Mary Parker (American actress)


Mary Parker 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.

Life and career

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Parker, was a protégé 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 her native Fort Worth, Texas during the Texas Centennial celebrations and given a contract with Paramount Pictures. She performed in several large budget films, and was chosen by Paramount and Max Factor Jr. as "The Real Miss America", yet her fame was short lived.
In 1943, Parker signed a contract with MGM.
Parker and Daniels also performed in nightclubs. In those engagements, they specialized in "ballroom fairy tales", in which the dances told stories and each step of each dance was a component of the story that the dance told.
In 1944, Parker wed Lt. Richard B. Dixson, a decorated fighter pilot. They remained married a little over a year during World War II, and never remarried. She returned from Hollywood in the late 1940s and only made a few movies from that point. Her television show Mary Parker Playtime was a show for children in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
She died in Fort Worth, Texas in 1998.

Career

Selected filmography