Mary Wickes (1910 - 1995)

Actress. Born Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of a well-to-do St. Louis banker, Wickes was an excellent student, completing a political science degree at the Washington University in St. Louis by the age of 18. She originally intended becoming a lawyer. She made her Broadway debut in 1934. Wickes began acting […]

Barbara Whiting (1931 - 2004)

Movie Actress and Singer. She appeared in a few films such as “Centenial Summer” (1946), “City Across the River” (1949), “Beware my Lovely” (1952) and “Dangerous When Wet” (1953). (bio by: José L Bernabé Tronchoni)  Family links:  Parents:  Richard Armstrong Whiting (1891 – 1938)  Sibling:  Margaret Whiting (1924 – 2011)*  Barbara Whiting (1931 – 2004) […]

Arkie Whiteley (1965 - 2001)

Actress. Real name Arkje Deya Whiteley. A native of London, England, she is best remembered for her role as ‘Donna Mason’ in the television series, “Prisoner” in 1982. The daughter of famed Australian painter Brett Whiteley, and his wife Wendy Whiteley, she also appeared in numerous other films and television shows. Among Whiteley’s other roles […]

Billie Whitelaw (1932 - 2014)

Actress. Born Billie Honor Whitelaw, she was raised in Bradford, England. Her father died when Billie was ten years old, leaving her mother to support her family. Billie joined an area drama group and experienced her first radio performance at the age of eleven. In 1950, she marked her theater debut and during this period, […]

Thelma White (1910 - 2005)

Actress. She starred in the 1936 cult-classic “Reefer Madness.” This movie become a favorite on the college midnight movie circuit in the 1960s and 1970s. Thelma White came to film from the world of vaudeville and radio. She appeared in a number of B-movies during the 1930s and 1940s, such as “Tell Your Children” (1938), […]

Ruth White (1914 - 1969)

Actress. Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, she made her film debut in the Three Stooges film ” Rhythm and Weep” (1946) and appeared in several more Three Stooges films throughout the 1950s. In demand as a character actor, she appeared in the films “The Nun’s Story” (1959), “To Kill a MockingBird” (1962), “Up the […]

Pearl White (1889 - 1938)

Actress. Born Pearl Fay White, the youngest of five to farmers Ed and Inez White, Mrs White died when Pearl was still a toddler. At the age of 6 she appeared in a production of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in order to help with the family finances. She appeared in various juvenile theatrical roles during her […]

Marjorie White (1907 - 1935)

Motion picture actress. She established herself as a Vaudeville comedienne in the late 1920s, appearing with her husband, Eddie Tierney. Signed by Fox Studios in 1929, she was featured in several of the early Fox musicals, most notably “Sunny Side Up” (1929) and Just Imagine (1930). She moved to Columbia Pictures in 1933, playing the […]

Jane White (1922 - 2011)

Actress. Born in New York City, her parents were active in civil rights causes and with the NAACP. She attended Smith College and the New School before making her professional acting debut on Broadway in the production “Strange Fruit” (1945 to 1946). During the 1950s, she accumulated TV roles on the programs “The Alcoa Hour” […]

Chrissie White (1895 - 1989)

Actress. Born Ada White. Popular child star in early silent films, White got her start in the early 1900s, she is best remembered as ‘Valerie Sailon’ in “Possession.” White frequently appeared in shorts directed by Lewin Fitzhamon. In the 1920s married her long-time co-star and frequent director Henry Edwards. White left the screen in 1924, […]

Carol White (1943 - 1991)

British Actress. In a career that spanned over forty years Carol became a star on British Television in 1965 with her portrayal of a pregnant mother in a grim story called “Cathy Come Home” and “Poor Cow”. She was born in Hammersmith, West London to working class parents. Carol started making pictures in 1949 in […]

Alice White (1904 - 1983)

Actress. Born Alva White in Paterson, New Jersey, she began her career in Hollywood as a script girl for Joseph Von Sternberg and later as a secretary for Charlie Chaplin. Signed to First National Studios, her film debut was in “Sea Tiger” (1927). Dubbed as the “Jazz Baby” she appeared in over forty movies including […]

Arleen Whelan (1916 - 1993)

Actress in 24 films including “Kidnapped,” “Young Mr. Lincoln,” “Sabotage,” “Charley’s Aunt,” “Ramrod” and “The Senator Was Indiscreet.” (bio by: TLS)

Theresa “Tess” Wheeler (1891 - 1975)

Actress in the silent era.  Family links:  Spouse:  Elmer Charles Wheeler (1893 – 1942)* *Calculated relationship

Nydia Westman (1902 - 1970)

Actress. She appeared in 50 films and 30 television shows, as well as numerous stage productions. (bio by: TLS)  Family links:  Spouse:  Robert S. Sparks (1901 – 1963)  Children:  Kate Williamson (1930 – 2013)* *Calculated relationship

Paula Wessely (1907 - 2000)

Actress. Wessely made her debut in “Maskerade” (1934). During the Second World War she played in nazi propaganda movies like “Heimkehr” (“Coming Home”, 1941). Wessely refused several invitations to go to Hollywood and therefore never really became famous outside the German speaking region. (bio by: MC)

Ilse Werner (1921 - 2005)

Actress. Born in Batavia (Jakarta/Indonesia). Daughter of O.E. Still and his wife Lilli. In 1931 she migrated to Frankfurt/Germany. Her first appearance on stage was in “Glück” at the Josephstadt-Theater in Vienna, 1937. Her debut movie role was in  “Die unruhigen Mädchen” (1938). In 1939 she had her first leading role in “Bel Ami.” She […]

Barbara Werle (1928 - 2013)

Actress. Born Barbara May Theresa Werle, she attended parochial school and following graduation, she received training in professional ballroom dancing. She achieved national attention when along with her partner John Mansell (under her married name Barbara Branca), they won the Harvest Moon Ball title in 1955. This success led to multiple appearances on the “Ed […]

Annemarie Wendl (1914 - 2006)

Actress. Born in Germany, she began her training as an actress in Berlin.  She starred in such  classic plays as “Faust”,  “Götz von Berlichingen”,  “A Streetcar Named Desire”,  and “Mother Courage” before entering films in 1961.  Wendl was seen in some 35 films and TV productions, notably director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s “Ich will doch nur, […]

Pat Welsh (1915 - 1995)

Voice Actress. She will forever be immortalized on screen, as the voice of the legendary alien in the 1982 Steven Spielberg classic blockbuter hit “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”. Pat was born Patricia A. Carroll in San Francisco, California and in her early years she worked as a radio soap opera actress there. Movie Voice Designer Ben […]

Doris Wells (1941 - 1988)

Actress. Born Doris Marina Buonafina in Caripito, a little oil town of Monagas State, Venezuela, at 15 years of age, and coinciding with the migration of her family to Caracas, she became a student of the Juana Sujo’s School of Theater, graduating in 1960. Her debut in television was in the polemic Venezuelan TV series […]

Dorothy “Dottie” Coonan Wellman (1913 - 2009)

Actress and Dancer. She appeared in a number of films in the early 1930s, and was the fifth, and last, wife of director William Wellman. Raised in Los Angeles from early childhood, she quit school at 14 to persue her dream of becoming a dancer. After joining the troupe of choreographer Busby Berkeley, she danced […]

Meri Welles (1937 - 1973)

Actress. Born in Dallas, Texas, she was a character performer best remembered for role as Lorraine, in “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960). She also appeared in “The Ladies Man” (1961), “The Pink Panther”(1963), “Cleopatra” (1963) and “A House is Not a Home” (1964). For television her credits include, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “The Deputy”, “The […]

Elisabeth Welch (1904 - 2003)

American Singer and Actress. She developed her career in England. Her professional stage debut was in “Blackbirds” in 1928. She also appeared in “Nymph Errant” (1933), “Glamorous Night” (1935), “It’s In the Bag” (1937), “No Time for Comedy” (1941), and “Pippin” (1973). She play in a few films such as “Song of Freedom” (1936), “Fiddlers […]

Hilde Weissner (1909 - 1987)

Actress.  Leading lady and later character performer in German films.  Born in Stettin,  Germany (now Szczecin,  Poland),  she made her acting debut in 1929 at the Schiller-Theatre in Hamburg-Altona,  and entered films in 1934.  Weissner’s credits include “Pappi” (1936),  “The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes” (1937),  “The Rothschilds” (1940),  “Diesel” (1942),  “Tromba,  The Tiger Man” […]

Jane Weir (1916 - 1937)

Actress. She made only four films, all of them in 1937: “Souls at Sea”, “Artists and Models”, “The Singing Marine” and “Criminals in the Air”. She died after an appendectomy. (bio by: José L Bernabé Tronchoni)

Helene Weigel-Brecht (1900 - 1971)

Actress. She married Berthold Brecht in 1929. She influenced the female characters in Brechts plays. She joined the communist party in 1930. On Feruary 28, one day after the Reichstags fire Brecht and Weigel fled with their family and friends to Denmark. They later lived in Sweden, Finland and the United States. In 1948 she […]

Virginia Weidler (1927 - 1968)

Magnificent child actress, Virginia Weidler began acting at the age of three. Her performance (at the age of seven) in “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch” (her first credited play) was a hit. She played in “The Women” (1939), and “Babes on Broadway” (1941), but she is best remembered for her portrayal of ‘Dinah Lord,’ […]

Liva Weel (1897 - 1952)

Singer, Actress. She was born and died in Copenhagen (Denmark). On stage, she became a leading lady of danish scene. In motion pictures, she appeared in Livets Karneval (1923), Odds 777 (1932), Cocktail (1937), Under Byens Tage (1938), Ta’Briller Pa (1942) and Smedestraede 4 (1950). She was married with actor Arne Weel. (bio by: José […]

Mimi Rogers Weddell (1915 - 2009)

Actress,  Model. She was remarkable for not having started her full-time career until after age 65. Weddell was the wife of a recording executive and art gallery salesman who spent most of her life concentrating on family obligations.  During the 1940s she had been an assistant to the “New York Times” fashion editor, and over […]