Blanche Mehaffey (July 28, 1903[citation needed] – March 31, 1968) was an American showgirl and film actress.

Blanche Mehaffey
Mehaffey about 1922
Born
Blanche Mehaffey

July 28, 1903
DiedMarch 31, 1968 (aged 64)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • showgirl
Years active1922–1938
Spouses
  • George Joseph Hausen, 1928-1928 (Div)
  • Ralph Martin Like, 1932-1939 (Div)

Early years

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Blanche was said to be a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.[1]

Broadway career

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Blanche Mehaffey began her professional career in 1921 when she was cast as a showgirl in Florenz Ziegfeld's Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic.[2] In 1922 she won first prize in a contest held in Cincinnati, OH, to pick the three most beautiful girls in Ohio.[3] She was then cast in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922.[4]

Film career

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Mehaffey began her movie career in 1923 when she was cast in the George Jeske comedy, Fully Insured. She made over 60 films during a career that lasted until 1938.

Mehaffey was among the WAMPS "Baby Stars" of 1924 chosen by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers.[6]

She spent 1930 away from films studying voice and languages in New York City.[7]

One critic considers Mehaffey's films to be "eminently forgettable [B movies]",[8] although another cites A Woman of the World as one of a hundred "essential silent film comedies."[9]

Personal life

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Mehaffey wed George Joseph Hausen in Los Angeles, California in January 1928. She obtained a divorce in April of the same year.[10] She married Ralph Like in 1932 and obtained a divorce in 1939.[11]

Death

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Mehaffey died on March 31, 1968.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Theater Notes". The New York Herald. New York, NY. February 11, 1922. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "New Tableaux in Show". The Billboard. New York, NY. October 16, 1921. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Theater Notes". The New York Herald. New York, NY. February 11, 1922. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "All American Beauties Chosen for the Follies of 1922". The Mid-Week Pictorial. New York, NY. June 1, 1922. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Blanche Mehaffey". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. ^ "Blanche Mehaffey Back at Studios". Reno Gazette-Journal. San Francisco, CA. December 27, 1930. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "Beauties Await Ball". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, CA. December 24, 1930. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Davis, Hank (2018). Classic Cliffhangers, Vol. 1, 1914-1940. Albany, GA: Bearmanor Media. ISBN 9781887664769.
  9. ^ Root, James (2017). 100 Essential Silent Film Comedies. New York, NY: Roman & Littlefield. p. 257-259. ISBN 9781442278240.
  10. ^ "Film Actress Gets Decree". The New York Times. p. 23. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  11. ^ "Three Divorces For Every Two Marriages Among Hollywood's Stars In Past Year". The Richmond Independent. p. 2. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
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