Hollywood Memorial

Born in Quincy, Illinois, she appeared in more than 100 films but is best known for her role in ‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941), in which she co-starred alongside Humphrey Bogart. Mary’s parents pushed her into various beauty contests where she came to the attention of Hollywood moguls who signed her at the age of 14. She later had a lively affair with John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore’s grandfather) however, the affair ended before she could star with him again in the classic ‘Don Juan’ (1926). Mary was now the new cinematic darling with each film packing the theaters. By the end of the twenties, the sound revolution had taken a strong hold on the industry, and Mary was one of those lucky actresses who made the successful transition to ‘talkies’ because of her voice and strong screen presence. In 1941, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘The Great Lie’ after which she appeared in ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ but her star soon began to fall. Because of her three divorces, the death of her first husband (Kenneth Hawks who died in a plane crash), alcoholism, a suicide attempt, and a persistent heart condition, Mary got smaller roles in movies. Her second divorce was initiated when her husband found a lurid diary about an affair with another man, writer George S. Kaufman; the diary was so explicit that the Judge would not allow it to be entered as evidence. Buried in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.