Mary Anderson was an American actress who is best known for her roles in Lifeboat, Wilson, and Gone with the Wind. She was born on April 3, 1918, in Birmingham, Alabama, and she passed away on April 6, 2014, in Burbank, California.
Personal and Family Life
Mary Anderson was married twice. Her first marriage was to Leonard Marion Behrens from 1940 until their divorce in 1951. She then married Leon Shamroy in 1953, and they remained together until his death in 1974. She had one child from her second marriage. Her older brother was the actor James Anderson.
Career Highlights
Mary was discovered by director George Cukor while she was studying at Howard College. Although she auditioned for the iconic role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, the part eventually went to Vivien Leigh. Throughout her career, she played supporting roles in several Academy Award-winning films.
Death and Legacy
Mary Anderson passed away on April 6, 2014, due to complications from a series of small strokes. She is remembered for her contributions to cinema, including notable performances in classic films. Her legacy lives on through her impactful roles in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Gone with the Wind | 1939-03-12 | Maybelle Merriwether |
| Lifeboat | 1944-01-28 | Alice MacKenzie |
| The Underworld Story | 1950-07-26 | Molly Rankin |
| Dangerous Crossing | 1953-07-22 | Anna Quinn |
| Chicago Calling | 1951-12-31 | Mary Cannon |
| I, the Jury | 1953-08-14 | Eileen Vickers |
| Whispering City | 1947-11-20 | Mary Roberts |
| The Song of Bernadette | 1943-12-21 | Jeanne Abadie |
| Behind Green Lights | 1946-02-15 | Nora Bard |
| Hunt the Man Down | 1950-12-26 | Alice McGuire / Peggy Linden |
| To Each His Own | 1946-03-12 | Corinne Piersen |
| Wilson | 1944-08-01 | Eleanor Wilson |
| Bahama Passage | 1941-12-10 | Mary Ainsworth |
| Jet Over The Atlantic | 1959-11-04 | Maria |
| One Big Affair | 1952-02-22 | Hilda Jones |
| Within These Walls | 1945-07-13 | Anne Howland |
| Last of the Buccaneers | 1950-10-25 | Swallow |
| The Women | 1939-09-01 | Young Girl (uncredited) |
| Passage West | 1951-10-01 | Myra Johnson |
| My Love Came Back | 1940-07-13 | Woman Mistaken for Amelia by Tony (uncredited) |
| Henry Aldrich for President | 1941-10-17 | Phyllis Michael |
| Henry and Dizzy | 1942-06-05 | Phyllis Michael |
| A Failure at Fifty | 1940-07-01 | Ann Rutledge |
| All This, and Heaven Too | 1940-07-05 | Rebecca Jay |
| Under Age | 1941-04-23 | Edie Baird |
| The Sea Hawk | 1940-08-10 | Maid of Honor |
| ‘Til We Meet Again | 1940-04-20 | Girl (uncredited) |
| A Dispatch from Reuters | 1940-10-19 | Girl with Max (uncredited) |
| Cheers for Miss Bishop | 1941-02-21 | Amy Saunders |
| Mendelssohn’s Wedding March | 1939-11-04 | Hilda (uncredited) |
| Miracle in the Rain | 1949-02-14 | |
| The Asphalt Jungle | 1950-05-12 | Police Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited) |