Marian Nixon (born Marja Nissinen; October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress. Sometimes credited as Marion Nixon, she appeared in more than 70 films.

Career

Born in Superior, Wisconsin, to parents of Finnish descent, Nixon began her career as a teen dancing in choruses in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

. She began appearing in bit part in films in 1922 and landed her first substantial role in the 1923 film '' Cupid's Fireman'' opposite

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

. The following year, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star. Nixon continued to work steadily throughout the mid to late 1920s appearing in '' Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1925), '' Hands Up!'' (1926), and ''

The Chinese Parrot ''The Chinese Parrot'' (1926) is the second novel in the Charlie Chan series of mystery novels by Earl Derr Biggers. It is the first in which Chan travels from Hawaii to mainland California, and involves a crime whose exposure is hastened by t ...

'' (1927). In 1929, she made her

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

debut as the lead in ''Geraldine''. Later that same year, Nixon appeared opposite

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

in '' Say It with Songs'' followed by '' General Crack'' in 1930. In 1931, Nixon's Beauty Arts Institute moved into the Equitable Building of Hollywood; Nixon was president of the company. In 1932, she starred as Rebecca in the film adaption of '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' with

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

. Following the release of ''Rebecca'', Nixon co-starred in '' Winner Take All'' with James Cagney. The next year she had a supporting role in

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's ''

Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

''. In 1934, Nixon attempted to change her wholesome image with a role in the comedy ''We’re Rich Again''. The film was not a success and, after appearing in eight more films, Nixon retired from acting in 1936. She made her last film, '' Captain Calamity,'' at the age of 32.

Personal life

Nixon was married four times. She married boxer Joseph Benjamin in 1925, but they divorced two years later. Then, on August 11, 1929, Nixon married

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

department store heir Edward Hillman Jr. at his parents' home. That union ended in 1933. The following year, Nixon wed director William A. Seiter with whom she had worked on the film '' We're Rich Again''. Their marriage lasted until Seiter's death in 1964 and produced three children: Christopher Seiter, Selena, and Jessica. Finally, on April 1, 1972 in Los Angeles, she married actor/producer

Ben Lyon Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American film actor and a studio executive at 20th Century-Fox who later acted in British radio, films and TV. Early life and career Lyon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Alvine ...

, although her obituary in the ''Chicago Tribune'' reports that she married Lyon in 1971. Her grandsons are the screenwriters Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin, the sons of a daughter Nixon had with husband William Seiter.

Death

Nixon died at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

of complications following

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to c ...

on February 13, 1983. and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.

Recognition

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Nixon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into d ...

in Los Angeles, California. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

References

External links

* * *
Photographs of Marian Nixon
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nixon, Marian 1904 births 1983 deaths People from Superior, Wisconsin American people of Finnish descent Actresses from Wisconsin American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Vaudeville performers Western (genre) film actresses American television actresses American female dancers American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses WAMPAS Baby Stars 20th-century American dancers