#WomanEmpowermentWednesday #MemorableSupportingActors Marie Dressler

Although better known as the broke actress Carlotta Vance in 1933's "Dinner at Eight," Marie Dressler has had a long career across film and stage. Her career started at age 18 with the Nevada Stock company which she stayed with for 3 years until leaving for Philadelphia's Starr Opera Company as a chorus girl. In the late 1800s, she started her career on Broadway in 'Waldemar, the Robber of the Rhine.' With the help of the writer Maurice Barrymore, she truly discovered her niche in comedy. It would take many productions and her own formed theater troupe until leaving Edward Everett Horton's Los Angeles theater troupe for a role in Lillian Gish's first talkie, "One Romantic Night." (1930)

It wasn't her first film, having already been in 1914's "Tillie's Punctured Romance," which was known as the first feature length comedy. She, along with writers Helena Dayton and Louise Barrett attempted to sell a script to Hollywood, but was turned down being told that audiences only wanted "young love" and the proposed co-star in Lionel Barrymore or George Arliss as "old fossils." Although her time in film was short, Dressler was nominated twice and had won for 1930's "Min and Bill."

Dressler had spent time entertaining in veteran hospitals and left $15,000 to her maid's husband, which was "intended [to be] used to provide a place of comfort for black travelers."




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