This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (February 2022) |
Madge Meredith (born Marjorie May Massow; July 15, 1921 – September 16, 2017) was an American film actress[1] who appeared in numerous films and television series between 1944 and 1964. However, she may have been best known for her wrongful conviction for kidnapping.
Madge Meredith | |
|---|---|
 Meredith in 1949 | |
| Born | Marjorie May Massow July 15, 1921 |
| Died | September 16, 2017 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Rice School of the Theater |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1944–1964 |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Charles L. Corley (1953 - 1958) Mack Hatayama (? - 2017, her death) |
| Children | 2 |
Early years
editMeredith was born Marjorie May Massow in Iowa Falls, Iowa,[1] the middle child of five.[2] Her father F.A. Massow was a construction superintendent. She focused on dramatics in high school, which helped her manage her stammer. She received a tuition-only scholarship to the Rice School of the Theater in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Because her family's funds were limited, Meredith worked at the school to pay for her room and board.[3]
In 1941, Meredith and her family moved to Culver City, California in hopes of finding work for her in films. In June 1943, a friend helped her obtain a job in a coffee shop at the 20th Century-Fox studios.[3]
Career
editActress Jennifer Jones noticed Meredith at the coffee shop's cashier desk the late summer of 1943 and invited her to take a screen test.[3] The test was successful, and after undergoing rhinoplasty to correct a perceived problem with her nose, she signed a film contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first film appearance came as the female lead in Take It or Leave It (1944). She was billed as Marjorie Massow in Take It or Leave It and her following film, In the Meantime, Darling.[3] She changed her name to Madge Meredith in 1945.[4]
In 1946, after an uncredited appearance in the previous year's Kitty, Meredith signed a contract with RKO Pictures. She soon had roles in Child of Divorce (1946), The Falcon's Adventure (1946) and Trail Street (1947).[5]
Following her conviction and imprisonment related to a kidnapping case, Meredith resumed her career in 1952, appearing in uncredited roles in To Hell and Back (1955), Tea and Sympathy (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956) and The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957), her final feature film.
Following her film career, Meredith appeared on many television series such as Sea Hunt, Northwest Passage, Tales of the Vikings, The Best of the Post and The Littlest Hobo.
Kidnapping case
editOn July 2, 1947, a warrant was issued for Meredith's arrest charging her and three men with the kidnapping and beating of Nick Gianaclis, Meredith's business manager and Verne Davis, his bodyguard. Meredith denied involvement in the kidnapping and claimed that Gianaclis was trying to exact revenge after she had sued him over the purchase of a house,[6] a lawsuit that was decided in her favor. She also claimed that he became angry when she resisted his romantic advances.[7]
On December 12, 1947, the jury in a four-week trial found Meredith and two codefendants guilty of five felony charges. Meredith proclaimed her innocence, but her attorney's motion for a new trial was denied.[6] Her conviction was upheld by both the district appeals court and the Supreme Court of California.[8] On May 9, 1949, Meredith entered the California Correctional Institution near Tehachapi to begin serving her sentence.[9]
In March 1951, the parole board recommended Meredith's released after it decided that she had been unjustly convicted.[6] An interim committee on crime and corrections of the California State Assembly issued a report concluding: "The case of Miss Meredith, from beginning to end, is a mockery of investigation, of defense counseling, of trial procedure, and of justice itself."[10]
On July 14, 1951, California's governor Earl Warren ordered Meredith's release from prison, commuting her sentence to time served. He observed: "This is a bizarre case, perhaps more fantastic than any moving picture in which the defendant acted, but certainly having many of the attributes of a scenario."[6]
Personal life
editOn September 29, 1953, Meredith married Los Angeles-based physician Charles L. Corley,[11] with whom she had one child, a daughter. The couple separated in 1956, and divorced in 1958.[12] She later married Mack Hatayama,[1] with whom she adopted a son.[7]
Later years
editAfter retiring from acting, Meredith devoted her time to helping other victims of injustice.[4]
She died at her home in Volcano, Hawaii in 2017 at the age of 96,[1] survived by her husband, a son and a daughter.[4]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Take It or Leave It | Kate Collins | as Marjorie Massow |
| In the Meantime, Darling | Mrs. Cook | as Marjorie Massow | |
| 1945 | Kitty | Minor Role | uncredited |
| 1946 | Child of Divorce | Joan Carter Benton | |
| The Falcon's Adventure | Louisa Braganza | ||
| 1947 | Trail Street | Susan Pritchett | |
| 1953 | Tumbleweed | Sarah Blanden | |
| 1955 | To Hell and Back | Corinne | uncredited |
| 1956 | Tea and Sympathy | Alumna | uncredited |
| The Ten Commandments | Slave | uncredited | |
| 1957 | The Guns of Fort Petticoat | Hazel McCasslin | uncredited |
References
edit
- ^ a b c d "Madge Meredith, 96". Classic Images (510): 55–56. December 2017.
- ^ "Madge Meredith Returns To Iowa Falls for Visit". Box Office. April 19, 1947. p. 67. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d Stinson, Herb (29 July 1951). "The Madge Meredith Story". The Des Moines Register. Iowa, Des Moines. p. Section 7 - Page 1. Retrieved January 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Manby, Christine (14 December 2017). "Madge Meredith: Would-be Hollywood star imprisoned for kidnapping movie mogul she fell out with". Independent. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Stumpf, Charles (2010). ZaSu Pitts: The Life and Career. McFarland. p. 90. ISBN 9780786460236. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d Renner, Joan (June 20, 2013). "A Story Fit for Film: Did Actress Madge Meredith Kidnap Her Manager?". Los Angeles Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b Pendreigh, Brian (26 December 2017). "Obituary - Madge Meredith, Hollywood star accused of kidnapping plot". The Herald. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ "Madge Meredith Set for Fight To Clear Name, Return to Fame". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. Associated Press. February 10, 1952. p. 10-B. Retrieved January 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stinson, Herb (5 August 1951). "What Comes Next For the Pretty Girl from Iowa Falls Who Has Had Hollywood and Prison in Her Career?". The Des Moines Register. Iowa, Des Moines. p. Section 7 - Page 1.
- ^ "Movie Star Said Framed In Court". The Circleville Herald. Ohio, Circleville. March 27, 1951. p. 9. Retrieved January 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (September 30, 1953). "Madge Meredith Becomes Bride". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. 27. Retrieved January 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kidnap Figure Madge Meredith Wins Divorce". Binghamton Press. October 11, 1958. p. 10. ProQuest 2043410302.
The couple, married in 1953, separated in 1956. They have a 3-year-old daughter.
