Blanche Mehaffey

Blanche Mehaffey
File:Devil Monster (1946) Trailer.jpg Mehaffey in Devil Monster (1946), a reissued version of The Sea Fiend (1936)
Born	(1908-07-28)July 28, 1908
Died
Occupation	Actress, showgirl
Years active	1916–1938

Blanche Mehaffey (July 28, 1908 – March 31, 1968) was an American showgirl and film actress from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her hair was an auburn color.

File:Blanche Mehaffey Poster 1907.jpg

Blanche Berndt Mehaffey, mother of Blanche Mehaffey

The daughter of Edward Mehaffey and his wife, soprano Blanche Berndt, she had a brother, Edward Mehaffey Jr. She started as a dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies before coming to Hollywood to play comedy roles in motion pictures. Show producer Florenz Ziegfeld said she possessed the most beautiful eyes in the entire world. She was among the Baby Stars of 1924 chosen by the Wampas. Others in the group were Clara Bow, Dorothy Mackaill, and Hazel Keener.

Her debut in movies was in the silent film Fully Insured (1923) at Hal Roach Studios. She played in many Hal Roach comedies for a number of years with her leading men usually Charley Chase and later Glenn Tryon. She occasionally appeared in features such A Woman of the World (1925) with Pola Negri. Mehaffey dropped out of filming to study voice and languages for over a year in New York City. Mehaffey returned to movies in Sunrise Trail (1931), a film which featured her playing opposite cowboy star Bob Steele. The motion picture was her first talkie movie.

Personal life

Mehaffey wed oil-well supply dealer George Joseph Hausen at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, California in January 1928. They stayed married only ten weeks before the actress obtained a divorce decree.

Death

Blanche Mehaffey died in Los Angeles, California in 1968, aged 59.

Partial filmography

• A Woman of the World (1925)
• The Texas Streak (1926)
• The Princess from Hoboken (1927)
• Smilin' Guns (1929)
• Sally of the Subway (1932)
• Passport to Paradise (1932)
• The Sea Fiend (1936)
• Held for Ransom (1938)

References

• Kingsport, Tennessee Times, Prettiest Eyes, March 14, 1928, Page 1.
• Los Angeles Times, Ball To Be Well Attended, January 13, 1924, Page B14.
• New York Times, Blanche Mehaffey of Films Weds, January 5, 1928, Page 32.
• New York Times, Film Actress Gets Decree, April 7, 1928, Page 23.
• Reno, Nevada Evening Gazette, Blanche Mehaffey Back at Studios, December 27, 1930, Page 7.
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin Press, Theatrical News and Amusement Events, April 3, 1931, Page 18.
• Berndt Family forum

External links

• Blanche Mehaffey at Find a Grave (with photo)
• Blanche Mehaffey at the Internet Movie Database