Mae Clarke
| Mae Clarke | |
|---|---|
In Lady Killer (1933)
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| Born |
Violet Mary Klotz August 16, 1910 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 29, 1992 (aged 81) Woodland Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1929–1970 |
| Spouse(s) |
Lew Brice (1928-divorced) Stevens Bancroft (1937-divorced) Herbert Langdon (1946-divorced) |
Mae Clarke born Violet Mary Klotz (August 16, 1910 – April 29, 1992) was an American actress. She is best remembered for playing Dr. Henry Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth Lavenza, who is chased by Boris Karloff, in Frankenstein, and also, for having a grapefruit smashed into her face, by James Cagney in The Public Enemy. Both films were released in 1931.
Mae Clarke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was a theater organist. She studied dancing as a child and began on stage in vaudeville and also worked in night clubs.
Mae Clarke started her professional career as a dancer in New York City, sharing a room with Barbara Stanwyck. She subsequently starred in many films for Universal Studios, including the original screen version of The Front Page (1931) and the first sound version of Frankenstein (1931) with Boris Karloff. Clarke played the role of Henry Frankenstein's fiancee, Elizabeth, who is attacked by the Monster (Karloff), on her wedding day.
The Public Enemy, released that same year, contained one of cinema's most famous (and frequently parodied) scenes, in which James Cagney pushes a half grapefruit into Clarke's face, then goes out to pick up Jean Harlow. The film was so popular that it ran 24 hours a day at a theater in Times Square upon its initial release; Clarke's ex-husband had the grapefruit scene timed and would frequently buy a ticket, enter the theater to again enjoy that sequence, then immediately leave the theater.
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