Marian Nixon

Marian Nixon
File:Marian Nixon Stars of the Photoplay.jpg
Born	Marian Nissinen (1904-10-20)October 20, 1904 Superior, Wisconsin, USA
Died	Los Angeles, California, USA
Other names	Marion Nixon
Occupation	Actress, vaudevillian, dancer
Years active	1922–1936
Spouse(s)	Joseph Benjamin (m.1925–1927; divorced) Edward Hillman, Jr. (m.1929–1933; divorced) William A. Seiter (m.1934–1964; his death) 1 son Ben Lyon (m.1974–1979; his death)
Relatives	Richard Lyon (stepson) Barbara Lyon (stepdaughter)

Marian Nixon (October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress.

Career

Born Marian Nissinen in Superior, Wisconsin, Nixon began her career as a teen working as a chorus dancer on the vaudeville circuit. She began appearing in bit part in films in 1922 and landed her first substantial role in the 1923 film Cupid's Fireman, opposite Buck Jones. The following year, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star. Nixon continued to work steadily throughout the mid to late 1920s appearing in Riders of the Purple Sage (1925), Hands Up! (1926), and The Chinese Parrot (1927). In 1929, she made her talkie debut as the lead in Geraldine. Later that same year, Nixon appeared opposite Al Jolson in Say It with Songs followed by General Crack in 1930.

In 1932, she starred as Rebecca in the film adaption of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm with Ralph Bellamy. Following the release of Rebecca, Nixon co-starred in Winner Take All with James Cagney. The next year she had a supporting role in John Ford's Pilgrimage. In 1934, Nixon attempted to change her wholesome image with a role in the comedy We’re Rich Again. The film wasn't a success and after appearing in eight more films, Nixon retired from acting in 1936. She made her last film, Captain Calamity at the age of 32.

Personal life and death

Nixon married boxer Joseph Benjamin in 1925, but later divorced in 1927.

On August 11, 1929, Nixon married Chicago department store heir, Edward Hillman, Jr., at the home of his parents. The couple divorced in 1933. The following year, she married her We’re Rich Again director, William A. Seiter. The marriage lasted until Seiter's death in 1964. They had three children, including Christopher Seiter (1934-2003). In 1974, married actor/producer Ben Lyon. After Lyon's death in 1979, Nixon never remarried. Nixon died of complications following open heart surgery on February 13, 1983. and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Marian Nixon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street in Los Angeles, California. Her grandsons are the screenwriters Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1923	Rosita	Undetermined Bit Role	Uncredited
	Big Dan	Dora Allen
	Cupid's Fireman	Agnes Evans
1924	The Vagabond Trail	Lou Macon
	The Circus Cowboy	Bird Taylor
	The Last of the Duanes	Ruth
1925	Let 'er Buck	Jacqueline McCall	Credited as Marion Nixon
	Where Was I?	Alicia Stone
	The Sporting Life	Nora Cavanaugh	Lost film
1926	Hands Up!	Mae	extant
	What Happened to Jones	Lucille Bigbee	extant
	Devil's Island	Rose Marie	extant
	Spangles	Spangles Delancy	extant
1927	Heroes of the Night	Mary Allen
	Taxi! Taxi!	Rose Zimmerman	lost
	The Auctioneer	Ruth Levi	lost
1928	The Fourflusher	June Allen	lost
	Out of the Ruins	Yvonne Gilbert	Lost film
	How to Handle Women	Beatrice Fairbanks	Lost film
	Jazz Mad	Elsa Hausmann	extant; Library of Congress
1929	Rainbow Man	Mary Lane	extant; Library of Congress
	Young Nowheres	Annie Jackson	lost
1930	Scarlet Pages	Nora Mason
	Ex-Flame	Lady Catherine	lost
	The Lash	Dona Dolores Delfino
1931	Sweepstakes	Babe Ellis
	Women Go on Forever	Betty
1932	Charlie Chan's Chance	Shirley Marlowe
	After Tomorrow	Sidney Taylor
	Amateur Daddy	Sally Smith
1933	Best of Enemies	Lena Schneider
	Chance at Heaven	Glory Franklyn	Credited as Marion Nixon
1934	Strictly Dynamite	Sylvia Montgomery
	We're Rich Again	Arabella Sykes
	Embarrassing Moments	Jane
1935	Sweepstakes Annie	Annie Foster	Alternative title: Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1936	Tango	Treasure McGuire
	Captain Calamity	Madge Lewis

External links

• Marian Nixon at the Internet Movie Database
• Marian Nixon at the TCM Movie Database
• Marian Nixon at AllMovie
• Photographs of Marian Nixon
• Marian Nixon at Find a Grave