Louise Stanley (born Louise Keyes; January 28, 1915 – December 28, 1982), was an American actress.

Early years

Born in Springfield, Illinois, Keyes was the daughter of Alvin Keyes, who was assistant director of the Illinois State Department of Public Safety. She changed her name to Stanley when she decided to embark on an acting career.

Film

Although obtaining many minor roles, her career never lifted her to major stardom, but she did star in roughly twenty-four B-movies during her short career, most of which were B-Westerns. In 1935 she signed a contract with

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

, which was not renewed after the initial six months. She then began working for

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and was from time to time "loaned out" for use in westerns. In 1937 she was cast in the leading role, starring alongside

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and ...

, in the western '' Riders of the Rockies'', directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Also in 1937, she began working for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, where she made two films starring alongside

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

and Andy Clyde. In 1939 she starred in '' The Oregon Trail'', starring alongside

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western films. Early life Born and raise ...

. She starred in several films with cowboy star Bob Steele and others with Ritter.

Personal life

Stanley's first husband was actor, writer and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Dennis O'Keefe Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vanes Flanagan, Jr., March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor and writer. Early years Born in Fort Madison, Iowa, O'Keefe was the son of Edward Flanagan and Charlotte Flanagan, Irish vaudevill ...

, whose career spanned more than 35 years before he died at age 60. They were married on March 10, 1937, and divorced on August 12, 1938. Following the end of her first marriage, Stanley married singing cowboy, and romantic lead for many B-Westerns,

Addison Randall Addison Byron Owen Randall (May 12, 1906 – July 16, 1945) was an American film actor, chiefly in Westerns. He often used a pseudonym for his film work, chiefly Jack Randall, though he played roles as Allen Byron and Byron Vance too. Ear ...

. She and Randall divorced, then remarried. The second marriage between the two ended after Randall became involved in an affair with actress

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helpe ...

. On August 25, 1942, Stanley married

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

Charles Munn Jr. That marriage also was short-lived, ending in divorce only a short time later with allegations that he beat her. Louise Stanley retired from acting, and died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Cocoa Beach, Florida Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,539 at the 2018 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The first non-native ...

in 1982.

Partial filmography

* ''

Fugitive in the Sky ''Fugitive in the Sky'' (aka ''Heroes of the Air'') is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Nick Grinde and written by George Bricker. The stars are Jean Muir, Warren Hull, Gordon Oliver, Carlyle Moore Jr., Howard Phillips, Winifred ...

'' (Unbilled) (1936) * ''Lawless Land'' (1937) * ''Sing, Cowboy, Sing'' (1937) * '' Riders of the Rockies'' (1937) * ''Durango Valley Raiders'' (1938) * ''Thunder in the Desert'' (1938) * ''Danger on the Air'' (1938) * '' The Oregon Trail'' (1939) * ''Yukon Flight'' (1940) * ''Pinto Canyon'' (1940) * ''Sky Bandits (1940 film), Sky Bandits'' (1940) * ''The Cheyenne Kid (1940 film), The Cheyenne Kid'' (1940)

References

External links

* * *
B-Western Ladies, Louise Stanley
People from Springfield, Illinois Actresses from Illinois Deaths from cancer in Florida American film actresses 1915 births 1982 deaths Warner Bros. contract players 20th-century American actresses {{US-film-actor-1910s-stub