Thursday, October 1, 2009

Tragically Flawed Heroine: Mary Nolan

Mary Nolan (born Imogene Robertson) was an American actress in the 1920's into the early 1930's. After an awful childhood, she moved to New York City at age 14 and became a model and then a showgirl with the Ziegfeld Follies, and gained the nickname "Bubbles." After gaining some notoriety as a dancer she began a tumultuous and abusive relationship with comedian Frank Tinney, which culminated in Nolan being hospitalized for injuries he inflicted on her during a fight. Tinney was married to another woman at the time and their relationship became a scandal resulting in Nolan being fired from Ziegfeld Follies. She then fled to Germany for 2 years where she began to act and made a large number of films (still as Imogene Robertson). She returned to the US in 1927, took the name Mary Nolan, and starred in four films that year. In 1928 she starred in her most famous role, as a defiled daughter raised in the dives of an African coastal town, in the film West of Zanzibar. Her film career declined after that, although she was given a few more roles over the next several years. In 1933 she sued Hollywood producer Edward Mannix and accused him of beating her. She was jailed in in 1937 for an unpaid dress bill. She turned up to the Actor's Fund Home in New York "sick and broke," and stayed there until she recovered and moved back to Hollywood in 1939 where she lived in obscurity with her sister. Unable to gain work, she became addicted to heroine and died of cardiac arrest in 1948 at the age of 42.


Absolutely LOVE this picture below



Mary Nolan was a glamorous, talented woman who for some reason kept finding herself in awful situations, almost as if she drew them to herself. As I work with the idea of flawed beauty, I am very drawn to the character of the tragically flawed heroine. Mary Nolan was this character in real life. I am also very drawn to the 1920's flapper aesthetic and have been planning on incorporating it into my idea. It is ironic that I came across a real life tragically flawed heroine that had her heyday during the 20's. I plan on researching more of these types of characters in films and other imagery, as well as those women who's real lives were tragically flawed despite their beauty and talent.

1 comment:

  1. This was a very helpful article, thank you. I was looking through some old books of mine and found an inscription in a Dumas book from Mary Nolan, with a drawing of hers, a dress and a self portrait. The inscription reads Mary Nolan, star of The Trial of Mary Duncan says "I am delighted with my new suit "Jazz garment (?)", I wouldn't wear anything else, Mary Nolan
    Then with the drawing of the dress it says Colors: and lists nine colors then says "jazz".
    I have a scanned copy but am not sure how to add it here but thought you'd like to know about it :)

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