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)

When Tomorrow Comes
When Tomorrow Comes

1939

as Waitress (uncredited)

Manpower
Manpower

1941

as Wilma

The Doctor Takes a Wife
The Doctor Takes a Wife

1940

as Woman in Book Store (uncredited)

Charlie Chan in Paris
Live, Love and Learn
Live, Love and Learn

1937

as Lou - Bob's Model (uncredited)

As the Earth Turns
As the Earth Turns

1934

as Doris

Convicted Woman
Convicted Woman

1940

as Daisy

From Nurse to Worse
From Nurse to Worse

1940

as Dr. Lerious' Receptionist (uncredited)

Under Eighteen
Under Eighteen

1932

as Elsie

Cookoo Cavaliers
Cookoo Cavaliers

1940

as Rosita (uncredited)

In the Sweet Pie and Pie
In the Sweet Pie and Pie

1941

as Tiska Jones

Gold Rush Maisie
Gold Rush Maisie

1940

as Hatcheck Girl (Uncredited)

Paradise Express
Paradise Express

1937

as Kay Carson

Riffraff
Riffraff

1936

as Gertie

Make a Wish
Make a Wish

1937

as Telephone Girl

The Taming of the Snood
The Taming of the Snood

1940

as Miss Wilson

The Devil's Pipeline
The Devil's Pipeline

1940

as Stewardess