Marjorie Whiteis was a silent film actress who made headlines by suing her boyfriend for marrying another woman
She was born Ola Marjorie Gay Whiteis on April 2, 1899 in Exeter, Missouri. Sadly her father died when she was a baby. Her mother remarried and the family moved to Prairie, Arkansas. After high school she began working as a bookkeeper. In 1921 she decided to move to Los Angeles, California. Marjorie made her film debut in the 1924 drama Inez From Hollywood. The beautiful brunette was signed by producer Hal Roach. She appeared in numerous comedies including What Price Goofy, Chasing The Chaser, and Thundering Landlords (she was often billed as Marjorie Gay). Unfortunately she never became a major star. Her final film was the 1927 Harry Langdon comedy Long Pants.
Then she got a job as a seamstress and opened a shop where she repaired clothing. Marjorie began a serious romance with director Harry Joe Brown. In September of 1933 he went to Europe where he eloped with actress Sally Eilers. Feeling jilted Marjorie sued him for $100,00 for breach of promise. After a headline making trial that lasted nearly six months she was awarded just $5,000. She married Frank C. McCall but by 1940 they were divorced. Tragically on February 14, 1943 she died from bronchial pneumonia. Marjorie was only forty-three years old. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
