Portland Mason

Portland Mason (/meɪsən/; 26 November 1948 – 10 May 2004) was an Anglo-American former child-actress and writer.

Portland Mason
Mason (3rd from left) with her brother Morgan, mother Pamela and father James, depicted in a scene from 1957's Panic!
Born(1948-11-26)26 November 1948
Los Angeles, California, USA
Died10 May 2004(2004-05-10) (aged 55)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other namesPortland Schuyler
OccupationActress and writer
Years active1954–1968
Spouse(s)Rob Schuyler
(m. 19??)

Personal life

Mason was born November 26, 1948 and was the eldest child of actors James Mason and Pamela Mason. She was named after Portland Hoffa, the wife of James Mason's friend Fred Allen.[1]

She enjoyed a luxurious upbringing in her parents' Hollywood mansion, being allowed to wear makeup, stiletto heels and owning her own Mink coat and diamonds by the age of nine.[2] Her highly publicized life began with her father becoming violent towards a photographer at the little girl's christening. When she attended high school, Mason was dropped off every morning by a Rolls-Royce and picked up every evening by a white Cadillac.[3] Reportedly, her father introduced her to smoking at the age of three in hope it would put her off it in later life. However the family claimed that reports of her extravagant upbringing were exaggerated.[1][4] Despite the stories of her extremely privileged upbringing, a London reporter who interviewed Mason in 1966 found her "surprisingly unspoilt, somewhat shy and unassuming".[3]

Mason's father had remarried to Clarissa Kaye in 1971. When her father died in 1984, Mason and her brother ended up in protracted legal battles with their stepmother, resulting in the siblings not getting their father's ashes until 1999.[5] Shortly after the siblings spread their father's ashes in Vevey, Switzerland in November 2000, Mason suffered a debilitating stroke.[3] She died on May 10, 2004, after a long illness, leaving behind her husband Rob Schuyler.[2]

Career

Mason began her acting career very young, appearing on many television shows and by the age of four had starred in her own short entitled The Child. Mason then went on to play Gregory Peck's daughter in the 1956 film The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. After that, she appeared in many films, shows and television series. However, as a 13 year old in 1962 she became embroiled in a contract dispute with Lyl Productions. She had been cast in the role of "Marnie" for The New Loretta Young Show but was dismissed over leaving the studio lot for lunch and missing the start of rehearsals. The Mason family and Lyl Productions sued each other for breach of contract, with both the trial and subsequent appeal finding in favour of the Mason family.[6]

Her most notable role was Georgina in The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery in 1966. Following her final film role in 1968's Sebastian, she took up her mother's profession as a writer.[1][4] According to her husband, she had been writing a book about her father prior to her death.[1][4]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1954 The Child Sally short
1956 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Janey Rath
Bigger Than Life Nancy Uncredited
1958 Cry Terror! Patty's Friend on Schoolbus
1966 The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery Georgina
1968 Sebastian 'UG' Girl (final film role)
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1954 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show Porty 1 episode
1955 The Ed Sullivan Show Herself 1 episode
1956 The Steve Allen Show Herself 1 episode
1957 Panic! – 1 episode
Playhouse 90 Jane Millet 1 episode
1958 Tonight Starring Jack Paar Herself 2 episodes
1959 December Bride Niece 1 episode
1960 Shirley Temple's Storybook Princess Elizabeth 1 episode
1961 Bringing Up Buddy Norma Nicky Marlo 1 episode
1962 Here's Hollywood Herself 2 episodes
Hennesey Yvette Fandlebusch 1 episode
1966 Bob Hope Comedy Special Herself 1 episode
gollark: Idea: task a recursively self-improving AI with maximizing the "coolness" of news events.
gollark: But this is boring, everyone has just gotten used to the fact that critical computer infrastructure has essentially no security and might break at any time.
gollark: Yes, but paying would be harder.
gollark: Politics is just not cool enough. We should make them fight duels or something.
gollark: I don't think nanomachines are that advanced yet.

References
  1. Vosburgh, Dick (2004-06-02). "Portland Mason; Child actress and daughter of James Mason". The Independent. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  2. Times Staff Writer (2004-05-24). "Portland Schuyler, 55; Child Actress, Writer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  3. Telegraph Staff Writers (2004-06-03). "Portland Mason". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  4. The Associated Press (2004-05-27). "Portland Mason Schuyler, 55, Child Actor". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  5. Davies, Caroline (2000-11-25). "James Mason's ashes finally laid to rest". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  6. Mason v. Lyl Productions (Supreme Court of California 1968-07-26). Text
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