Mary Carlisle

Mary Carlisle, born Gwendolyn Witter (February 3, 1914 – August 1, 2018)

Carlisle was an actress, singer, and dancer. She starred in several Hollywood films in the 1930s, having been one of 15 girls selected as WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1932. Her first major role was in the 1933 film College Humor with Bing Crosby. The two went on to perform together in two additional films, Double or Nothing (1937) and Doctor Rhythm (1938). After her marriage in 1942 and a starring role in Dead Men Walk (1943), she retired from acting. In the beginning of her movie career, she had small parts in movies such as Madam Satan and Passion Flower. She also had a role in Grand Hotel in 1932, where she played a bride named Mrs. Hoffman. In 1942, Carlisle married British-born actor James Edward Blakeley (1910–2007), who later became an executive producer at 20th Century Fox. They remained married for 65 years, until his death in 2007. Carlisle died on August 1, 2018 at a retirement community for actors in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. She was 104.