Mary Brian (born Louise Byrdie Dantzler, February 17, 1906 â€"
December 30, 2002) was an American actress, who made the transition
from silent films to sound films.Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas,
the daughter of Taurrence J. Dantzler and Louise B.. Her brother was
Taurrence J. Dantzler, Jr.Her father died when she was one month old
and the family later moved to Dallas. In the early 1920s, they moved
to Long Beach, California. She had intended becoming an illustrator
but that was laid aside when at age 16 she was discovered in a local
bathing beauty contest. One of the judges was famous motion picture
star Esther Ralston (who was to play her mother in the upcoming Peter
Pan and who became a lifelong friend).She didn't win the $25 prize in
the contest but Ralston said, "you've got to give the little girl
something." So, her prize was to be interviewed by director Herbert
Brenon for a role in Peter Pan. Brenon was recovering from eye
surgery, and she spoke with him in a dimly lit room. "He asked me a
few questions, Is that your hair? Out of the blue, he said, I would
like to make a test. Even to this day, I will never know why I was
that lucky. They had made tests of every ingénue in the business for
Wendy. He had decided he would go with an unknown. It would seem more
like a fairy tale. It wouldn't seem right if the roles were to be
taken by someone they (the audience) knew or was divorced. I got the
part. They put me under contract." The studio renamed her Mary Brian.
December 30, 2002) was an American actress, who made the transition
from silent films to sound films.Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas,
the daughter of Taurrence J. Dantzler and Louise B.. Her brother was
Taurrence J. Dantzler, Jr.Her father died when she was one month old
and the family later moved to Dallas. In the early 1920s, they moved
to Long Beach, California. She had intended becoming an illustrator
but that was laid aside when at age 16 she was discovered in a local
bathing beauty contest. One of the judges was famous motion picture
star Esther Ralston (who was to play her mother in the upcoming Peter
Pan and who became a lifelong friend).She didn't win the $25 prize in
the contest but Ralston said, "you've got to give the little girl
something." So, her prize was to be interviewed by director Herbert
Brenon for a role in Peter Pan. Brenon was recovering from eye
surgery, and she spoke with him in a dimly lit room. "He asked me a
few questions, Is that your hair? Out of the blue, he said, I would
like to make a test. Even to this day, I will never know why I was
that lucky. They had made tests of every ingénue in the business for
Wendy. He had decided he would go with an unknown. It would seem more
like a fairy tale. It wouldn't seem right if the roles were to be
taken by someone they (the audience) knew or was divorced. I got the
part. They put me under contract." The studio renamed her Mary Brian.
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