Actress. She first appeared as "Mary," the leading lady in Hal Roach's Our Gang series short #3 Young Sherlocks, released Nov. 26, 1922; her final appearance was in short #53, The Fourth Alarm, released Sept. 12, 1926. She was the daughter of Hal Roach's still-photo cameraman, Gene Kornman (later one of the foremost Broadway showgirl photographers in the 1930s-1940s). Her younger sister Mildred was also recruited for the series at the end of Mary's stint with Our Gang but wasn't as effective. She spent the last years of the 1920s appearing in vaudeville with other Our Gang alumni, returning to Roach Studios in 1930 to appear in a semi-adolescent version of Our Gang called The Boy Friends (1930 to 1932). She also appeared as a young adult in three 1930s Our Gang comedies. She appeared in various films during the early 1930s. Years after her childhood stardom had waned, she appeared in several movies with such stars as John Wayne (Desert Trail, 1935), Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby (several of Crosby's short films of the 1930s; plus College Humor with Burns & Allen; Jack Oakie, and Crosby) and Bobby Steele; with her most memorable performance being in College Humor (1933). Her final film appearance was in Promises, Promises (1963). She passed away after a long illness at age 57 in Glendale, California.
Actress. She first appeared as "Mary," the leading lady in Hal Roach's Our Gang series short #3 Young Sherlocks, released Nov. 26, 1922; her final appearance was in short #53, The Fourth Alarm, released Sept. 12, 1926. She was the daughter of Hal Roach's still-photo cameraman, Gene Kornman (later one of the foremost Broadway showgirl photographers in the 1930s-1940s). Her younger sister Mildred was also recruited for the series at the end of Mary's stint with Our Gang but wasn't as effective. She spent the last years of the 1920s appearing in vaudeville with other Our Gang alumni, returning to Roach Studios in 1930 to appear in a semi-adolescent version of Our Gang called The Boy Friends (1930 to 1932). She also appeared as a young adult in three 1930s Our Gang comedies. She appeared in various films during the early 1930s. Years after her childhood stardom had waned, she appeared in several movies with such stars as John Wayne (Desert Trail, 1935), Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby (several of Crosby's short films of the 1930s; plus College Humor with Burns & Allen; Jack Oakie, and Crosby) and Bobby Steele; with her most memorable performance being in College Humor (1933). Her final film appearance was in Promises, Promises (1963). She passed away after a long illness at age 57 in Glendale, California.
Bio by: George Kipper
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