Sally Payne (September 5, 1912 – May 8, 1999) was an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

. She featured in several B-Westerns in the 1940s.

Career

Payne worked as a model for artists before making her first film, ''Hollywood Hobbies'' (1935), where she appeared in the bit part of a tourist. She became a leading actress in B films, usually westerns. She also played in comedy shorts for

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

(playing the on-screen wives of

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to po ...

and

Leon Errol Leon Errol (born Leonce Errol Sims, July 3, 1881 – October 12, 1951) was an Australian-American comedian and actor in the United States, popular in the first half of the 20th century for his appearances in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in film ...

on several occasions) and

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

(in a number of Pete Smith subjects).She is most remembered for her performance as

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

in the

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

western '' Young Bill Hickok'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

), as well as acting the role of

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaws ...

in ''

Robin Hood of the Pecos '' Robin Hood of the Pecos '' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Cast * Roy Rogers as Vance Corbin * George "Gabby" Hayes as Gabriel "Gabby" Hornaday * Marjorie Reynolds as Jeanie Grayson * Cy K ...

'' (1941), where her performing style echoed that of a contemporary,

Una Merkel Una Merkel (December 10, 1903 – January 2, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress. Merkel was born in Kentucky and acted on stage in New York in the 1920s. She went to Hollywood in 1930 and became a popular film ...

. Just before her association with Rogers ended, her status had enlarged from a supporting-role character to that of first-billed actress. Payne's characters were usually the

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men ...

type, often helping men rather than being dependent on them. She frequently wore men's clothing, carried a weapon, drove stagecoaches and rode horses. Her male associates identified strongly with her ability to survive a rough environment like the Old West frontier, but she was never the object of male fantasies. Rarely did Payne's characters become physically intimate with her masculine counterparts; thus if she were called on to display affection of any sort, the relationships never went beyond the strictly platonic. Thus, her persona was that of a female sidekick, but never a lover. At one point in her career, when a studio told Payne to undergo a

rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty ( grc, ῥίς, rhī́s, nose + grc, πλάσσειν, plássein, to shape), commonly called nose job, medically called nasal reconstruction is a plastic surgery procedure for altering and reconstructing the nose. There are two ty ...

, reporters interviewed her at

Cedars of Lebanon Hospital 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, ...

, where she told them, "I've always found it a pretty good nose, but if they want to change it, I guess I'll let 'em do it. Things are that way in Hollywood."

Later years

After Payne left acting, she ran her own book store and worked as an artist, creating oil paintings for her family and her friends and illustrating a series of children's books.

Personal life

Payne retired from films in 1942 after her marriage to Arthur F. Kelly, an executive for

Western Airlines Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and ...

."Payne, Sally." ''Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1999''. Ed. Harris M. Lentz, III. McFarlane & Company, Inc., 2000. p. 169. She had previously been married to William Telaak, a marriage that ended in divorce in 1941.

Death

On May 8, 1999, Payne died in Los Angeles of a stroke at the age of 86.

Partial filmography

* '' The Big Show'' (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) - Toodles Brown * '' Exiled to Shanghai'' (

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Febr ...

) - Mabel * '' The Higgins Family'' ( 1938) - Lizzie * '' The Man from Music Mountain'' (1938) - Patsy * ''

Blondie Meets the Boss ''Blondie Meets the Boss'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. Based on the Chic Young comic strip of the same name, the film is the second in the '' Blondie'' series, whic ...

'' (

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidde ...

) - Mrs. Williams (uncredited) * '' My Wife's Relatives'' (1939) - Lizzie * '' When Tomorrow Comes'' (1939) - Waitress (uncredited) * ''

Blondie Brings Up Baby ''Blondie Brings Up Baby'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms. It is the fourth of 28 films based on the comic strip. Plot summary Blondie is convinced by a sales ...

'' (1939) - Young Woman (uncredited) * ''

The Amazing Mr. Williams ''The Amazing Mr. Williams'' is a 1939 American screwball comedy film produced by Everett Riskin for Columbia Pictures and directed by Alexander Hall. The film stars Melvyn Douglas, Joan Blondell and Clarence Kolb. It was written by Dwight Taylo ...

'' (1939) - Jean - Wedding Guest (uncredited) * ''

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" is an American popular song and jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). The song was introduced by Adelaide Hall at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928 in Lew Le ...

'' (

) - First Operator (uncredited) * ''

La Conga Nights ''La Conga Nights'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and written by Jay Dratler, Harry Clork and Paul Gerard Smith. The film stars Hugh Herbert, Dennis O'Keefe, Constance Moore, Ferike Boros, Eddie Quillan and Armida. ...

'' (1940) - Lucy Endover * '' When the Daltons Rode'' (1940) - Annabella * '' I Love You Again'' (1940) - Salesgirl (uncredited) * ''

Money and the Woman ''Money and the Woman'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by William K. Howard and written by Robert Presnell Sr.. The film stars Jeffrey Lynn, Brenda Marshall, John Litel, Lee Patrick, Henry O'Neill and Roger Pryor. The film was released ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Jones (uncredited) * ''

City for Conquest ''City for Conquest'' is a 1940 American epic drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring James Cagney, Ann Sheridan and Arthur Kennedy. The picture is based on the 1936 novel of the same name by Aben Kandel. The supporting cast features ...

'' (1940) - Singer (uncredited) * '' Young Bill Hickok'' (1940) - Miss Calamity Jane Canary * ''

One Night in the Tropics ''One Night in the Tropics'' is a 1940 comedy film which was the film debut of Abbott and Costello. They are listed as supporting actors but have major exposure with five of their classic routines, including an abbreviated version of " Who's On F ...

'' (1940) - Woman with Second Man Polled by Jim (uncredited) * ''

No, No, Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves ...

'' (1940) - Maid (uncredited) * ''

'' (

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January– August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...

) - Belle Starr * '' In Old Cheyenne'' (1941) - Squeak Brown * '' The Lady from Cheyenne'' (1941) - Chorus Girl (uncredited) * ''

Sheriff of Tombstone '' Sheriff of Tombstone '' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes. Plot Lawman Brett Starr leaves his job in Dodge City to take up a sheriff's job in Tombstone, Arizona where ...

'' (1941) - Queenie Whittaker - aka Queenie LaTour * '' Nevada City'' (1941) - Jo Morrison * '' Bad Man of Deadwood'' (1941) - Princess Sally Blackstone * ''

Jesse James at Bay ''Jesse James at Bay'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane starring Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes. Plot When Jesse learns that crooked banker Krager is cheating settlers, he and his gang rob trains to obtain cash ...

'' (1941) - Polly Morgan * ''

Tuxedo Junction "Tuxedo Junction" is a popular song written by Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, and Julian Dash with lyrics by Buddy Feyne. The song was introduced by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra, a college dance band previously known as the Bama State Coll ...

'' (1941) - Pansy Weaver * ''

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

'' (1941) - Sally Whittaker * '' Playmates'' (1941) - Gloria (uncredited) * '' Man from Cheyenne'' (

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

) - Sally Whittaker * '' Romance on the Range'' (1942) - Sally * '' Mountain Rhythm'' (

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

) - Fanniebelle Weaver * '' This Is the Life'' (

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in No ...

) - Dolly (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, Sally 1912 births 1999 deaths Actresses from Chicago American film actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses