Sheila Terry

Birthday: 1910-03-05
Deathday: 1957-01-19
Birthplace: Warroad, Minnesota, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheila Terry (March 5, 1910 – January 19, 1957) was an American film actress. She was born Kay Clark in Warroad, Minnesota. Terry first studied dramatics at Dickson-Kenwin academy, a school affiliated with London's Royal Academy. Later she moved to New York, where she continued her studies and appeared in a number of plays. While appearing on Broadway in The Little Racketeer, she was spotted by an alert film scout and given a test which led to a contract with Warner Bros.

She played in 1930s for Warner Bros. She appeared with John Wayne in the Western films Haunted Gold (1932); Neath the Arizona Skies and The Lawless Frontier (1934). She appeared with Bette Davis, Louis Calhern and Spencer Tracy in 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932). She appeared with Cary Grant and Sylvia Sidney in Marion Gering's film Madame Butterfly (1932). In 1933 she left Hollywood briefly for the New York stage. She married Major Laurence E. Clark, a wealthy Toronto socialite on August 16, 1928. She divorced him February 16, 1934. In 1937, she married William Magee of San Francisco, and retired from show business. After his death, Terry wanted to return to show business, but couldn't find a job.

In 1947, she said in a newspaper-interview: "I'm going back into show business and I need an act, I can't sing, I can't dance and I can't play the piano. I should be terrific in night clubs". She worked as a press agent for 15 years.

In January 1957, her body was discovered in the third floor apartment, which was both her home and office. A friend and neighbour, Jerry Keating, went to the apartment when he failed to reach her on the telephone. The door was locked, and Terry did not answer the bell. Keating called the police; they broke in and found Terry's body on the bedroom floor, her back leaning against the bed. Five capsules, their contents gone, were on the floor beside her.

Friends told the police that she returned from a trip to Mexico a few days before her death and that she was ill when she came home. It was later discovered that she died broke; she left only a scanty wardrobe. She was buried in Potter's Field in New York City.

Credits

Year Title Character
1938-12-13 I Demand Payment Rita Avery
1936-12-25 A Girl's Best Years Phyllis Rodgers
1936-11-22 Fury Below Claire Johnson
1936-06-16 Go-Get-'Em, Haines Jane Kent
1936-05-08 Special Investigator Judy Taylor
1936-04-17 Murder on a Bridle Path Violet Feverel
1935-11-01 Bars of Hate Ann Dawson
1935-07-29 A Scream in the Night Edith Bentley
1935-07-15 Society Fever Lucy Prouty
1935-05-15 Rescue Squad Rose
1935-04-30 Social Error Sonia
1934-12-05 'Neath the Arizona Skies Clara Moore
1934-11-22 The Lawless Frontier Ruby
1934-09-24 Rocky Rhodes Nan Street
1934-08-07 Take the Stand Mrs. Pearl Reynolds
1933-12-23 The House on 56th Street Dolly
1933-12-14 Convention City Mrs. Kent
1933-11-29 Son of a Sailor Genevieve
1933-06-24 The Mayor of Hell Blonde with Mike
1933-06-10 Private Detective 62 Mrs. Wright (Uncredited)
1933-06-01 The Sphinx Jerry Crane
1933-06-01 The Silk Express Paula Nyberg
1933-01-28 Parachute Jumper Weber's Secretary (uncredited)
1932-12-31 The Match King Blonde Telephone Operator (uncredited)
1932-12-30 Madame Butterfly Adelaide Pinkerton
1932-12-24 20,000 Years in Sing Sing Bud Saunders' Wife 'Babe' (uncredited)
1932-12-24 Lawyer Man Flo - Gilmurry's Moll (uncredited)
1932-12-17 Haunted Gold Janet Carter
1932-11-30 A Scarlet Week-End Marjorie Murphy
1932-11-18 You Said a Mouthful Cora Norton
1932-11-12 Scarlet Dawn Marjorie Murphy
1932-11-09 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang Allen's Secretary (uncredited)
1932-11-05 They Call It Sin Telephone Operator (uncredited)
1932-10-29 Three on a Match Naomi (uncredited)
1932-09-18 Big City Blues Lorna St. Clair (uncredited)
1932-07-08 Jewel Robbery Blonde Decoy (uncredited)
1932-06-18 Week-End Marriage Connie