Rambeau, Marjorie

(1889-1970)

   Born in San Francisco, Marjorie Rambeau worked in stock companies there and in Los Angeles before scoring a Broadway hit in the title role of Sadie Love (1915). The following year, she consolidated her success as detective Nan Carey in Max Marcin 's hit Cheating Cheaters. Critics commented on Rambeau's beauty and strong stage presence, which served her well in her most critically acclaimed role, Gina Ashland in Marcin's comedy-drama Eyes of Youth (1917). She rejected the leading role in Rain (1922), instead appearing in modest successes like Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1921), The Goldfish (1922), The Valley of Content (1925), and Antonia (1925), and failures including The Road Together (1924), The Night Duel (1926), and her 1923 performance as Rosalind in As You Like it. When her looks faded, Rambeau became a successful character actress in motion pictures, often playing hard-boiled old women.