Ena Jessie Gregory (18 April 1907 – 13 June 1993), also known as Marian Douglas, was an Australian-American actress who achieved fame in Hollywood in the 1920s.

Childhood

Ena Gregory was born Ena Jessie Gregory to Arthur and Jessie Gregory in St. Leonards, New South Wales and grew up in Manly. In Australia, Gregory sang, danced and performed in juvenile roles for the J. C. Williamson organisation, appearing in productions such as ''Eyes of Youth,'' in 1918. Apparently travelling with her businessman father, she arrived in California in about 1920.

Hollywood

She was first signed in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

for ingenue roles by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

in 1921. She also worked for

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

Studios and

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

. In all she spent five years in comic roles before going into dramatic work. By 1924 she was the leading lady of the Independent Pictures Corporation. She was a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1925. Gregory's film career started with comedy shorts like ''The Bull Thrower'' (1920), ''Lion's Jaws and Kitten's Paws'' (1920), and ''The Whizbang'' (1921). After completing ''The Calgary Stampede'' (1925) and ''The Chip of the Flying U'' (1926), with

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

, she was promoted to leading lady for

Jack Hoxie John Hartford Hoxie (January 11, 1885 – March 28, 1965) was an American rodeo performer and motion-picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s. Hoxie is best recalled for his roles in ...

, for two movies.

Name change

When Gregory failed to achieve stardom by losing chances due to illness and other causes, she consulted a Hollywood seer named Dareos. He suggested a new stage name which combined the syllables of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. It was Marian Douglas. Her first film using the new name was ''The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1928). Gregory continued to make movies as Marian Douglas until 1931. Her final films are ''Twisted Tales'', ''Three Wise Clucks'', ''Aloha'' and ''Beach Pajamas'', all in 1931.

Personal life

Gregory married film director Albert Rogell in 1927, but the union ended in divorce in August 1934.

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

attorney, William V.R. Smith, was named a co-respondent in a $150,000 lawsuit brought by Rogell. Gregory was awarded a temporary alimony sum of $300 per month from Rogell. Gregory married Dr Frank Nolan on 5 November 1937. The couple separated in May 1938 and Gregory obtained a divorce decree in July 1939. She took steps to become a U.S. citizen beginning in October 1927. Retiring from the film industry in 1931, she became a successful real estate agent in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic c ...

. Ena Gregory died in Laguna Beach in 1993, aged 86.

Selected filmography

* ''

Short Skirts ''Short Skirts'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Harry B. Harris and starring Gladys Walton, Ena Gregory and Jack Mower.Goble p.461 Plot Cast * Gladys Walton as Natalie Smith * Ena Gregory as Stella * Jack Mower as Lance Chr ...

'' (1921) *''

Frozen Hearts ''Frozen Hearts'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel. One of a number of films he made before teaming up with Oliver Hardy, here peasant Stan duels with the ruling elite in Tsarist Russia for the love of his girl. The ...

'' (1923) *''

The Soilers ''The Soilers'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel, and was released in the same year as the Western silent movie drama '' The Spoilers''. The name of one character from the original, "McNamara", is parodied in the Jame ...

'' (1923) * '' The Law Rustlers'' (1923) *''

Mother's Joy ''Mother's Joy'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film starring Stan Laurel. Cast See also * List of American films of 1923 This is a list of American films released in 1923. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O ...

'' (1923) *'' Smithy'' (1924) *''

Postage Due Postage due is the term used for mail sent with insufficient postage. A postage due stamp is a stamp added to an underpaid piece of mail to indicate the extra postage due. Background While the problem of what to do about letters not paying th ...

'' (1924) *'' Zeb vs. Paprika'' (1924) with Stan Laurel *'' Brothers Under the Chin'' (1924) *''

Near Dublin ''Near Dublin'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Ralph Ceder and starring Stan Laurel. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Stan is a postman in the Irish village and is in love with the belle of the town. His rival ...

'' (1924) *''

Rupert of Hee Haw ''Rupert of Hee Haw'' is a 1924 American silent film starring Stan Laurel and drawing on the Ruritanian romance of ''Rupert of Hentzau'', Anthony Hope's sequel to ''The Prisoner of Zenda''. Plot In some European castle the King (Stan) is gett ...

'' (1924) *'' Wide Open Spaces'' (1924) with Stan Laurel *'' Short Kilts'' (1924) with Stan Laurel *''

The Folly of Vanity ''The Folly of Vanity'' is a 1924 American silent drama film codirected by Maurice Elvey and Henry Otto and starring Billie Dove and Betty Blythe. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also kn ...

'' (1924) *''Cold Nerve'' (1925) *'' The Desert Flower'' (1925) *''

The Calgary Stampede ''The Calgary Stampede'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Herbert Blaché and starring Hoot Gibson. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine Film periodicals combine discu ...

'' (1925) *'' Sporting Life'' (1925) *'' Red Hot Leather'' (1926) *'' Doubling with Danger'' (1926) *'' The Better Man'' (1926) *'' Red Hot Leather'' (1926) *'' Blazing Days'' (1927) *'' Down the Stretch'' (1927) *'' Grinning Guns'' (1927) *'' The Western Rover'' (1927) * '' Romantic Rogue'' (1927) *'' Men of Daring'' (1927) *''

The Rose of Kildare ''The Rose of Kildare'' is a 1927 American silent romance film directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald and starring Helene Chadwick, Pat O'Malley and Henry B. Walthall. An Irish singer arrives at the gold mining town of Kimberley in South Africa, w ...

'' (1927) *'' Rough and Ready'' (1927) *'' The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1928) *''

The Wagon Show ''The Wagon Show'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Ford Beebe and Don Ryan. The film stars Ken Maynard, Ena Gregory, Maurice Costello, Fred Malatesta, George Davis and May Boley. The film was ...

'' (1928) *''

The Upland Rider ''The Upland Rider'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Ford Beebe. The film stars Ken Maynard, Ena Gregory, Lafe McKee, Sydney Jarvis, Robert D. Walker, and Bobby Dunn. The film was released on ...

'' (1928) * '' The Power of Silence'' (1928) *'' The Bushranger'' (1928) *'' Sioux Blood'' (1929) *''

Aloha ''Aloha'' ( , Hawaiian: �ˈlohə is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a greeting. It has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is use ...

'' (1931) *''

Beach Pajamas ''Beach Pajamas'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle and released by RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distributio ...

'' (1931)

References

*''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', "Contrasting Types In Walton Picture", 18 August 1921, Page III4. *''Los Angeles Times'', "She Faced Camera When Babe In Arms", 7 December 1924, Page C31. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Thirteen-Letter Name Gives Luck", 21 October 1927, Page A1. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Cash Split By Rogells", 22 August 1934, Page A5. *''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "With the Producers and Players", 6 September 1925, Page X5. *''Los Angeles Times'', "Actress Wins Divorce Plea", 25 July 1939, Page 7. *''The New York Times'', "Alfred Rogell Asks Divorce", 12 August 1934, Page 18.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Ena Australian film actresses Australian silent film actresses Western (genre) film actresses 1907 births 1993 deaths 20th-century Australian actresses Australian emigrants to the United States