Alice White (born Alva White; August 25, 1904The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume incorrectly lists White's date of birth as August 28, 1907.Katz, Ephraim (1979). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume. Perigee Books. , pg. 1228. – February 19, 1983) was an American film actress. She first came to the public's attention during the late silent era as a rival to Clara Bow, before starring in First National/Warner Brothers films Broadway Babies, Naughty Baby, Hot Stuff, and Sweet Mama.
Early years Alice White was born in Paterson, New Jersey. Her mother was a chorus girl and Alice was raised by her maternal grandparents. She moved to California with her grandparents when a teenager and attended Hollywood High School for secretarial classes.
Film
After leaving school, White became a secretary and "script girl" for director Josef von Sternberg. She also worked as a switchboard operator at the Hollywood Writers' Club. After clashing with von Sternberg, White left to work as a script girl for Charlie Chaplin, who said, when he saw some photos a cameraman had taken of her "...you ought to go into the movies."
Her bubbly and vivacious persona led to comparisons with Clara Bow, but White's career was slow to progress. In his book Silent Films, 1877-1996: A Critical Guide to 646 Movies, Robert K. Klepper wrote: "Some critics have said that Ms. White was a second-string Clara Bow. In actuality, Ms. White had her own type of charm, and was a delightful actress in her own, unique way. Whereas Clara Bow played the quintessential, flaming redheaded flapper, Alice White was more of a bubbly, vivacious blonde."
She played a succession of flappers and gold diggers before attracting the attention of director and producer Mervyn LeRoy, who saw potential in her. Her screen debut was in The Sea Tiger (1927). Her early films included Show Girl (1928), which had Vitaphone musical accompaniment but no dialog, and its musical sequel Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), both released by Warner Brothers and both based on novels by J.P. McEvoy. In these two films, White appeared as Dixie Dugan. In October 1929, McEvoy started the comic strip Dixie Dugan with the character Dixie having a "helmet" hairstyle and appearance similar to actress Louise Brooks.
White used the services of Hollywood 'beauty sculptor' Sylvia of Hollywood to stay in shape.Hollywood Undressed: Observations of Sylvia As Noted by Her Secretary (1931).
White was featured in The Girl from Woolworth's (1929), having the role of a singing clerk in the music department of a Woolworth's store. Karen Plunkett-Powell wrote in her book Remembering Woolworth's: A Nostalgic History of the World's Most Famous Five-and-Dime: "First National Pictures produced this 60-minute musical as a showcase for up-and-coming actress Alice White."
Later career White left films in 1931 to improve her acting abilities, returning in 1933 only to have her career hurt by a scandal that erupted over her involvement with boyfriend actor John Warburton and future husband Sy Bartlett. Although she later married Bartlett, her reputation was tarnished and she appeared only in supporting roles after this, including Picture Snatcher (1933) with James Cagney, and a stand-out comic performance in Jimmy the Gent (1934) with Cagney and Bette Davis. By 1937 and 1938, her name was at the bottom of the cast lists. She made her final film appearance in Flamingo Road (1949) and eventually resumed working as a secretary.
Personal life
In 1933, White and her fiancé, American screenwriter Sidney "Sy" Bartlett, were accused of arranging the beating of British actor John Warburton. White and Warburton had reportedly had a love affair that ended when he beat her so badly she required cosmetic surgery. A grand jury in Los Angeles decided not to charge Bartlett or White; however, the bad publicity hurt White’s career.
White married Bartlett on December 3, 1933, in Magdalena, Mexico. She filed for divorce in 1937, claiming he "stayed away from home" and was awarded $65 per week in alimony.
White re-married to film writer, John Roberts, on August 24th, 1940. They divorced on April 18, 1949, in Los Angeles. The following year, she sued him over unpaid alimony.
Death White died of complications from a stroke on February 19, 1983, at age 78. She was buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson
Award White has a star at 1511 Vine Street in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.
Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes1927 The Sea Tiger Manuella Lost film The Satin Woman Jean Taylor Jr. American Beauty Claire O'Riley Lost film Breakfast at Sunrise Loulou The Private Life of Helen of Troy Adraste Incomplete The Dove Bit part UncreditedIncomplete1928Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Dorothy Shaw Lost film Mad Hour Aimee Lost film Lingerie Angele Ree ('Lingerie') The Big Noise Sophie Sloval Lost film Harold Teen Giggles Dewberry Three-Ring Marriage Trapeze Performer Lost film Show Girl Dixie Dugan Naughty Baby Rosalind McGill 1929 Hot Stuff Barbara Allen Broadway Babies Delight "Dee" Foster The Girl from Woolworth's Pat King Lost film The Show of Shows Herself 1930 Playing Around Sheba Miller Showgirl in Hollywood Dixie Dugan Sweet Mama Goldie Sweethearts on Parade Helen The Widow from Chicago Polly 1931 The Naughty Flirt Katherine Constance "Kay" Elliott Murder at Midnight Esme Kennedy 1933 Employees' Entrance Polly Dale Luxury Liner Milli Lensch Picture Snatcher Allison King for a Night Evelyn 1934 Cross Country Cruise May Jimmy the Gent Mabel A Very Honorable Guy Hortense Hathaway Gift of Gab Margot Secret of the Chateau Didi Bonfee 1935 Sweet Music Lulu Betts Malone Coronado Violet Wray Hornbostel 1937 Big City Peggy Delvin Telephone Operator Dottie Stengal 1938 King of the Newsboys Dolly Annabel Takes a Tour Marcella, Hotel Manicurist 1941 The Night of January 16th Uncredited 1942 Girls' Town Nicky 1949 Flamingo Road Gracie 1950 International Burlesque Short subjects Year Title Role Notes 1933 Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 1934 Hollywood on Parade No. B-6 The Hollywood Gad-About 1935 A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio Broadway Highlights No. 2
References
External links
Alice White singing and dancing in a clip from Show Girl in Hollywood (from YouTube).
Alice White at the TCM Movie Database Alice White Photos & Biography Photographs and literature