Dorothy Appleby

Dorothy Appleby

1906-01-06 – 1990-08-09 (age 84) Portland, Maine, USA
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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dorothy Appleby (January 6, 1906 – August 9, 1990) was an American film actress. She appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1943. Appleby gained early acting experience as an understudy and a chorus member in plays in New York City. A newspaper article reported that Appleby "came to New York fresh from winning a Maine beauty contest."

Appleby was seen in many supporting roles, almost always in short subjects or low-budget feature films. She never progressed to leading roles in important pictures because of her height, which made her difficult to cast The trim brunette stood just over five feet tall, and her early leading men (like comedian Charley Chase) towered over her.

She soon found steady if not prestigious work in Columbia Pictures' two-reel comedies. She appeared frequently with The Three Stooges, who were only a few inches taller than she was, and in 1940 she became Buster Keaton's leading lady, for the same reason: her height complemented his. She worked with Columbia comics Andy Clyde, El Brendel, and Hugh Herbert, and she had an uncredited part in John Ford's Stagecoach.

Some of her Stooge comedies were Loco Boy Makes Good, So Long Mr. Chumps, and In the Sweet Pie and Pie. One memorable appearance was as Mexican brunette Rosita in 1940's Cookoo Cavaliers. In the film, Appleby gets clobbered by the Stooges when a facial "mud pack" made of cement dries on her face. Her petite figure belied her age, and she continued to play "younger" roles into the 1940s. One of her last screen roles was a one-line bit (playing a college co-ed at age 35) in the 1941 Jane Withers feature Small Town Deb.

Photos

Known For

Stagecoach
Stagecoach

1939

as Girl in Saloon (uncredited)

The Women
The Women

1939

as Treatment Girl (uncredited)

High Sierra
High Sierra

1941

as Margie (uncredited)

Manpower
Manpower

1941

as Wilma

Live, Love and Learn
Live, Love and Learn

1937

as Lou - Bob's Model (uncredited)

Charlie Chan in Paris
Let 'em Have It
Let 'em Have It

1935

as Lola McArdle

General Nuisance
General Nuisance

1941

as Dorothy - Army nurse

Convicted Woman
Convicted Woman

1940

as Daisy

Make a Wish
Make a Wish

1937

as Telephone Girl

The Doctor Takes a Wife
The Doctor Takes a Wife

1940

as Woman in Book Store (uncredited)

When Tomorrow Comes
When Tomorrow Comes

1939

as Waitress (uncredited)

The Taming of the Snood
The Taming of the Snood

1940

as Miss Wilson

From Nurse to Worse
From Nurse to Worse

1940

as Dr. Lerious' Receptionist (uncredited)

Rockin' Thru the Rockies
Under Eighteen
Under Eighteen

1932

as Elsie

Paradise Express
Paradise Express

1937

as Kay Carson

Two Heads on a Pillow
Two Heads on a Pillow

1934

as Mitzie LaVerne

School for Girls
School for Girls

1934

as Florence Burns

Making the Headlines
Making the Headlines

1938

as Claire Sandford