Alice White

Birthday: 1904-08-25
Deathday: 1983-02-19
Birthplace: Paterson, New Jersey, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alice White (born Alva White, August 25, 1904 – February 19, 1983) was an American film actress. Her career spanned late silent films and early sound films.

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 for Charlie Chaplin, who decided before long to place her in front of the camera.

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."

After playing a succession of flappers and gold diggers, she attracted 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 "talkie" 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, McAvoy started the comic strip Dixie Dugan with the character Dixie having a "helmet" hairstyle and appearance similar to actress Louise Brooks. White also used the services of Hollywood 'beauty sculptor' Sylvia of Hollywood to stay in shape.

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."

She 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 Jack Warburton and future husband Sy Bartlett. Although she later married Bartlett, her reputation was tarnished and she appeared only in supporting roles after this. 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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1949-04-30 Flamingo Road Gracie
1942-03-06 Girls' Town Nicky
1941-11-28 The Night of January 16th Flashy Blonde
1938-11-10 Annabel Takes a Tour Marcella, Hotel Manicurist
1938-03-18 King of the Newsboys Dolly
1937-12-07 Telephone Operator Dotty Stengal
1937-09-03 Big City Peggy Devlin
1935-11-27 Coronado Violet Wray Hornbostel
1935-02-23 Sweet Music Lulu Betts
1934-12-03 Secret of the Chateau Didi Bonfee
1934-09-01 Gift of Gab Margot
1934-04-18 A Very Honorable Guy Hortense
1934-03-09 Jimmy the Gent Mabel
1934-01-16 Cross Country Cruise May
1933-12-09 King for a Night Evelyn
1933-05-06 Picture Snatcher Allison
1933-02-11 Employees' Entrance Polly Dale
1933-02-03 Luxury Liner Milli Lynch
1931-09-01 Murder at Midnight Millie Scripps
1931-01-11 The Naughty Flirt Miss Katherine Constance 'Kay' Elliott
1930-11-23 The Widow from Chicago Polly Henderson, aka Polly Dorgan
1930-09-12 Sweethearts on Parade Helen
1930-07-06 Sweet Mama Goldie
1930-04-20 Show Girl in Hollywood Dixie Dugan
1930-01-10 Playing Around Sheba Miller
1929-11-21 Show of Shows Performer in 'If I Could Learn to Love' Number (uncredited)
1929-10-27 The Girl from Woolworth's Pat King
1929-06-30 Broadway Babies Dee Foster
1929-05-05 Hot Stuff Barbara Allen
1928-12-16 Naughty Baby Rosalind McGill
1928-09-23 Show Girl Dixie Dugan
1928-06-10 3-Ring Marriage Trapeze Performer
1928-04-28 Harold Teen Giggles Dewberry
1928-03-25 The Big Noise Sophie Sloval
1928-03-04 Mad Hour Aimee
1928-01-22 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Dorothy Shaw
1927-12-09 The Private Life of Helen of Troy Adraste
1927-10-23 Breakfast at Sunrise Loulou
1927-10-09 American Beauty Claire O'Riley
1927-07-24 The Satin Woman Jean Taylor
1927-02-27 The Sea Tiger Manuella