Blanche Mehaffey

Blanche Mehaffey
Blanche Mehaffey circa 1927
Born	(1908-07-28)July 28, 1908 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 31, 1968(1968-03-31) (aged 59) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, showgirl
Years active	1916–1938

Blanche Mehaffey (July 28, 1908 – March 31, 1968) was an American showgirl and film actress.

Early life and career

Blanche Berndt Mehaffey, mother of Blanche Mehaffey

The daughter of Edward Mehaffey and his wife, soprano Blanche Berndt, she had a brother, Edward Mehaffey Jr. She started as a dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies before coming to Hollywood to play comedy roles in motion pictures. Show producer Florenz Ziegfeld said she possessed the most beautiful eyes in the entire world. She was among the Baby Stars of 1924 chosen by the Wampas. Others in the group were Clara Bow, Dorothy Mackaill, and Hazel Keener.

Her debut in movies was in the silent film Fully Insured (1923) at Hal Roach Studios. She played in many Hal Roach comedies for a number of years with her leading men usually Charley Chase and later Glenn Tryon. She occasionally appeared in features such A Woman of the World (1925) with Pola Negri. Mehaffey dropped out of filming to study voice and languages for over a year in New York City. Mehaffey returned to movies in Sunrise Trail (1931), a film which featured her playing opposite cowboy star Bob Steele. The motion picture was her first talkie movie.

Personal life

Mehaffey wed oil-well supply dealer George Joseph Hausen at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, California on January 4, 1928. Ten weeks later, she obtained an interlocutory divorce decree. She was also married to the film producer Ralph M. Like.

Death

Blanche Mehaffey died in Los Angeles, California in 1968 of an overdose.

Partial filmography

• The Battling Orioles (1924)
• The White Sheep (1924)
• A Woman of the World (1925)
• The Texas Streak (1926)
• The Runaway Express (1926)
• Take It from Me (1926)
• The Silent Rider (1927)
• The Princess from Hoboken (1927)
• Marlie the Killer (1928)
• Air Mail Pilot (1928)
• Smilin' Guns (1929)
• Soul of the Slums (1931)
• Riders of the North (1931)
• Is There Justice? (1931)
• Sally of the Subway (1932)
• Passport to Paradise (1932)
• Dynamite Denny (1932)
• North of Arizona (1935)
• The Cowboy and the Bandit (1935)
• Wildcat Saunders (1936)
• The Sea Fiend (1936)
• Held for Ransom (1938)

References

• "Prettiest Eyes". Kingsport, Tennessee Times. March 14, 1928. p. 1.
• "Ball To Be Well Attended". Los Angeles Times. January 13, 1924. p. B14.
• "Film Actress Gets Decree". The New York Times. April 7, 1928. p. 23.
• "Blanche Mehaffey Back at Studios". Reno, Nevada Evening Gazette. December 27, 1930. p. 7.
• "Theatrical News and Amusement Events". Sheboygan, Wisconsin Press. April 3, 1931. p. 18.

External links

• Blanche Mehaffey at Find a Grave (with photo)
• Blanche Mehaffey at IMDb