Helen Mann

A blonde, American actress, Helen Mann had a career that spanned silent-era vaudeville stages and early Hollywood musicals. Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, she was the daughter of oil tycoon Gordon Mann. As a child, she danced in local stage productions and later performed in vaudeville. At thirteen, she made her film debut in the 1929 musical Happy Days. After the stock market crash, her family moved to Los Angeles.

Helen's early career included roles in comedy shorts such as For The Love Of Fanny, He's A Honey, and The Girl Rush, often alongside Vernon Dent. In October 1933, she married comedy writer Warren Burke, but her career stalled by 1935, leaving her with only bit parts. Her final role was in the musical Folies Bergère de Paris. After divorcing Burke, she married film executive Adolphe Pagano in 1939; that marriage also ended in divorce. A third marriage, to Frank C. Lang, lasted just eight months.

Following these personal setbacks, Helen moved in with her parents and fell into a deep depression. In April 1947, she swallowed concentrated ammonia and died three days later at Glendale Community Hospital. She was thirty-one. Helen was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.