Marian Marsh
USABiography of Marian Marsh
Marian Marsh, born Violet Ethelred Krauth on October 17, 1913, in Trinidad, West Indies, was an American actress and environmental activist. She grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and moved to California at the age of 10. Her older sister, Jean Fenwick, signed a contract with the FBO Pictures studio, which prompted the Krauth family to move to the West Coast.
Marsh attended La Conte Junior High School and later graduated from Hollywood High School. In 1928, with the help of her sister, she auditioned for the Pathe film company, which quickly signed her but soon ended their collaboration. Marsh then signed a contract with producer Samuel Goldwyn and began studying acting with silent film star, Nance O'Neil.
In 1929, at the age of 16, Marsh changed her name to Marian Marsh. She appeared in 30 short films, most notably alongside James Gleason, and had a small role in the war drama "Hell's Angels" in 1930. Her breakthrough role came in the film "Svengali" in 1931, where she played the innocent milkmaid Trilby O'Farrell. This tragic story portrayed Trilby transforming into a world-famous singer through the manipulation of the evil maestro Svengali, played by John Barrymore.
Marsh gained recognition and positive reviews for her performance in "Svengali," and she became one of the young stars of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars" advertising campaign in 1931. From then on, she often played innocent heroines in a series of films, including memorable roles such as Jenny Townsend in the crime drama "Five Star Final," Nana Carlov, a ballerina threatened by the malevolent puppeteer played by John Barrymore in the horror film "The Mad Genius," Rene March, a seductive teenage girl in the melodrama "The Road to Singapore" alongside William Powell, and Susie Sachs, a sassy secretary, in the comedy "Beauty and the Boss."
However, Marsh's successful film career abruptly ended after critics harshly criticized her performance in the melodrama "Under Eighteen." Unable to break free from her typecast roles, she struggled to revive her career. Marsh continued to work overseas with small studios and appeared in films such as "The Sport Parade," "Over the Garden Wall," and "A Girl of the Limberlost" with low-budget productions.
In 1935, Marsh signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in hopes of revitalizing her career. Four out of the eight films she made between 1935 and 1936 became memorable: the thriller "Counterfeit," the comedy "Come Closer, Folks," the horror film "The Black Room," and the drama "Crime and Punishment" in which she portrayed the beautiful prostitute Sonya.
After her work with Columbia Pictures, Marsh appeared in seven notable films from 1937 to 1938, with the crime drama "Youth on Parole" being one of her best. In 1938, she married stockbroker Albert Scott, who was previously married to actress Collin Moore. In 1960, Marsh remarried aviator and wealthy entrepreneur Clifford Henderson after becoming a widow with two children. After her second husband's death in 1984, she devoted herself even more to charitable activities.
Marian Marsh passed away on November 9, 2006, at the age of 93 in California.
Environmental Activism
Known as an environmental activist, Marsh founded the non-profit organization "Desert Beautiful" dedicated to environmental conservation.
