Mixing
Mary Jane Higby
Mary Jane Higby | |
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 Higby in 1953 | |
| Born | May 29, 1909 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | February 1, 1986, age 76 New York City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Known for | Playing female lead in When a Girl Marries on radio |
| Home town | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Spouse(s) | Guy Sorel (January 13, 1945 - ?) |
| Parent(s) | Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Higby |
Mary Jane Higby (May 29, 1909 - February 1, 1986)[1] was an American actress in the era of old-time radio and the early years of television. She is best known for her 18 years in the leading role on When a Girl Marries.[2]
Contents
1 Early years
2 Radio
3 Television
4 Film
5 Book
6 Personal life
7 References
Early years
The daughter of vaudevillian parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Higby[3] (known professionally as the Higby Players) Mary Jane Higby was born in St. Louis, Missouri, "between a matinee and an evening performance."[4] According to a newspaper photograph's caption, "literally she was carried on the stage by her theatrical parents as a prop when she was only 2."[5]
Perhaps her earliest public performance occurred when she was 5 years old. An article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1914 listed Higby as one of "a number of helpful children [who] will give a performance for the benefit of the Post-Dispatch Pure Milk and Free Ice Fund."[6] A later article cited Higby as one of two "little performers" who were "brought out repeatedly for their excellent work."[7]
Radio
Higby's radio debut came in 1932 "in singing and dramatic roles."[8] In 1936, she played Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's Othello on KECA in Los Angeles, California.[9] She also participated in network radio that year as a part of the cast of Death Rides the Highways on NBC.[10]
Higby's signature role was portraying Joan Davis, the female lead on When a Girl Marries, a part she played for 18 years.[1] Her other roles in radio programs included Cynthia in The Romance of Helen Trent[11] and various supporting parts in Perry Mason[12]
Higby was also in the cast of Joe Palooka,[13]John's Other Wife,[13]:351Joyce Jordan, Girl Interne,[13]:357The Listening Post,[13]:399Mary Marlin,[13]:426Parties at Pickfair,[13]:510Stella Dallas[13]:662 and This Is Nora Drake.[13]:687
In the 1970s, Higby once again appeared on network radio, acting in episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater.[14]
Television
Higby appeared in We, the People.[15]
Film
Higby "had a Hollywood career as a child actress,"[16] primarily acting in silent films for which her father was the director.[2] As an adult, looking back on her cinematic experience as a child, Higby said, "... the movies frightened me. I was, it seems, always being kidnaped, riding runaway horses or, generally speaking, being yanked around."[17]
As an adult, Higby appeared in The Honeymoon Killers,[18]
Book
In 1968, Cowles Publishing Company published Tune in Tomorrow, Higby's account of her life in radio's golden age. A reviewer called the book "a fast, bouncy, information-loaded" description of the era -- one that focused on "actors, actresses, sponsors, engineers, agents, writers, sound men, on everything and everybody who made pre-TV radio tick" rather than on herself.[19]
Personal life
Higby married actor Guy Sorel[16] January 13, 1945, in New York City, New York.[17]
References
^ ab DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 129.
^ ab Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3. P. 126.
^ "When a Girl Marries (continued)" (PDF). Tune-In. September 1943. p. 18. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
^ "Day Dramatist Tells Story of Odd Debut". Harrisburg Telegraph (June 8, 1940). Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. p. 22. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Reaches Stardom". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. April 18, 1940. p. 26. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Children Busily Working Now to Save the Babies". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. May 30, 1914. p. 4. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Saturday Matinee Benefit Realizes $28.65 for Babies". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. June 8, 1914. p. 9. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "The Girl". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. July 12, 1941. p. 25. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Farnum Will Star in New Adventure Serial Starting Over KHJ Tonight". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. January 14, 1936. p. 10. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "'Death Rides Highways' on Air Tonight; Hersholt To Broadcast; Carlotta King Opens Own Program". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. February 28, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "New Stars Join WHP "Romance of Helen Trent" Cast". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. February 17, 1945. p. 15. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "'Perry Mason'". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. September 21, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcdefgh Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 350.
^ Rhoads, B. Eric (1996). Blast from the Past: A Pictorial History of Radio's First 75 Years (PDF). Streamline Publishing, Inc. p. 337. ISBN 1-886745-06-4. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
^ "(TV listing)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. November 4, 1949. p. 29. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab Gerhard, Inez (June 5, 1947). "Star Dust". Shiner Gazette. Texas, Shiner. Western Newspaper Union. p. 10. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab Haller, Marie (June 1953). "When a Girl Marries". Radio-TV Mirror. 40 (1): 44–45, 67, 69. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
^ "(The Honeymoon Killers ad)". The Ottawa Journal. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. February 27, 1970. p. 25. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Brockman, Zoe (August 11, 1968). "Observations About Books". The Gastonia Gazette. North Carolina, Gastonia. p. 47. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
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