Mary Dees

Mary Ella Dees (June 3, 1911 – August 4, 2004) was an American stage and screen actress who once served as a primary stand-in double for late-1930s actress Jean Harlow. Dees had parts in The Last Gangster (1937), The Women (1939), as well as a number of Three Stooges shorts, which included Hoi Polloi (1935), and numerous Marx Brothers comedies.

Mary Dees
Born(1911-06-03)June 3, 1911
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 4, 2004(2004-08-04) (aged 93)
Lake Worth, Florida, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1929–1985

Biography and career

Born in Syracuse, New York on June 3, 1911,[1] the daughter of a successful lawyer, she was for a time raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[2]

In 1937, upon the sudden death of actress Jean Harlow, Dees was cast by MGM boss Louis B. Mayer as a four-minute stand-in for Harlow, who was acting on the film Saratoga with Clark Gable, which was still in production at the time.[3]

Later career

Dees appeared in her last film role in 1946, in the Marx Brothers film A Night in Casablanca. She continued to act on stage in repertory theatre until 1985.[3]

Death

Dees died on August 4, 2004 in Lake Worth, Florida, aged 93, after a long illness.[4]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1931Flying HighChorus GirlUncredited
1933Dinner at EightMinor RoleUncredited
1933Footlight ParadeChorus GirlUncredited
1934Let's Talk It OverWoman at BeachUncredited
1934The Man with Two FacesTheatregoerUncredited
1934Kid MillionsPauletteUncredited
1935Gold Diggers of 1935Chorus GirlUncredited
1935Redheads on ParadeRedheadUncredited
1935Two-FistedMinor RoleUncredited
1936Anything GoesChorus GirlUncredited
1936Born to DanceChorineUncredited
1937SaratogaCarol Clayton(after Jean Harlow's Death)
Uncredited
1937Bad GuyGirlUncredited
1937The Last GangsterVirginia BaucheUncredited
1938The Shopworn AngelBabe #1Uncredited
1939The WomenGirlUncredited
1946A Night in CasablancaMinor RoleUncredited, (final film role)
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References
  1. Born on June 3, 1911, not in September 1911 as per the Social Security Death Index, under name DEES, MARY E (SS# 569-18-8259)
  2. Guide to actress Mary Dees' scrapbooks MSS.2562-001, University of Alabama, accessed 2011-01-02.
  3. The Guardian obituary for Mary Dees, September 22, 2005; accessed January 2, 2011.
  4. South Florida Sun-Sentinel article with photo, August 10, 2004
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