Remembering Tom Mix, Marjorie Woodworth, Carole Lombard, Zoe Mozert, Elyse Knox and Tom Lyle Williams.

Here are a few of my favorite comments on the Maybelline Book Blog this year.

                             Dear Sharrie.....

I live in Florence AZ where Tom Mix had his accident, there are still local residents who remember seeing the Cord being  towed into town and having a close up look at the vehicle,  there is also one resident who was friends with the coroners  daughter and says it was just as much the steering wheel  as the metal suitcase that killed him. on Maybelline cousins  worship Tom Mix, as little boys   Anonymous Thanks for this fascinating material. I just saw Marjorie  Woodworth in "Broadway Limited" and thought she was  terrific. I had previously seen her in "All American Coed."  Looking at her career, I was surprised that it was so short.  She seems to have suddenly become a star in 1940, and  was in demand in 1941 and 1942, but suddenly she flamed  out in 1943. Hollywood in the Golden Age (1920's-1950's)  was a brutal system. Typically, most women stars started  around 20, rose for four or five years, starred in five-ten  movies from 25-30 and then faded out of the business after  getting smaller and smaller roles for another five years. She  seems to have condensed this arc to 1/3 of its normal life  span. Of course there were the exceptional actresses who  continued in the business their whole lives, like Bettie Davis  and Katherine Hepburn. I am curious why she quit. She  was beautiful and talented and absolutely star material.  Why did she give up such a promising career at 24? I hope  it was not because she got married and her husband  forced her to quit. That happened to many promising  actresses back then.  Maybelline model and actress Marjorie Woodworth -  1941  Jay Raskin

Sharrie, I am grateful to Twitter. Without Twitter, I would never have found you. Your uncle would have ruled the world if he were starting out today. Think about how starved the world is for glamor. He walked, talked and breathed it into existence. I wish I had met him. I truly believe that after I get and read your book, I will feel like part of the family. Ameikins on MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK SEPT 6 - 13 Maybelline New York’s Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara will officially launch in October. Anonymous

The posters and magazine covers of the beautiful young models and starlets painted by Zoe Mozert, are very glamorous! Maybelline had such a presence in the Era of Elegance! Today Maybelline New York remains the No. 1 brand globally and that includes my home too! on 1930's Maybelline ad painted by Zoë Mozert, the most famous female pin-up artist of her day Shellyfire04

It seems like a pretty ruthless system doesn't it? There must have many beautiful & sometimes talented young girls that were shot into the glamorous world of Hollywood only to be cast aside 5 minutes later ,it must have been hard for a lot them to return to the normal world after all that promise & excitement. I can't believe how dashing Fred McMurray is,quite different from My 3 Sons. Carol Lombard is just beautiful ,it is so sad that she died the way she did. I adore those Maybelline ads ,i am on a mission to collect as many as i can:) on Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray star in 1938 film, True Confession, introducing "Miss Typical America" Eleanor Fisher.  Mrs. Cleaver


She certainly was a beautiful girl.It's sad that her fame was so fleeting.I hope she had a good life after all that,I'll have to look it up. Hi Sharrie,i hope you are well.My apologies for my absence,things have just been very busy as usual with my family. I wanted to tell you that i am now the proud owner of a 1930's?(i think) box of Maybelline.It still has the brush and mascara,the mascara has been used a few times.I was so thrilled when i bought it on ebay i think the seller thought i was a little odd lol! I am also looking at purchasing a Maybelline ad featuring Elyse Knox. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :) on SEXY GLAMOR SHOT OF MAYBELLINE MODEL MARJORIE WOODWORTH - HAND SIGNED BY HER - HAL ROACH PLAYER  Mrs Cleaver

Wasn't Mark's Mother originally from KY. My mother always told me about them being friends before she went to Hollywood. Mother knew her from Fleming or Mason County, I think & they were friends. I would love to be able to contact Mark to see if he had ever heard of my mother, who would probably at that time have been called Doug (Douglas) Royce, Her "given name was Lola Douglas Royce... then she married & her last name was Fawns. When her first husband died during the war, she married my father, Oscar P Whitton, (Buster). I am Doris Whitton  on MARK HARMON'S MOTHER, MAYBELLINE MODEL, ELYSE KNOX DIES AT 94  

Guest Blogger Alicia Dufour says "Check out Sharrie Williams new website at sharriewilliams.com"

In response to the post I wrote on Marjorie Woodworth http://www.maybellinebook.com/2012/08/sexy-glamor-shot-of-maybelline-model.html Alicia Dufour writes about what she has learned from Miss Woodworth's Hollywood career.

I am an actress, model and singer/songwriter. I am also a professional belly dancer and vintage pin up model. I have been performing on stage for over 20 years and recently filmed my second movie. I was honored to bring life to deputy Karen Harper for the Lunatopia/Baylor Film production of Vertical (starring Marshall Bell, Irene Bedard, Elsie Kate Fisher and Wolfgang Bodison, with director Stephen Savage). I am just at the precipice of what I hope to be a long and fulfilling career. I have learned the value of having a great makeup artist, and how important makeup and beauty are in my industry.

I grew up watching my mother wear Maybelline products and always associated Maybelline with what was beautiful and with glamour. And now as an adult, I have a makeup kit worth well over $800 (in addition to my rather large collection of makeup that I use for daily wear) and have used makeup to make me both beautiful and glamorous... as well as frightening. And Maybelline has always been a staple in my house and my career.

The lovely Marjorie Woodworth was both glamorous and at the start of her career when she became a Maybelline model. (wow! wouldn't I love to be featured by Maybelline at this point in my career!!) But for all of her looks and talent, she had a surprisingly short career. She was out shined by other rising talent and her career never took off and she is now remembered in a collection of amazing and beautiful photographs and B movies. She truly was a stunning beauty and it is sad to think what could have become of her talent.

In an industry so driven by looks and beauty, I've already learned that I need to enjoy each moment because I never know how long I will have to enjoy it! For all of the hard work that every actor, musician, producer, director, cinematographer and photographer (atc) does, we need to remember to fully embrace each and every moment we get to do what we love.

I remember a story I heard once about another couple of beauties: Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton.  While filming Steel Magnolias, Julia commented to Dolly regarding how cool she kept in the sweltering heat. Dolly's response was simply that she was doing the one thing she had always wanted to do, so what was there to complain about? I love this. I know the road ahead of me is long. But every 'no' I get is one step closer to the next 'yes' and the next opportunity to bring life to some new character. And to me there is nothing more beautiful than that.

Vintage 1950's - 1960's Pin-Up girl Alicia Dufour.

 

                                                     Alicia Dufour.
Photos caption info:

photo by Mikel Healy

photos by Brandy Nichole Photography

Alicia Dufour as Karen Harper - movie still from Vertical by Lunatopia/Baylor Films

Alicia Dufour as Zombie - makeup by Alicia Dufour, Redlands Shakespeare Festival Haunted Grove

Alicia Dufour as Allie Kat, Pin Up Model

photo by Sven Ellirand

Contact information for Alicia Dufour.

dufour.alicia@yahoo.com
www.webstarts.com/AliciaDufour
www.imdb.me/aliciadufour
www.wix.com/dufouralicia/

actress
www.twitter.com/alicia289
http://www.youtube.com/user/
AliciaDufour

www.facebook.com/

AliciaDufourActress

www.facebook.com/AllieKatPinUp

www.tunecore.com/music/

aliciadufour

Alicia thank you for the great post.  I agree with you about appreciating the the good times when they into your life and not taking them for granted.  Someone once told me that when the Rolls Royce pulls up, get in and enjoy the ride while it lasts and when it's over, get out and be grateful for "the time of your life" you had..... while riding in it. So when we think of Marjorie Woodworth's fairly short career in Hollywood, we should be happy for her, because she did something few people will ever experience in their lifetime and she left us a legacy of beauty, glamour and dreams of a 15 year old girl with beautiful Maybelline eyes!!!!  

I look forward to hearing about your career and when anything exciting comes up please come back and do another great post.

My Sincere Best, Sharrie Williams

The feature film Alicia is working on now is called Vertical by director Stephen Savage premieres in Jan 2013: http://t.co/0eQ4bYIM Vertical will premiere at the Idyllwild Cinema Festival http://t.co/hPY4Ul4Z

SEXY GLAMOR SHOT OF MAYBELLINE MODEL MARJORIE WOODWORTH - HAND SIGNED BY HER - HAL ROACH PLAYER

I found this fabulous picture of Marjorie Woodworth on Ebay for $59.00 if you are interested please click to view.

In 1938, leggy 15 year old Marjorie Woodworth was an extra, playing a baton twirler in Twentieth Century Fox'  Alexander's Ragtime Band. In 1941 Hal Roach Studios,  groomed her to be the next Blond Bombshell...the likes of Jean Harlow, (who died in 1936.)  But in 1939 when Fox-Girl, Betty Grable with her million dollar legs, singing and dancing talent, rose to stardom, Marjorie became just another pretty face on the B-movie Queen circuit. 

Marjorie was a favorite Pin Up Girl with the Soldiers during WW ll and received telegrams and hundreds of pieces of fan mail mainly from lovesick soldiers fighting in WWII. http://www.ioffer.com/i/marjorie-woodworth-original-hal-roach-photo-broadway-ld-169023824

The Studio's called my great uncle, Tom Lyle Williams

 and asked him to do a series of Maybelline ads featuring Marjorie... hoping the PR might strengthen her fan base.  The teen-market loved her and she sold a ton of Maybelline Mascara, but that's about all that became of the big splash.

Marjorie Woodworth Personal Collection

. Click to view.  
Born: June 5th, 1923 in Los Angeles, California.Died:
 August 23, 2000 (age 77) in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

  Hal Roach discovered what most of Hollywood already knew: Stars aren't made, they're born and even though Marjorie had that California Girl glow and exuded plenty

of sex appeal, she didn't have the talent to take

 her to the top. 

Typecast only as an ingenue ruined her chances of becoming box office star. This was common with so many beautiful young starlets, caught up in the Hollywood Studio/Star System.  Marjorie resembled Alice Faye and Betty Grable, but didn't have the Star Quality the Studio needed to bank role her.

http://www.maybellinebook.com/2011/10/betty-grable-and-harry-james-hollywoods.html

( Click to see post on Betty Grable.)

They promoted her in Movie magazines...being

 seen with Hollywood's biggest male stars...They 

spent money on her clothes, acting lessons,

 grooming, singing and dancing lessons...but

 when it didn't pay off she faded from public view.

 

Broadway Limited.

Today few people remember Marjorie Woodworth, but today there seems to be a serge of renewed interest.

Maybelline model and actress Marjorie Woodworth - 1941

Marjorie Woodworth, a true California Girl, born in 1923, captured the teen-market at 15, when she played a Baton Twirler in Alexander's Ragtime Band, (staring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye and Don Ameche in 1938.)  Woodworth was discovered and being groomed by 20Th Century Fox to be the next Blond Bombshell much like Jean Harlow, Bettie Grable and Alice Faye. 

Like so many young starlets Tom Lyle contracted to do full page, glossy color print ads for Maybelline, Woodworth aspired to be a Super Star but never made it to the top. However she did become a favorite GI Pin Up Girl during World War 11 and drove the youth-market into dime stores  where they purchased truck loads of Maybelline.

Woodworth played a featured role in the Musical Comedy, Broadway Limited is a 1941, (directed by Gordon Douglas, starring Victor McLaglen, Dennis O'Keefe, Patsy Kelly, and Zasu Pitts.)  She was known as the All American Co-Ed, and cast in the 1941 film All American Co-Ed.

The Girl Next Door, Pin Up Girl, Blond Bomb Shell and the next Jean Harlow - Woodworth created the perfect image for Maybelline during the early 1940's when teenage age girls gained spending power and developed their own identity.  The average high school girl with an extra dime for a 10 cent box of Maybelline might easily change herself into a glamorous Star with a few strokes of a little black brush. 

18 year old Marjorie Woodworth lead the parade as teenage girls came of age during the WAR YEARS. 

Pick up your copy of The Maybelline Story and see how my mother, Pauline Mac Donald, Bill Williams girl friend was transformed into his favorite high school sex symbol, Marjorie Woodworth, with a little Maybelline on her eyes when she was 15.

 Thank You to the 105 countries following The Maybelline Blog!