavesAnnie
1939Sorority HouseAlice Fisher
1939CareerSylvia Bartholomew
1940Vigil in the NightLucy Lee
1940Saturday's ChildrenBobby Halevy
1940Anne of Windy PoplarsAnne Shirley
1941West Point WidowNancy Hull
1941Unexpected UncleKathleen Brown
1941The Devil and Daniel WebsterMary Stone
1942Four Jacks and a JillKaranina 'Nina' Novak
1942The Mayor of 44th StreetJessey Lee
1943Lady BodyguardA.C. Baker
1943The Powers GirlEllen Evans
1943BombardierBurton Hughes
1943Government GirlMay Harness Blake
1944Man from FriscoDiana Kennedy
1944Music in ManhattanFrankie Foster
1944Murder, My SweetAnne Grayle
1944---