About

Known credits:
69
Birthday:
1909-07-01
Place of birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Madge Evans

Overview

Lovely Madge Evans was the perennial nice girl in films of the 1930s. By then, she had been in front of the camera for many years, starting with Fairy Soap commercials at the age of two (she sat on a bar of soap holding a bunch of violets with the tag line reading "have you a little fairy in your home?"). 'Baby Madge' also lent her name to a children's hat company. In 1914, aged five, she was picked out by talent scouts to appear in the William Farnum movie The Sign of the Cross (1914), followed by The Seven Sisters (1915) with Marguerite Clark.

By the end of the following year, she had amassed some twenty film credits, appearing with such noted contemporary stars as Pauline Frederick or Alice Brady. All of her early films were made on the East Coast, at studios in Ft.Lee, New Jersey. In 1917 (aged eight), Madge made her Broadway debut in 'Peter Ibbetson' with John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore. She resumed her stage career in 1926 as an ingenue with 'Daisy Mayme' and the following year appeared with Billie Burke in Noel Coward's costume drama 'The Marquise' (1927).

Her pleasing looks and personality soon attracted the attention of Hollywood and she was eventually signed by MGM in 1931. During the next decade, she appeared in several A-grade productions, notably as Lionel Barrymore's daughter in MGM's Dinner at Eight (1933) and as the dependable Agnes Wickfield in one of the best-ever filmed versions of David Copperfield (1935). She co-starred opposite James Cagney in the gangster movie The Mayor of Hell (1933), Spencer Tracy in The Show-Off (1934) and listened to Bing Crosby crooning the title song in Pennies from Heaven (1936). Madge received praise for her performance as the star of Beauty for Sale (1933) and The New York Times review of January 13 1934 described her acting in Fugitive Lovers (1934) (opposite Robert Montgomery ) as 'spontaneous and captivating'. Many of her 'typical American girl' roles did not allow her to express aspects of the greater acting range she undoubtedly possessed. Too often she was cast as the 'nice girl' - and those rarely make much of a dramatic impact. On the few occasions she was assigned the role of 'other woman' , such as the Helen Hayes-starrer What Every Woman Knows (1934), audiences found her character difficult to believe and disassociate from her all-round wholesome image. When her contract with MGM expired in 1937, Madge wound down her film career and, following her 1939 marriage, concentrated on being the wife of celebrated playwright Sidney Kingsley. She last appeared on stage in one of his plays, "The Patriots", in 1943.

Known for

Acting
1975 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1961 Hollywood: The Selznick Years Actor 'Dinner at Eight' (archive footage) (uncredited) 58
Average
1938 Army Girl Actor Julie Armstrong 59
Average
1938 Sinners in Paradise Actor Anne Wesson 58
Average
1937 The Thirteenth Chair Actor Nell O'Neill 58
Average
1937 Espionage Actor Patricia Booth 59
Average
1936 Pennies from Heaven Actor Susan Sprague 59
Average
1936 Piccadilly Jim Actor Ann Chester 59
Average
1936 Moonlight Murder Actor Toni Adams 58
Average
1936 Exclusive Story Actor Ann Devlin 59
Average
1935 The Tunnel Actor Ruth McAllan 58
Average
1935 Men Without Names Actor Helen Sherwood 58
Average
1935 Calm Yourself Actor Rosalind Rockwell 58
Average
1935 Age of Indiscretion Actor Maxine Bennett 58
Average
1935 David Copperfield Actor Agnes Wickfield as a Woman 59
Average
1935 Helldorado Actor Glenda Wynant N/A
N/A
1934 What Every Woman Knows Actor Lady Sybil Tenterden 58
Average
1934 Death on the Diamond Actor Frances Clark 59
Average
1934 Paris Interlude Actor Julie 58
Average
1934 Grand Canary Actor Lady Mary Fielding 58
Average
1934 Stand Up and Cheer! Actor Mary Adams 58
Average
1934 The Show-Off Actor Amy Fisher Piper 59
Average
1934 Fugitive Lovers Actor Letty Morris 59
Average
1933 Dinner at Eight Actor Paula Jordan 60
Fair
1933 Day of Reckoning Actor Dorothy Day 58
Average
1933 Broadway to Hollywood Actor Anne Ainsley 58
Average
1933 Beauty for Sale Actor Letty Lawson 59
Average
1933 The Mayor of Hell Actor Dorothy Griffith 59
Average
1933 Hell Below Actor Joan 58
Average
1933 The Nuisance Actor Dorothy Mason 59
Average
1933 Made on Broadway Actor Claire 58
Average
1933 Hallelujah, I'm a Bum Actor June Marcher 59
Average
1932 Fast Life Actor Shirley 59
Average
1932 Huddle Actor Rosalie 59
Average
1932 Are You Listening? Actor Laura O'Neil 58
Average
1932 The Greeks Had a Word for Them Actor Polaire 58
Average
1932 Lovers Courageous Actor Mary Blayne 59
Average
1931 West of Broadway Actor Anne 59
Average
1931 Heartbreak Actor Countess Vima Walden N/A
N/A
1931 Guilty Hands Actor Barbara 'Babs' Grant 58
Average
1931 Sporting Blood Actor Miss 'Missy' Ruby 58
Average
1931 Son of India Actor Janice 58
Average
1930 Envy Actor Helen N/A
N/A
1930 The Bard of Broadway Actor N/A
N/A
1924 Classmates Actor Sylvia N/A
N/A
1923 On the Banks of the Wabash Actor Lisbeth N/A
N/A
1919 Three Green Eyes Actor Child N/A
N/A
1918 Love Net Actor Patty Barnes N/A
N/A
1918 The Power and the Glory Actor Deanie Consadine N/A
N/A
1918 Neighbors Actor Clarissa Leigh N/A
N/A
1918 The Golden Wall Actor Madge Lathrop N/A
N/A
1918 Stolen Orders Actor Ruth Le Page - as a child N/A
N/A
1918 True Blue Actor Ruth, as a Child N/A
N/A
1918 Wanted, A Mother Actor Eileen Homer N/A
N/A
1917 The Volunteer Actor Self N/A
N/A
1917 The Burglar Actor Editha N/A
N/A
1917 The Corner Grocer Actor Mary Brian, age 8 N/A
N/A
1917 Beloved Adventuress Actor Francine - Age 7 N/A
N/A
1917 Maternity Actor Constance N/A
N/A
1917 The Web of Desire Actor Marjorie N/A
N/A
1916 The New South Actor Georgia Gwynne, as a girl N/A
N/A
1916 Seventeen Actor Jane Baxter N/A
N/A
1916 The Hidden Scar Actor Dot N/A
N/A
1916 The Revolt Actor Nannie Stevens N/A
N/A
1916 Husband and Wife Actor Bessie 58
Average
1916 Sudden Riches Actor Little Emily N/A
N/A
1916 The Devil's Toy Actor Betty N/A
N/A
1915 The Master Hand Actor Jean as a Child N/A
N/A
1915 The Seven Sisters Actor Clara 58
Average