Marion Aye

Marion Aye (April 5, 1903 – July 21, 1951) was an American actress of screen and stage who starred in several films during the 1920s, mostly comedies. She is sometimes credited as Maryon Aye.

Marion Aye
Aye in 1922
Born(1903-04-05)April 5, 1903
Chicago, Illinois
DiedJuly 21, 1951(1951-07-21) (aged 48)
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Cause of deathSuicide
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Other namesMaryon Aye
OccupationActress, model, vaudeville performer
Years active1919–1926
Spouse(s)
  • Sherman William Plaskett
    (m. 1918; died 1918)
  • Harry Wilson
    (m. 1920; div. 1924)
  • Ross Wilson Forrester (m. 1936)

Early life

Born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of attorney James H. Aye,[1] she began her career at Balboa Studios in Long Beach.[2] She was later "discovered" by producer Mack Sennett, who made her one of his bathing beauties.[3]

Career

Aye was selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1922. She was a capable dancer, a talent she exhibited in several films. Aye was Larry Semon's leading lady in The Hick and worked with Stan Laurel in The Weak-End Party. She appeared in eighteen western shorts opposite Bob Reeves. When she signed a long-term film contract she became the first Hollywood star to agree to a morality clause.[4][5] Her last role was in the 1926 comedy Irene, starring Colleen Moore, although she continued to work in vaudeville.

In November 1927, Aye was one of six people arrested for their participation in presenting the play The Married Virgin at the Green Street Theater in San Francisco; the charge was that the play was immoral. The other five had been arrested on the charge once before, but it was Aye's first time.[6]

Personal life

She married her first husband, Sherman William Plaskett, when she was a teenager. He died just seven months after their wedding when he contracted Spanish influenza.[2] Her second husband was publicist Harry Wilson; they were married from 1920 until 1924.[7] She married stage actor Ross Wilson Forrester on September 22, 1936.[5]

Later years and death

Following retirement, she suffered depression from her isolation from the film industry. In 1935, she attempted suicide by swallowing poison. She continued to suffer from depression and on July 10, 1951, Aye was found in a "semi-conscious condition" after swallowing a handful of bi-chloride of mercury tablets in a motel room in Culver City, California.[8] Her last words to her husband were: "I dropped one of the tablets on the floor and I'm afraid the dog will get it."[9] She died eleven days later in a Los Angeles County Hospital. Her father reported that she was despondent after failing to get a part in a television play.[1] Her third husband, comedian Ross Forrester, was distraught, stating that he thought his wife was only joking about taking her life.

She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1919 A Yankee Doodle in Berlin Bathing Beauty Uncredited
1921 The Hick The Farmer's Daughter
Montana Bill
The Vengeance Trail Grace Winwood Credited as Maryon Aye
1922 Streak of Yellow
Double Reward
No Man's Gold
Phantom of the Hills
West Meets East
His Brother's Blood
The Claim Jumpers
The Weak-End Party Lily, the birthday girl
The Punctured Prince
1923 The Eternal Three Maid Credited as Maryon Aye
The Meanest Man in the World Nellie Clarke Credited as Maryon Aye
1924 The Last Man on Earth Red Sal
The Roughneck Marrat's Girl Credited as Maryon Aye
1926 Irene Helen Cheston Credited as Maryon Aye

References
  1. "Marion Aye, Former Screen Star, Dies". Rome News-Tribune. Rome, Georgia. INS. July 22, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  2. "Photographic image of newspaper cutting" (JPG). 2.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  3. http://maryonaye.blogspot.com/
  4. "Maryon Aye Signs with Sol Lesser". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. February 5, 1923. p. 32. Retrieved 24 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Maryon Aye ~ Bathing Beauty". Maryonaye.blogspot.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  6. "S.F. theater cast again arrested". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. November 21, 1927. p. 15. Retrieved 24 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "VAUDEVILLE" (PDF). Fultonhistory.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  8. "Actress Marion Aye's Death Seems Suicide". The Gazette. Iowa, Cedar Rapids. International News Service. July 22, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 23 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Marion Aye, Tragic Film Player" (PDF). bizarrela.com. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
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