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Christine Maple

Born
Nov 12, 1912
nationality
American

Career

Active 1930 – 1938

1928
1929
1930
Debut
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
Last credit
1939
1940

Biography

About Christine Maple

Edited by the community

Christine Maple, born Christine Raphael on November 16, 1912, in Belle-Plaine, Kansas, was an American actress. Her parents divorced when she was young, and after her mother remarried, the family moved to Los Angeles. She competed in beauty pageants and was a finalist in the Elks National Convention bathing beauty contest. In 1930, she made her film debut in the Charley Chase short Fifty Million Husbands and appeared as a dancer in the musical Whoopee. Florenz Ziegfeld hired her for the Ziegfeld Follies and gave her the title of "Miss Universe." During the show, she shocked audiences by appearing on stage completely nude. She was romantically involved with violinist Enric Madriguera and plastic surgeon Dr. Morton Berson, who fixed her nose. She was known for wearing low-cut evening dresses and telling outrageous lies, once claiming her father was a British duke. In December 1933, she caused a scene on a train in Switzerland and was arrested.

A few months later, the wife of millionaire Martino De Alzaga Unzue accused her of being "too friendly" with her husband. In April 1935, she made headlines after a fight with a cab driver over an unpaid bill. Her mother said she had a nervous breakdown and sent her to a sanitarium. In 1936, she signed with Republic Pictures and appeared in the westerns The Big Show and Roarin' Lead. In 1938, she traveled to Australia for a stage production of The Women, but illness forced her to leave the show. She suffered another nervous breakdown and was hospitalized in 1943. After her release, she moved to Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and worked in a department store.

Her life ended tragically on January 12, 1947, when she committed suicide by hanging. She was only thirty-four. Her body was cremated and her ashes were given to her family. Her years active were 1930 to 1938. She was Caucasian and straight.

Record

Profile details

Personal

Died
Monday 13th of January 1947 (age 34)
Years Active
1930-1938 (started around 18 years old; 8 years active)
Birthplace
United States
Ethnicity
Caucasian
Sexuality
Straight

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Frequently asked

What was Christine Maple's stage name and how did she get it?

She was born Christine Raphael, but Florenz Ziegfeld used her in the Follies and gave her the title "Miss Universe."

What were some of her notable film roles after signing with Republic Pictures?

In 1936 she signed with Republic and appeared in the westerns The Big Show and Roarin' Lead.

Why did she have to leave the stage production in Australia?

She went to Australia in 1938 for The Women but became very ill and had to leave the show.

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