Marilyn Miller

Marilyn Miller died on Tuesday, April 7, 1936, at the age of 37, after a career that spanned almost two decades. She was an American actress and burlesque dancer, born on Thursday, September 1, 1898, in Evansville, Indiana. Her original name was Mary Ellen Reynolds, and she took the stage name Marilyn Miller from her stepfather. She joined the family act 'The Five Columbians' as a child, which toured the Midwest and even internationally. A London performance in 1914 caught the eye of producer Lee Shubert, bringing her to Broadway in the 'Passing Show' revues of 1914, 1915, and 1917. Then Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. took her under his wing, honed her tap and ballet skills, and gave her singing and acting lessons. She became a top headliner in his Follies shows of 1918 and 1919. Her first full-out performance was in Ziegfeld's 'Sally' in 1920, where she introduced 'Look for the Silver Lining'. The show was a monster hit. But her professional and personal ties with Ziegfeld soured, and she moved to Charles B. Dillingham's rival production. She played the title role in 'Peter Pan', which got lukewarm reviews, but her next show, 'Sunny', introduced standards like 'Who?' and 'D'Ye Love Me?'. Her salary soared to $3,000 per week, making her the highest-paid musical comedy performer in New York at the time. She reconciled with Ziegfeld in 1928 for 'Rosalie', and then made three films: Sally (1929), Sunny (1930), and Her Majesty, Love (1931). Her stage characters were sweet and optimistic, but her personal demeanor was volatile. She was divorced three times and had one marriage cut short by death. Her first husband, Frank Carter, died in a car crash after a year; her second, Jack Pickford, was a drug and alcohol abuser; her third, Chester O'Brien, was a ne'er-do-well. She was still married when she died. Her last stage triumph was 'As Thousands Cheer' in 1933. Her health declined after that, worsened by sinus infections and an increasing dependence on alcohol. She died of complications following nasal surgery at age 37. A sanitized biopic, 'Look for the Silver Lining' (1949), starred June Haver as Marilyn.