Mary Nolan
| Mary Nolan | |
|---|---|
in 1930
|
|
| Born |
Mary Imogene Robertson December 18, 1902 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1948 (aged 45) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Barbiturate overdose |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Imogene Robertson Imogen Robertson Mary Robertson Imogene Wilson |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, dancer |
| Years active | 1919–1937 |
| Spouse(s) | Wallace T. McCreary (m. 1931; div. 1932) |
Mary Nolan (December 18, 1902 – October 31, 1948) was an American stage and film actress, singer and dancer. She began her career as a Ziegfeld girl in the 1920s performing under the stage name Imogene "Bubbles" Wilson. She was fired from the Ziegfeld Follies in 1924 for her involvement in a tumultuous and highly publicized affair with comedian Frank Tinney. She left the United States shortly thereafter and began making films in Germany. She appeared in seventeen German films from 1925 to 1927 using a new stage name, "Imogene Robertson".
Upon returning to the United States in 1927, she attempted to break from her previous scandal ridden past and adopted yet another stage name, "Mary Nolan". She was signed to Universal Pictures in 1928 where she found some success in films. By the 1930s, her acting career began to decline due to her drug abuse and reputation for being temperamental. After being bought out of contract with Universal, she was unable to secure film work with any major studios. Nolan spent the remainder of her acting career appearing in roles in low-budget films for independent studios. She made her final film appearance in 1933.
After her film career ended, Nolan appeared in vaudeville and performed in nightclubs and roadhouses around the United States. Her later years were plagued by drug problems and frequent hospitalizations. She returned to Hollywood in 1939 and spent her remaining years living in obscurity before dying of a barbiturate overdose in 1948.
Nolan was born Mary Imogene Robertson in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1902 (some sources state 1905). She was one of five children born to Africanus and Viola Robertson. Her mother died of cancer at the age of 46. Unable to care for five young children, Africanus Robertson placed Mary in a foster home. She eventually went to live in Catholic orphanage in Missouri where she was nicknamed "Bubbles".
In June 1912, she left the orphanage and traveled to New York City to be near her oldest sister, Mabel. She was later discovered by magazine illustrator Arthur William Brown and began working as an artists' model.
While working as a model, Nolan was discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld who hired her as a dancer in his Ziegfeld Follies. As a showgirl in New York, she performed under the name "Imogene "Bubbles" Wilson" (the first of four stage names she used during her career). She soon became one of the most popular Ziegfeld Girls. Nolan's impact was so profound that columnist Mark Hellinger said of her in 1922, "Only two people in America would bring every reporter in New York to the docks to see them off. One is the President. The other is Imogene "Bubbles" Wilson."
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