Madge Evans
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 1, 1909
- Died
- April 26, 1981 (aged 71)
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
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
Photos
Filmography
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Alcoa Hour
TV · 1 ep
Matinee Theater
TV · 1 ep
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · 1 ep
Lux Video Theatre
TV · as Sylvia · 1 ep
Your Show of Shows
TV · 1 ep
Studio One
TV · as Ann · 1 ep
The Philco Television Playhouse
TV · as Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood · 1 ep
Sinners in Paradise
Movie · as Anne Wesson
Army Girl
Movie · as Julie Armstrong
The 13th Chair
Movie · as Helen "Nell" O'Neill
Espionage
Movie · as Patricia Booth
Piccadilly Jim
Movie · as Ann Chester
Exclusive Story
Movie · as Ann Devlin
Pennies from Heaven
Movie · as Susan Sprague
Moonlight Murder
Movie · as Toni Adams
The Tunnel
Movie · as Ruth McAllan
David Copperfield
Movie · as Agnes Wickfield as a Woman
Helldorado
Movie · as Glenda Wynant
Age of Indiscretion
Movie · as Maxine Bennett
Calm Yourself
Movie · as Rosalind Rockwell
Men Without Names
Movie · as Helen Sherwood
Death on the Diamond
Movie · as Frances Clark
Fugitive Lovers
Movie · as Letty Morris
What Every Woman Knows
Movie · as Lady Sybil Tenterden
The Show-Off
Movie · as Amy Fisher Piper
Paris Interlude
Movie · as Julie
Grand Canary
Movie · as Lady Mary Fielding
Stand Up and Cheer!
Movie · as Mary Adams
Dinner at Eight
Movie · as Paula Jordan
Broadway to Hollywood
Movie · as Anne Ainsley
The Mayor of Hell
Movie · as Dorothy Griffith
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
Movie · as June Marcher
The Nuisance
Movie · as Dorothy Mason
Day of Reckoning
Movie · as Dorothy Day
Made on Broadway
Movie · as Claire
Beauty for Sale
Movie · as Letty Lawson
Hell Below
Movie · as Joan
The Greeks Had a Word for Them
Movie · as Polaire
Are You Listening?
Movie · as Laura O'Neil
Lovers Courageous
Movie · as Mary Blayne
Huddle
Movie · as Rosalie
Fast Life
Movie · as Shirley
Heartbreak
Movie · as Countess Vima Walden
Guilty Hands
Movie · as Barbara 'Babs' Grant
Son of India
Movie · as Janice
West of Broadway
Movie · as Anne
Sporting Blood
Movie · as Miss 'Missy' Ruby
The Bard of Broadway
Movie
Envy
Movie · as Helen
Classmates
Movie · as Sylvia
On the Banks of the Wabash
Movie · as Lisbeth
Three Green Eyes
Movie · as Child
Home Wanted
Movie · as Madge Dow
True Blue
Movie · as Ruth, as a Child
Love Net
Movie · as Patty Barnes
Wanted, A Mother
Movie · as Eileen Homer
Stolen Orders
Movie · as Ruth Le Page - as a child
The Power and the Glory
Movie · as Deanie Consadine
The Golden Wall
Movie · as Madge Lathrop
Neighbors
Movie · as Clarissa Leigh
The Volunteer
Movie · as Self
The Web of Desire
Movie · as Marjorie
The Burglar
Movie · as Editha
The Corner Grocer
Movie · as Mary Brian, age 8
Beloved Adventuress
Movie · as Francine - Age 7
Maternity
Movie · as Constance
The New South
Movie · as Georgia Gwynne, as a girl
The Hidden Scar
Movie · as Dot
Husband and Wife
Movie · as Bessie
The Revolt
Movie · as Nannie Stevens
The Devil's Toy
Movie · as Betty
Seventeen
Movie · as Jane Baxter
Sudden Riches
Movie · as Little Emily
The Seven Sisters
Movie · as Clara
The Master Hand
Movie · as Jean as a Child