The brilliant actress Marie Dressler has become a role model for many celebrities. She became the first woman to appear on the cover of The Times.
Marie Dressler was named a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her outstanding contribution to cinema. In the hometown of the performer, Coborg, a film festival dedicated to her takes place every year.
The road to vocation
In the family of the former Austrian officer Alexander Kerber, living in Canada, a child was born on November 9, 1868. The girl was named Leila. Anna Henderson, the mother of the newborn, was a singer. My father became an organist at a local church.
In her choir, the baby made her debut at the age of four. The girl demonstrated her bright acting skills from an early age. But the parents only smiled, noticing the prima ambitions of their daughter, who was not distinguished by either beauty or grace.
This attitude did not discourage the teenager from fulfilling his dream. At fourteen, she left home and entered the theater company under the pseudonym Marie Dressler. She originally dreamed of a career as an opera singer. However, the vaudeville tendency soon prevailed.
After ten years of touring the province, in 1892, the girl's long-awaited debut on Broadway took place. The awkward, plump and tall actress was gifted with sparkling humor from birth. In each role, Marie demonstrated not only grotesque, but also a difficult fate.
An extraordinary appearance did not become an obstacle to winning the audience's hearts. By the early nineties, she was already recognized as one of the brightest stars of the vaudeville genre.
In 1909 and 1910 Marie released two records by Dressler on Edison Records. They quickly scattered across the country, bringing popularity to the performer.
Success and fame
One of the permanent stage partners of the Broadway star was the legendary Maurice Barrymore, the founder of the famous acting dynasty.
In New York, Dressler met George Hopper. He became her husband. In marriage, the actress gave birth to a child. However, the girl only lived for a few days. The tragedy became the reason for the separation of the spouses.
Marie devoted herself entirely to her work. She helped the young Canadian performer Mack Sennett gain popularity on Broadway. They never felt romantic feelings for each other, but they maintained friendly relations all their lives.
Sennett and Dressler jointly created their own theater. With him, the actors conquered Europe in 1907-1909. During her European tour, Marie met true love.
She and James Dalton were married in 1908. The trouble struck suddenly. Dalton's ex-wife filed a lawsuit, claiming that there was no divorce between them and now the ex-spouse is a bigamist.
Dalton provided the court with a document confirming the dissolution of the previous marriage. However, the ex-spouse made claims for many years, causing the actress in trouble even after the death of James.
Film career
In 1914, Mac Sennett invited Marie to the film studio he created. He invited the actress to play in the film "Tilly's Interrupted Romance." Dressler agreed to the new experience with pleasure.
She worked with beginners and almost unknown Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Norman. Subsequently, both called Marie their acting teacher.
On the screen, the success was consolidated by the films 1915 and 1917 "Tilly's Surprise" and "Lady Scrub". They were followed by "Tilly Wakes Up", "Red Cross Nurse" and "Agony Agnes".
At that time, Dressler invited theater and stage artists to organize performances in front of American soldiers fighting in the First World War in Europe. The performer herself became an example to follow. The initiative was supported by other artists.
Since 1919, a strike began in the United States, demanding decent wages and appropriate treatment of artists. The union formed by the strikers elected Marie as chairman.
Zealously defending the rights of her colleagues, the performer instantly turned into the main enemy for movie moguls and producers. She was attacked in the press, her name was blacklisted, excluding any opportunities for filming in films and playing in the theater.
New peaks
Marie was driven to despair by the persecution and the resulting poverty. She was already thinking about how to end her existence when the fateful call rang.
Marion Francis worked as a screenwriter for MGM Studios. He remembered taking care of him. Now an old friend has invited the benefactress to audition for the film Coward. Critics were controversial about the work. They unanimously argued that Marie's play was simply brilliant.
Hollywood was conquered again. In 1929, Greta Garbo invited Dressler to become her film partners in The Divine Lady and Anna Christie. The creative duet was recognized as incomparable. Marie's immediate sincerity captivated the viewer instantly.
MGM quickly realized their benefits and signed a contract with the actress, proposing in 1931 the main character in the drama "Min and Bill" with Wallace Beery. The success was phenomenal. She brilliantly played Min Divot in the film.
The heroine has become one of the most striking images in her artistic career, having won an Oscar. At sixty-two, the actress became a real star on both sides of the Atlantic.
Awards
Dressler was presented with an Oscar. The performer walked around Irene Dunn, and Norma Shearer, and Marlene Dietrich herself. One after another followed great roles in "Politicians", "Downsizing", "Prosperity", "Emma" and "Dinner at Eight".
The work brought Marie to the highest grossing celebrities in Hollywood. In 1932, a new nomination for a gold statuette followed for work in "Emma". However, this time the coveted prize went to Helen Hayes.
Dressler was able to show any characters brightly and interestingly. Each of her works was completely different from the previous one.
For the first time in history, a photo of Marie in 1933 appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Until that time, the edition did not publish women's photos.
The sixty-fifth birthday of the actress was celebrated by the whole country, the celebration was broadcast on the radio.
Career was suddenly cut short the same year due to a progressive illness. The outstanding performer died in 1934.
