Alice White

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Female

Birthday 1904-08-25

Deathday 1983-02-19 (78 years old)

Place of Birth Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Also Known As Элис Уайт, Alva White

Alice White

Biography

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.

Known For

Actor

2016
The Crown

as Bethan

1949
Flamingo Road

as Gracie

1942
Girls' Town

as Nicky

1941
The Night of January 16th

as Flashy Blonde

1938
Annabel Takes a Tour

as Marcella, Hotel Manicurist

1937
Telephone Operator

as Dotty Stengal

1937
Big City

as Peggy Devlin

1935
Coronado

as Violet Wray Hornbostel

1935
Sweet Music

as Lulu Betts

1935
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio

as Herself (uncredited)

1934
Secret of the Chateau

as Didi Bonfee

1934
The Hollywood Gad-About

as Self (uncredited)

1934
Gift of Gab

as Margot

1934
1934
1933
1933
Picture Snatcher

as Allison

1933
Employees' Entrance

as Polly Dale

1933
Luxury Liner

as Milli Lynch

1931
Murder at Midnight

as Millie Scripps

1930
The Naughty Flirt

as Miss Katherine Constance 'Kay' Elliott

1930
The Widow from Chicago

as Polly Henderson, aka Polly Dorgan

1930
Sweet Mama

as Goldie

1930
Show Girl in Hollywood

as Dixie Dugan

1930
Playing Around

as Sheba Miller

1929
Show of Shows

as Performer in 'If I Could Learn to Love' Number (uncredited)

1929
Broadway Babies

as Dee Foster

1929
Hot Stuff

as Barbara Allen

1928
Naughty Baby

as Rosalind McGill

1928
Fashion News

as Self (1929)

1928
Show Girl

as Dixie Dugan

1928
3-Ring Marriage

as Trapeze Performer

1928
Harold Teen

as Giggles Dewberry

1928
The Big Noise

as Sophie Sloval

1928
Mad Hour

as Aimee

1928
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

as Dorothy Shaw

1927
1927
American Beauty

as Claire O'Riley

1927
The Satin Woman

as Jean Taylor

1927
The Sea Tiger

as Manuella

Director

1926
A Woman of the Sea

as Script Supervisor