Mary Carlisle obit

Mary Carlisle Dies: Musical Comedy Starlet Of The ’30s & Bing Crosby Co-Star Was 104

She was not on the list.

Musical comedy actress Mary Carlisle who came up in the ’30s as a talented Hollywood ingenue and starred in multiple films with Bing Crosby died Aug. 1 in a retirement community a for actors in the Woodland Hills of Los Angeles. She was 104.

Carlisle’s son, James Blakeley III confirmed her death, according to the Washington Post. No details about her cause of death were revealed.

Born Gwendolyn Witter in Boston on Feb. 3, 1914, Carlisle she was brought to Hollywood by her widowed mother. After completing high school, Carlisle learned of a casting call for chorus girls at MGM studios thanks to her uncle Robert Carlisle, who was a film and producer. Thus began her Hollywood career. She appeared in uncredited roles in films such as Madam Satan (1930), The Great Lover (1931) and Grand Hotel (1932).

In 1933, her career took a turn when she, along with Gloria Stuart and Ginger Rogers were selected as a “Wampas Baby Star” by the Western Assn. of Motion Picture Advertisers. This led to more roles including Should Ladies Behave (1933) and This Side of Heaven (1934) where she starred as Lionel Barrymore’s daughter.

She appeared in more than 60 films in her nearly 12-year career and was often typecast as an innocent virgin. She co-starred with crooner Crosby in College Humor (1933), Double or Nothing (1937) and Doctor Rhythm (1938). She also appeared in The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1933) as well as It’s in the Air (1935) and One Frightened Night (1935).

After her acting career, Carlisle managed an Elizabeth Arden beauty salon in Beverly Hills. In 1942 she married British actor James Blakeley who would became an executive at 20th Century-Fox studios. Blakeley died in 2007. She is survived by her son and two grandchildren.

Actress (65 credits)

 1943 Dead Men Walk

Gayle Clayton

 1942 Baby Face Morgan

Virginia Clark

 1942 Torpedo Boat

Jane Townsend

 1941 Rags to Riches

Carol Patrick

 1940 Dance, Girl, Dance

Sally

 1939 Rovin' Tumbleweeds

Mary Ford

 1939 Call a Messenger

Marge Hogan

 1939 Beware Spooks!

Betty Lou Winters Gifford

 1939 Hawaiian Nights

Millie

 1939 Inside Information

Crystal

 1939 Fighting Thoroughbreds

Marian

 1938 Say It in French

Phyllis Carrington

 1938 Illegal Traffic

Carol Butler

 1938 Touchdown, Army

Toni Denby

 1938 Hunted Men

Jane Harris

 1938 Doctor Rhythm

Judy Marlowe

 1938 Tip-Off Girls

Marjorie Rogers

 1937 Hold 'Em Navy

Judy Holland

 1937 Double or Nothing

Vicki Clark

 1937 Hotel Haywire

Phyllis

 1936 Lady Be Careful

Billie 'Stonewall' Jackson

 1936 Love in Exile

Emily Stewart

 1935 Kind Lady

Phyllis

 1935 Super-Speed

Nan Gale

 1935 It's in the Air

Grace Gridley

 1935 The Old Homestead

Nancy Abbott

 1935 Champagne for Breakfast

Edie Morton

 1935 One Frightened Night

Doris Waverly

 1935 The Great Hotel Murder

Olive Temple

 1935 Grand Old Girl

Gerry Killaine

 1934 Girl O' My Dreams

Gwen

 1934 Kentucky Kernels

Gloria Wakefield

 1934 That's Gratitude

Dora Maxwell

 1934 Million Dollar Ransom

Francesca Shelton

 1934 Handy Andy

Janice Yates

 1934 Murder in the Private Car

Ruth Raymond

 1934 Once to Every Woman

Nurse Doris Andros

 1934 This Side of Heaven

Peggy Turner

 1934 Palooka

Anne Howe

 1933 Should Ladies Behave

Leone Merrick

 1933 East of Fifth Avenue

Edna Howard

 1933 The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi

Vivian

 1933 Saturday's Millions

Thelma Springer

 1933 Ladies Must Love

Sally Lou Cateret

 1933 College Humor

Barbara Shirrel

 1933 Men Must Fight

Evelyn

 1932 Her Mad Night

Constance 'Connie' Kennedy

 1932 Smilin' Through

Young Party Guest (uncredited)

 1932 Down to Earth

Jackie Harper

 1932 Ship A Hooey! (Short)

Daisy

 1932 Now's the Time (Short)

 1932 Night Court

Elizabeth Osgood

 1932/I Grand Hotel

Mrs. Hoffman - Young Honeymooner (uncredited)

 1932 Hotel Continental

Alicia

 1932 This Reckless Age

Cassandra Phelps

 1931 The Great Lover

Blonde Autograph Seeker (uncredited)

 1931 The Secret 6

Girl (uncredited)

 1930 The Devil's Cabaret (Short)

Impy (uncredited)

 1930 Passion Flower

Blonde Party Guest (uncredited)

 1930 Remote Control

Young Blonde Violinist (uncredited)

 1930 Madam Satan

Little Bo Peep (uncredited)

 1930 Children of Pleasure

Secretary (uncredited)

 1930 Montana Moon

Party Girl (uncredited)

 1930 The Girl Said No

Party Guest (uncredited)

 1923 Long Live the King

Minor role (uncredited)

 

Thanks (1 credit)

 2013 Curse of the Sunset Starlet (Short) (special thanks: photos)

 

Self (6 credits)

 1985 Hollywood Greats (TV Series documentary)

Self

- Bing Crosby (1985) ... Self

 1938/III Popular Science (Documentary short)

Self (uncredited)

 1938 Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 5 (Documentary short)

Self

 1935 La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (Short)

Self

 1933 Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 (Short)

Self

 1931 Whippet Racing (Documentary short)

Self

 

Archive footage (2 credits)

 2014 American Masters (TV Series documentary)

Self

- Bing Crosby Rediscovered (2014) ... Self

 2008 Muchachada nui (TV Series) (segment "Mundo Viejuno: Yo fui un creativo adolescente")

- Episode #2.12 (2008) ... (segment "Mundo Viejuno: Yo fui un creativo adolescente") (uncredited)