Marian Shockley (also Marian Shockley Collyer) (October 10, 1908 – December 14, 1981) was an American

film actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

of the 1930s.

Early years

Born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, Marian Shockley (sometimes known as Marion Shockley) attended the University of Missouri with plans to teach history. However, her experiences with the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of ...

and in stock theater turned her attention to acting.

Career

Shockley was selected as a " WAMPAS Baby Star" in 1932, alongside

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

and

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 – September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in pre-code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Ro ...

, among others. From 1930 to 1934 she starred in nineteen films, all

B-movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

, including the 1931

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

''Near the Trails End'' opposite Bob Steele, and, that same year, ''Heroes of the Flames'' starring opposite

Tim McCoy Tim McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy ...

. Shockley continued auditioning for parts, receiving only one between 1934 and 1943. She played a small role in ''

Stage Door Canteen The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers w ...

'' (1943). She would have a couple of television roles following that. Shockley's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

credits include ''Abie's Irish Rose'' (1936) and ''Dear Old Darling'' (1935). On radio, Shockley was the first person to play Nikki Porter, Ellery Queen's secretary, in ''

The Adventures of Ellery Queen ''The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' is the title of two separate television series made in the 1950s. They are based on the fictional detective Ellery Queen and the cases he solves with his father Inspector Richard Queen. ''The Adventures of Ell ...

'', filling that role from 1939 to 1944. In 1939, she married the program's producer-director, George Zachary. She also portrayed Carol Brent on ''Road of Life''.

Personal life

Shockley retired from acting in 1955. She was the

sister-in-law A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one’s spouse. More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law for a male sibling-in-law and a sister-in-law for a female sibling-in-law. Sibling-in-law al ...

Stuart Erwin Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Early years Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University of Ca ...

and actress

June Collyer June Collyer (born Dorothea Heermance; August 19, 1906 – March 16, 1968) was an American film actress of the 1920s and 1930s. Early life Born in New York City, Collyer chose to use her mother's maiden name when she decided to pursue acting. ...

. She was married to Gordon Barry Thomson from 1934 to 1938, George Zachary from 1939 to ca. 1945, and actor and game show host

Bud Collyer Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr., June 18, 1908 – September 8, 1969) was an American radio actor and announcer and game show host who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars. He is best remembered for ...

from 1946 until his death in 1969. Collyer had three children from a previous marriage. Shockley died in 1981 aged 73.

References

External links

*
Actor profile at Ellery Queen, a website on deduction
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shockley, Marian 1911 births 1981 deaths Actresses from Kansas City, Missouri American film actresses American television actresses 20th-century American actresses