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Madge Evans

Madge Evans

Lovely Madge Evans was the perennial nice girl in films of the 1930s. By then, she had been in front of the camera for many years, starting with Fairy Soap commercials at the age of two (she sat on a bar of soap holding a bunch of violets with the tag line reading "have you a little fairy in your home?"). 'Baby Madge' also lent her name to a children's hat company. In 1914, aged five, she was picked out by talent scouts to appear in the William Farnum movie The Sign of the Cross (1914), followed by The Seven Sisters (1915) with Marguerite Clark. By the end of the following year, she had amassed some twenty film credits, appearing with such noted contemporary stars as Pauline Frederick or Alice Brady. All of her early films were made on the East Coast, at studios in Ft.Lee, New Jersey. In 1917 (aged eight), Madge made her Broadway debut in 'Peter Ibbetson' with John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore. She resumed her stage career in 1926 as an ingenue with 'Daisy Mayme' and the following year appeared with Billie Burke in Noel Coward's costume drama 'The Marquise' (1927). Her pleasing looks and personality soon attracted the attention of Hollywood and she was eventually signed by MGM in 1931. During the next decade, she appeared in several A-grade productions, notably as Lionel Barrymore's daughter in MGM's Dinner at Eight (1933) and as the dependable Agnes Wickfield in one of the best-ever filmed versions of David Copperfield (1935). She co-starred opposite James Cagney in the gangster movie The Mayor of Hell (1933), Spencer Tracy in The Show-Off (1934) and listened to Bing Crosby crooning the title song in Pennies from Heaven (1936). Madge received praise for her performance as the star of Beauty for Sale (1933) and The New York Times review of January 13 1934 described her acting in Fugitive Lovers (1934) (opposite Robert Montgomery ) as 'spontaneous and captivating'. Many of her 'typical American girl' roles did not allow her to express aspects of the greater acting range she undoubtedly possessed. Too often she was cast as the 'nice girl' - and those rarely make much of a dramatic impact. On the few occasions she was assigned the role of 'other woman' , such as the Helen Hayes-starrer What Every Woman Knows (1934), audiences found her character difficult to believe and disassociate from her all-round wholesome image. When her contract with MGM expired in 1937, Madge wound down her film career and, following her 1939 marriage, concentrated on being the wife of celebrated playwright Sidney Kingsley. She last appeared on stage in one of his plays, "The Patriots", in 1943.

Personal information

Birthday

1909-07-01

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Movies and TV shows :

Age of Indiscretion

Age of Indiscretion

1935

5.2

Movie
Are You Listening?

Are You Listening?

1932

5.0

Movie
Army Girl

Army Girl

1938

6.0

Movie
Beauty for Sale

Beauty for Sale

1933

7.0

Movie
Beloved Adventuress

Beloved Adventuress

1917

0.0

Movie
Broadway to Hollywood

Broadway to Hollywood

1933

4.6

Movie
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975

5.7

Movie
Calm Yourself

Calm Yourself

1935

4.5

Movie
Classmates

Classmates

1924

0.0

Movie
David Copperfield

David Copperfield

1935

6.6

Movie
Day of Reckoning

Day of Reckoning

1933

5.0

Movie
Death on the Diamond

Death on the Diamond

1934

7.0

Movie
Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight

1933

6.7

Movie
Envy

Envy

1930

0.0

Movie
Espionage

Espionage

1937

6.5

Movie
Exclusive Story

Exclusive Story

1936

6.5

Movie
Fast Life

Fast Life

1932

8.3

Movie
Fugitive Lovers

Fugitive Lovers

1934

6.0

Movie
Grand Canary

Grand Canary

1934

4.1

Movie
Guilty Hands

Guilty Hands

1931

5.8

Movie
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

1933

7.5

Movie
poster

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

8.7

TV
Heartbreak

Heartbreak

1931

0.0

Movie
Hell Below

Hell Below

1933

6.3

Movie
Helldorado

Helldorado

1935

0.0

Movie
Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

1961

3.3

Movie
Huddle

Huddle

1932

6.6

Movie
Husband and Wife

Husband and Wife

1916

1.0

Movie
Love Net

Love Net

1918

0.0

Movie
Lovers Courageous

Lovers Courageous

1932

5.8

Movie
poster

Lux Video Theatre

1950

6.0

TV
Made on Broadway

Made on Broadway

1933

6.5

Movie
Maternity

Maternity

1917

0.0

Movie
poster

Matinee Theater

1955

4.6

TV
Men Without Names

Men Without Names

1935

6.0

Movie
Moonlight Murder

Moonlight Murder

1936

5.0

Movie
On the Banks of the Wabash

On the Banks of the Wabash

1923

0.0

Movie
Paris Interlude

Paris Interlude

1934

3.5

Movie
Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven

1936

6.9

Movie
Piccadilly Jim

Piccadilly Jim

1936

6.5

Movie
Seventeen

Seventeen

1916

0.0

Movie
Sinners in Paradise

Sinners in Paradise

1938

5.3

Movie
Son of India

Son of India

1931

5.0

Movie
Sporting Blood

Sporting Blood

1931

5.5

Movie
Stand Up and Cheer!

Stand Up and Cheer!

1934

4.8

Movie
Stolen Orders

Stolen Orders

1918

0.0

Movie
poster

Studio One

1948

4.7

TV
Sudden Riches

Sudden Riches

1916

0.0

Movie
poster

The Alcoa Hour

1955

4.0

TV
The Bard of Broadway

The Bard of Broadway

1930

0.0

Movie
The Burglar

The Burglar

1917

0.0

Movie
The Corner Grocer

The Corner Grocer

1917

0.0

Movie
The Devil's Toy

The Devil's Toy

1916

0.0

Movie
The Golden Wall

The Golden Wall

1918

0.0

Movie
The Greeks Had a Word for Them

The Greeks Had a Word for Them

1932

4.8

Movie
The Hidden Scar

The Hidden Scar

1916

0.0

Movie
The Master Hand

The Master Hand

1915

0.0

Movie
The Mayor of Hell

The Mayor of Hell

1933

7.1

Movie
The New South

The New South

1916

0.0

Movie
The Nuisance

The Nuisance

1933

5.0

Movie
poster

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948

6.0

TV
The Power and the Glory

The Power and the Glory

1918

0.0

Movie
The Revolt

The Revolt

1916

0.0

Movie
The Seven Sisters

The Seven Sisters

1915

2.0

Movie
The Show-Off

The Show-Off

1934

5.7

Movie
The Thirteenth Chair

The Thirteenth Chair

1937

5.8

Movie
The Tunnel

The Tunnel

1935

5.3

Movie
The Volunteer

The Volunteer

1917

0.0

Movie
The Web of Desire

The Web of Desire

1917

0.0

Movie
Three Green Eyes

Three Green Eyes

1919

0.0

Movie
True Blue

True Blue

1918

0.0

Movie
Wanted, A Mother

Wanted, A Mother

1918

0.0

Movie
West of Broadway

West of Broadway

1931

6.0

Movie
What Every Woman Knows

What Every Woman Knows

1934

7.0

Movie
poster

Your Show of Shows

1950

5.5

TV