History Creator / MaryAstor

!!Mary Astor films with pages on TV Tropes:

Her first screen role was in a [[Film/TheScarecrow 1920 short film]] starring Creator/BusterKeaton (it turned out to be a DeletedRole). She continued making films throughout her teen years for the benefit of her parents, who took all the money she earned for their own lavish lifestyles, until she rebelled. (Many of these pictures are considered [[MissingEpisode to be lost]]). Named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars (the HollywoodHypeMachine actresses) in 1926, she managed the transition to the talkies despite failing her initial sound test, in which her deep voice was termed "hollow" and "almost masculine".

Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress active during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. She is mostly remembered now for her role in the 1941 version of ''The Maltese Falcon''; before then, however, she'd been appearing in movies since [[UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood before they were made with sound]].

Astor appeared in a variety of roles in a variety of genres for a variety of studios; although mostly an unknown actress nowadays, she co-starred with a number of famous stars who are still known today, such as Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JudyGarland, and Creator/ClarkGable. She hit the headlines in 1936 thanks to [[https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/09/inside-the-trial-of-actress-mary-astor-hollywoods-juiciest-sex-scandal a messy child custody case]], during which her ex-husband (who was no slouch in the infidelity/bigamy department himself) threatened to reveal an alleged [[TheCasanova [=maneater=]]] reputation (in particular, an affair with the married playwright George S. Kaufman) that she had written about in her SecretDiary.[[note]]Keep in mind this was the days of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, and morality clauses were written into actors' contracts. If immoral conduct of any kind were proved, it could end careers. (Look at [[https://www.thehairpin.com/2011/04/scandals-of-classic-hollywood-ingrid-bergman-instrument-of-evil/ what happened to Bergman]] a decade later.) Mary, with her beloved little daughter to support, ''had'' to come out of this smelling like a rose.[[/note]] While said diary was never called to court – because the judge demanded the whole book, not just torn-out pages or excerpts – New York ''Daily News'' IntrepidReporter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florabel_Muir Florabel Muir]] was able to get hold of it and her photocopies were published. [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity It didn't damage Astor's career, however]] – she managed to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for ''Film/TheGreatLie'' in 1941.

Her first screen role was in a [[Film/TheScarecrow 1920 short film]] starring Creator/BusterKeaton (it turned out to be a DeletedRole). She continued making films throughout her teen years for the benefit of her parents, who took all the money she earned for their own lavish lifestyles, until she rebelled. (Many of these pictures are considered [[MissingEpisode to be lost]]). She was named as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars (the HollywoodHypeMachine actresses) in 1926, and managed the transition to talkies despite failing her initial sound test.

Her first role was in a [[Film/TheScarecrow 1920 short film]] starring Creator/BusterKeaton (it turned out to be a DeletedRole). She continued making films throughout her teen years for the benefit of her parents, who took all the money she earned for their own lavish lifestyles, until she rebelled. (Many of these pictures are considered [[MissingEpisode to be lost]]). She transitioned into talkies, being named as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars (the HollywoodHypeMachine actresses) in 1926.

Astor was in a variety of roles in a variety of genres; although mostly an unknown actress nowadays, she appeared in a variety of movies with many famous actors that are still known today, such as Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JudyGarland, and Creator/ClarkGable. She hit the headlines in 1936 thanks to [[https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/09/inside-the-trial-of-actress-mary-astor-hollywoods-juiciest-sex-scandal a messy child custody case]], during which her ex-husband (no slouch in the infidelity/bigamy department himself) threatened to reveal an alleged [[TheCasanova [=maneater=]]] reputation (in particular, an affair with the married playwright George S. Kaufman) that she had written about in her SecretDiary.[[note]]Keep in mind this was the days of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, and morality clauses were written into actors' contracts. If immoral conduct of any kind were proved, it could end careers. (Look at [[https://www.thehairpin.com/2011/04/scandals-of-classic-hollywood-ingrid-bergman-instrument-of-evil/ what happened to Bergman]] a decade later.) Mary, with her beloved little daughter to support, ''had'' to come out of this smelling like a rose.[[/note]] While said diary was never called to court because the judge demanded the whole book, not just torn-out pages or excerpts, New York ''Daily News'' IntrepidReporter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florabel_Muir Florabel Muir]] got hold of it and her photocopies were published. [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity It didn't damage Astor's career, however]] -- she managed to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for ''Film/TheGreatLie'' in 1941.

Due to her alcoholism, Astor was recommended in rehab to write an autobiography by a priest/psychologist. The book became a bestseller in 1959. She later moved to New York, appeared on Broadway and acted on TV. She also became an author, writing another autobiography as well as fiction. She retired from acting in the 1960s and died from respiratory failure at 81 years old.

Her first film was in a [[Film/TheScarecrow 1920 short film]] starring Creator/BusterKeaton (it turned out to be a DeletedRole). She continued making films throughout her teen years for the benefit of her parents, who took all the money she earned for their own lavish lifestyles, until she rebelled. (Many of these pictures are considered [[MissingEpisode to be lost]]). She transitioned into talkies, being named as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars (the HollywoodHypeMachine actresses) in 1926.

* ''Film/TheLostSquadron'' (1930)

Astor was in a variety of roles in a variety of genres; although mostly an unknown actress nowadays, she appeared in a variety of movies with many famous actors that are still known today, such as Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JudyGarland, and Creator/ClarkGable. She hit the headlines in 1936 thanks to [[https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/09/inside-the-trial-of-actress-mary-astor-hollywoods-juiciest-sex-scandal a messy child custody case]], during which her ex-husband (no slouch in the infidelity/bigamy department himself) threatened to reveal an alleged [[TheCasanova [=maneater=]]] reputation (specifically, an affair with married playwright George S. Kaufman) that she had written about in her SecretDiary.[[note]]Keep in mind this was the days of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, and morality clauses were written into actors' contracts. If immoral conduct of any kind were proved, it could end careers. (Look at [[https://www.thehairpin.com/2011/04/scandals-of-classic-hollywood-ingrid-bergman-instrument-of-evil/ what happened to Bergman]] a decade later.) Mary, with her beloved little daughter to support, ''had'' to come out of this smelling like a rose.[[/note]] While said diary was never called to court because the judge demanded the whole book, not just torn-out pages or excerpts, New York ''Daily News'' IntrepidReporter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florabel_Muir Florabel Muir]] got hold of it and her photocopies were published. [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity It didn't damage Astor's career, however]] -- she managed to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for ''Film/TheGreatLie'' in 1941.

Astor was in a variety of roles in a variety of genres; although mostly an unknown actress nowadays, she appeared in a variety of movies with many famous actors that are still known today, such as Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JudyGarland, and Creator/ClarkGable. She hit the headlines in 1936 thanks to [[https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/09/inside-the-trial-of-actress-mary-astor-hollywoods-juiciest-sex-scandal a messy child custody case]], during which her ex-husband (no slouch in the infidelity/bigamy department himself) threatened to reveal an alleged [[TheCasanova [=maneater=]]] reputation (specifically, an affair with married playwright George S. Kaufman) that she had written about in her SecretDiary.[[note]]Keep in mind this was the days of the Hays Code, and morality clauses were written into actors' contracts. If immoral conduct of any kind were proved, it could end careers. (Look at [[https://www.thehairpin.com/2011/04/scandals-of-classic-hollywood-ingrid-bergman-instrument-of-evil/ what happened to Bergman]] a decade later.) Mary, with her beloved little daughter to support, ''had'' to come out of this smelling like a rose.[[/note]] While said diary was never called to court because the judge demanded the whole book, not just torn-out pages or excerpts, New York ''Daily News'' IntrepidReporter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florabel_Muir Florabel Muir]] got hold of it and her photocopies were published. [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity It didn't damage Astor's career, however]] -- she managed to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for ''Film/TheGreatLie'' in 1941.