Phyllis Brooks (July 18, 1915 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress and model. She was born Phyllis Seiler in

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

. Some sources have also inaccurately cited 1914 as her year of birth, but 1915 is the correct year according to Social Security records.

Career

Modeling

Phyllis Brooks wearing a fur-lined coat and fedora

Brooks was a model for two years before progressing to a career in film. She stated, "I started posing for photographers as a lark, and it was a lot of fun." She had been known as the " Ipana Toothpaste Girl", due to her work for that product.Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books; , pg. 170.

Film

Initially known as Mary Brooks, she began her career in films in 1934 at age 20, in '' I've Been Around''. Brooks, who had about 30 performances in films, was a B-movie leading lady during the 1930s and 1940s, with roles in such films as '' In Old Chicago'' (1937), '' Little Miss Broadway'' (1938) and '' The Shanghai Gesture'' (1941). Cesar Romero and Phyllis Brooks

She appeared in Sidney Toler's ''

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

'' series, in the

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

films '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' and in '' Little Miss Broadway''.

Stage

On Broadway, Brooks appeared in ''Stage Door'' (1936–37), '' Panama Hattie'' (1940–42), ''The Night Before Christmas'' (1941), and ''Round Trip'' (1945).

Wartime activities

Robert Lowery-Phyllis Brooks in High Powered

Brooks was reported (UK ''Sunday Telegraph'' December 1942) as being president of Parties Unlimited Inc. in an article about

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 ...

at war. Along with actress Una Merkel and accompanied by film star

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

, Brooks was the first civilian woman to travel to the Pacific theater of war during World War II on a

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

tour.

Personal life

Brooks was engaged at one time to

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

. She married Torbert Macdonald on June 23, 1945, in

Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the administrative divisions of New York#Town, town of Greenburgh, New York, Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, Unit ...

. Macdonald, who had been John F. Kennedy's roommate at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, went on to become an 11-term

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Congressman. Brooks moved east to

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

with her new husband in 1945 so that he could complete his studies at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

. He had been a Harvard football captain and a decorated

PT boat A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...

captain in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Macdonald died in office in 1976. they had 4 children

Death

Brooks died on August 1, 1995, in Cape Neddick, Maine, aged 80.

Partial filmography

* '' One Exciting Adventure'' (1934) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Strange Wives'' (1934) - The Actress * ''

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ''The Man Who Reclaimed His Head'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Jean Bart (writer), Jean Bart and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill, Juanita Quigley, Henry O'Neill an ...

'' (1934) - Secretary (uncredited) * '' I've Been Around'' (1935) - Gay Blackstone * '' McFadden's Flats'' (1935) - Mary Ellis Hall * '' Lady Tubbs'' (1935) - Debutante (uncredited) * '' Another Face'' (1935) - Sheila Barry * '' To Beat the Band'' (1935) - Rowena * ''

Two in the Dark 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

'' (1936) - Minor Role * ''

Follow the Fleet ''Follow the Fleet'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film with a nautical theme starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their fifth collaboration as dance partners. It also features Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, wi ...

'' (1936) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' You Can't Have Everything'' (1937) - Evelyn Moore * '' Dangerously Yours'' (1937) - Valerie Barton * '' Ali Baba Goes to Town'' (1937) - Phyllis Brooks - at Premiere (uncredited) * '' In Old Chicago'' (1938) - Ann Colby * '' City Girl'' (1938) - Ellen Ward * '' Walking Down Broadway'' (1938) - Vicki Stone * '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' (1938) - Lola Lee * '' Little Miss Broadway'' (1938) - Barbara Shea * '' Straight Place and Show'' (1938) - Barbara 'Babs' Drake * ''

Up the River ''Up the River'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, and starring Claire Luce, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. The plot concerns escaped convicts, as well as a female convict. It was the feature film debut role o ...

'' (1938) - Helen Lindsay * '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' (1938) - Judy Hayes * '' Charlie Chan in Reno'' (1939) - Vivian Wells * '' Lucky to Me'' (1939) - Pamela Stuart * '' Slightly Honorable'' (1939) - Sarilla Cushing * '' The Flying Squad'' (1940) - Ann Perryman * '' The Shanghai Gesture'' (1941) - The Chorus Girl * '' No Place for a Lady'' (1943) - Dolly Adair * '' Silver Spurs'' (1943) - Mary Hardigan * '' Hi'ya, Sailor'' (1943) - Nanette * '' Lady in the Dark'' (1944) - Allison DuBois * '' Wilson'' (1944) - Granddaughter (uncredited) * '' Dangerous Passage'' (1944) - Nita Paxton * '' High Powered'' (1945) - Marian Blair * '' The Unseen'' (1945) - Maxine

References

External links

* *
Photos of Phyllis Brooks from ''The Shanghai Gesture''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Phyllis 1915 births 1995 deaths Female models from Idaho American film actresses American stage actresses Spouses of Massachusetts politicians Actresses from Boise, Idaho 20th-century American actresses