Marcia Mae Jones
Born
August 1, 1924
Died
September 2, 2007 (83 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Marcia Mae Jones was born on August 1, 1924, to an acting family. Her mother, Freda Jones, was an actress, and all three of her siblings - Margaret Jones, Macon Jones, and Marvin Jones - were child actors. But Marcia Mae had the most successful career, and she was the only one of her siblings to become a child star.
She made her acting debut when just six months old, when director James Cruze saw her in her baby carriage and immediately cast her as the baby in his film Mannequin (1926). Her first major role was in Night Nurse (1931), in which she played a sick child that a sinister hospital staff was trying to murder. By age 10, Marcia Mae had appeared in several dramatic films.
In 1936, she played a terrified victim of school bullying in These Three (1936), a role that brought her much attention. In 1937, she played the crippled Klara in Heidi (1937). The film starred two other child actors, Delmar Watson and Shirley Temple. Despite a four-year age difference, Marcia Mae and Shirley acted well with each other, and they appeared together again in The Little Princess (1939).
Besides Shirley Temple and Delmar Watson, Marcia Mae worked with several other child stars of the 1930s, including Jane Withers, Bonita Granville, Jackie Moran, Sybil Jason, and her favorite, Jackie Cooper.
Marcia Mae's film career began to slow down in the early 1950s, after which she largely appeared in television roles. Her adult life was marred by the suicide of her second husband, Bill Davenport, and problems with alcohol. She eventually conquered her alcohol dependency and became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Marcia Mae Jones died on 2 September 2007 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Known For
Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star
Self
1996
Shirley Temple: America's Little Darling
Self
1993
Simon & Simon
(1 episode)
1981
The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe
Sarah
1974
The Way We Were
Peggy Vanderbilt
1973
A Great American Tragedy
Claire
1972
The Streets of San Francisco
(1 episode)
1972
Cannon
(2 episodes)
1971
Live a Little, Love a Little
Woman #1 (uncredited)
1968
Family Affair
(1 episode)
1966
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Waitress · (1 episode)
1964
Mister Ed
(1 episode)
1961
My Three Sons
(3 episodes)
1960
Meet the Family
Candy
1954
The Star
Waitress (uncredited)
1952
The Yellow Haired Kid
Amy
1952
Chicago Calling
Peggy (as Marsha Jones)
1951
Racket Squad
(1 episode)
1951
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
(1 episode)
1951
Life with Buster Keaton
1951
Hi-Jacked
Jean Harper (as Marsha Jones)
1950
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
Katie O'Grady
1950
Arson, Inc.
Betty - Fender's Secretary
1949
Tucson
Polly Johnson
1949
Trouble Preferred
Virginia Evans
1948
Street Corner
Lois Marsh
1948
The Fabulous Fraud
Blind Girl
1948
Snafu
Martha
1945
Lady in the Death House
Suzy Kirk Logan
1944
Nine Girls
Shirley Berke
1944
Top Man
Erna Lane
1943
Nobody's Darling
Lois
1943
The Youngest Profession
Vera Bailey
1943
Secrets of a Co-Ed
Blonde Co-Ed in Black Outfit [Script Name: Laura Wright]
1942
Let's Go Collegiate
Bess Martin
1941
The Gang's All Here
Patsy Wallace
1941
Nice Girl?
Jane's Friend at Benefit
1941
The Old Swimmin' Hole
Betty Elliott
1940
Haunted House
Millie Henshaw
1940
Anne of Windy Poplars
Jen Pringle
1940
Tomboy
Pat Kelly
1940
Meet Dr. Christian
Marilee
1939
First Love
Marcia Parker
1939
The Flying Irishman
Teenager
1939
The Little Princess
Lavinia
1939
Barefoot Boy
Pige Blaine
1938
Mad About Music
Olga
1938
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mary Sawyer
1938
Lady Behave!
Patricia Cormack
1937
Heidi
Klara Sesemann
1937
The Life of Emile Zola
Helen Richards
1937
Mountain Justice
Bethie Harkins
1937
Two Wise Maids
Geraldine 'Jerry ' Karns
1937
These Three
Rosalie Wells
1936
This Is the Life
Child
1935
A Dog of Flanders
Little Girl at Party (uncredited)
1935
Imitation of Life
Peola's Frontrow Classmate (uncredited)
1934
Doctor Bull
Ruth
1933
Mush and Milk
1933
Employees' Entrance
Flower Girl at Wedding (uncredited)
1933
Birthday Blues
Girl with Whistle
1932
What Price Hollywood?
Flower Girl at Wedding (uncredited)
1932
The Champ
Mary Lou Carleton
1931
Street Scene
1931
Night Nurse
Nanny Ritchey (uncredited)
1931
King of Jazz
Child ('Bridal Veil') (uncredited)
1930
The Bishop Murder Case
Hungry Child in Park (uncredited)
1929
Mannequin
Joan Herrick as a baby (uncredited)
1926