Durable, gifted leading lady and character player of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, best remembered as the homicidal, but wide-eyed and seemingly sympathetic, Brigid O'Shaughnessy in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941). With her small face, brunette hair, and slightly uneven but lovely, cameo-like features, Astor began in silent films as a delicate romantic lead in such films as "Don Juan" (1926). With the coming of sound her image changed somewhat and she played more sophisticated roles, such as the neurotic wife who lusts after Clark Gable in "Red Dust" (1932), and, in an especially fine performance, as the sympathetic "other woman" in William Wyler's "Dodsworth" (1936).
Astor was at the center of a scandal in 1936, when her suit for custody of her daughter Marylyn led to the disclosure of a personal diary, allegedly documenting her liaisons with a number of prominent Hollywood figures. The controversy did not destroy her career, however; indeed, in many ways it peaked with a series of splendid and acclaimed second lead and occasional lead performances as passionate, driven women in such fine dramas and comedies as "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937), "Midnight" (1939) and "The Palm Beach Story" (1942). She deservedly won a Supporting Actress Oscar as a bitchy pianist rival of Bette Davis for the affections of George Brent in "The Great Lie" (1941).
As middle age approached, Astor moved gracefully into a third stage of work in mother roles, usually sympathetic, most famously as Judy Garland's mom in the warm Technicolor musical, "Meet Me In St. Louis" (1944). Her striking supporting cameo as a prostitute in "Act of Violence" (1949) and her domineering mother in "Stranger in My Arms" (1959) were but two of the fine performances she was to give through the early 1960s. She also penned a number of novels and two well-received, intelligent memoirs.
Family
MOTHER: Helen Langhanke. Elocution teacher. Forced to support family after rise of anti-German sentiment during WWI; in 1934 sued Astor for non-support.
FATHER: Otto Ludwig Wilhelm Langhanke. Business manager, teacher, farmer. German immigrant; taught German in high school in Quincy, Illinois; acted as his daughter's business manner in the 1920s and 30s; in 1934 sued Astor for non-support; died in 1943.
DAUGHTER: Marylyn Haouli Thorpe. Born in June 1932 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
SON: Anthony Paul Del Campo. Born on June 5, 1939 in Los Angeles, California.
Companion
COMPANION: John Barrymore. Actor. Reportedly fell in love when they co-starred together in "Beau Brummel".
HUSBAND: Kenneth Hawks. Director. Married from February 1928 until his death in a plane crash on January 2, 1930; brother of Howard Hawks.
HUSBAND: Franklyn Thorpe. Doctor. Married on June 29, 1931; divorced on April 12, 1935; given custody of daughter Marylyn; Astor sued and was awarded custody for 3/4 of each year.
COMPANION: George S Kauffman. Playwright, director. Affair with Kauffman was made public when her diaries were read in court during divorce proceedings from Thorpe.
HUSBAND: Manuel Del Campo. Married in February 1937; divorced in 1941.
HUSBAND: Thomas Gordon Wheelock. Married in December 1945; separated in the early 1950s; divorced in 1955.
Milestone
Raised in Illinois
1919: Submitted photograph to contest sponsored by Motion Picture magazine; moved to Chicago when placed among finalists but was deemed too young
1920: Family moved to NYC
Posed for a series of photographs titled "The Madonna Child" for Charles Albin; caught attention of talent scout who put her under six-month contract with Paramount; name changed to Mary Astor
1921: Film debut in a dream sequence of the film "Sentimental Journey"; cut from final print
1921: First screen appearance in title role of the short "The Beggar Maid"
1922: Feature acting debut in "John Smith"
Re-signed by Paramount to a $500 a week contract
1923: Moved to Hollywood
1924 - 1926: Career boosted when she was reportedly requested by John Barrymore to play opposite him in "Beau Brummel" (produced at Warner Bros.) and "Don Juan"; they supposedly fell in love on the set
1925: Signed by Warner Bros.
1926: Named a Wampas Baby Star
1928: Loaned to Fox for "Dressed to Kill"; later signed contract with Fox
Released by Fox when she failed a sound test; the equipment distorted her voice and made her sound more masculine
Co-starred in the L.A. stage production "Among the Married" alongside Florence Eldridge and Edward Everett Horton
1930: First sound feature "Ladies Love Brutes"
1930: Co-starred as Julia Seton in the first screen version of Philip Barry's play "Holiday"
1932: Cast as an unfaithful wife in "Red Dust"
1933: Played a murder suspect in "The Kennel Murder Case", a Philo Vance mystery starring William Powell as the detective
1936: Made headlines when her 1929-1934 diary was introduced in divorce proceedings; the journal reportedly contained passages of her lovers in explicit detail; Astor always maintained that the pages introduced in court were forgeries
1936: Delivered a memorable supporting turn as an American expatriate in "Dodsworth"
1937: Co-starred in "The Prisoner of Zenda" and "The Hurricane"
1937: Returned to the stage as star of three one-acts by Noel Coward, "Tonight at 8:30", "The Astonished Heart" and "Still Life"
1938: Played Judy Garland's widowed mother in "Listen Darling"
Began appearing on radio programs such as "Lux Theatre", "Screen Actors Guild" and "Suspense"
1939: Reunited onscreen with John Barrymore in "Midnight"; was pregnant during filming
1941: Won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing a concert pianist in "The Great Lie"; film starred Bette Davis
1941: Cast in what is arguably her best-known role, the shady Brigid O'Shaughnessy in "The Maltese Falcon" opposite Humphrey Bogart
1942: Reteamed with Bogart in "Across the Pacific"
1942: Donned an ill-advised blonde wig as a much-married socialite in the comedy "The Palm Beach Story"
1943: Signed seven-year contract with MGM in part for the financial security; later came to regret decision as studio only seemed to cast her in matronly parts which she dubbed "The Metro Mothers"
1944: Played the matriarch of the Smith family in the charming slice of Americana "Meet Me in St. Louis"
1944: Broadway debut in the ill-fated "Many Happy Returns"
Had to turn down and opportunity to star in film version of "Blithe Spirit" as MGM would not loan her
1946: Loaned to Fox to co-star in "Claudia and David"
1948: Portrayed a woman of questionable virtue in the noirish "Act of Violence"
1949: Cast as Marmee in remake of "Little Women"; Astor was so disillusioned with studio she asked to be released from her contract
1951: Struggling with alcoholism, attempted suicide; later joined Alcoholics Anonymous and converted to Catholicism
Moved to NYC
1952: Toured the USA in the stage play "The Time of the Cuckoo"
1954: TV acting debut in "The Missing Years" on "Kraft Television Theater" (ABC)
Made frequent appearances on TV programs
Returned to Broadway opposite Eve LeGallienne in "The Starcross Story"
1956: Moved back to Los Angeles
1956: Toured in Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell", directed by Agnes Moorehead
1956: Returned to films after seven years to play Robert Wagner's mother in "A Kiss Before Dying"
Played Norma Desmond in TV version of "Sunset Boulevard"; also acted in "The Women" and two separate versions of "The Philadelphia Story"
1959: Published "My Story, An Autobiography"
1961: Portrayed the overpossessive mother of Brett Halsey in the sequel "Return to Peyton Place"
1964: Final film, "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte"; made cameo appearance as a blackmailed murderer; co-starred with Bette Davis
1971: Wrote second memoir "A Life on Film"
1976: Moved to Motion Picture Country Home
1980: Profiled in cover story of Life magazine, "Whatever Became of Mary Astor and Other Lost Stars?"
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