Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on May 16, 2009 by lmharnisch
 

May 11, 2009, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Marjorie Rambeau in "Merely Mary Ann,"  1915.

Jul7 8, 1970, Marjorie Rambeau

Here's a mini-mystery: The caption information on this undated photo says this is Rambeau with director Richard Wallace on a Corinne Griffith picture titled "Broadway Blues." Aha. This is from "Syncopatin' Sue," 1926.

May 16, 2009, Mystery Photo

July 8, 1970, Marjorie Rambeau

 

Just
a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and
reveal the answer on Friday. To keep the mystery photo from getting
lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to
Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve
all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're
wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone
else, there's no point in submitting it again.) If you're right, you
will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess
five times. Once is enough. The only prize is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's photo: Jack Mulhall.

May 12, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Marjorie Rambeau in "The Night Duel," 1926. This was unidentified in The Times photos, so I didn't realize it was from a play when I posted it. 

Look out! The dame's got a gun! Please congratulate Eve Golden and Carmen for correctly identifying our mystery woman.

May 13, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Marjorie Rambeau and Franklin Pangborn in "In His Arms," a play, 1929.

Here's our mystery woman with a mystery companion — OK, well he's not terribly mysterious, is he? Please congratulate Dewey Webb for recognizing our mystery gal.

May 14, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Marjorie Rambeau in "Tugboat Annie Sails Again," 1940.

Yes, this is really her. Please congratulate Don Danard and Paul Cardinal for correctly identifying our mystery guest.

May 15, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Marjorie Rambeau with George Raft in "Broadway," 1942.

OK, I said I would identify our mystery woman today. But I'm having so much fun with these old pictures I'm going to drag it out until tomorrow.

May 16, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Marjorie Rambeau in "The Palm Springs Story," 1964. Notice the meticulous detail The Times' art department used to paint out Robin Hayes, 3. Look closely. The artist filled out the pattern in Rambeau's blouse.

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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60 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

  1. Carol Gwenn's avatar Carol Gwenn says:
    May 11, 2009 at 9:25 am

    Mary Garden?

    Like

  2. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    May 11, 2009 at 9:40 am

    Marjorie Rambeau? I can tell it was taken in the early- mid-1910s.

    Like

  3. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    May 11, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Everlyn Nesbit?

    Like

  4. Earl Boebert's avatar Earl Boebert says:
    May 11, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Margaret Dumont?

    Like

  5. Sandy R.'s avatar Sandy R. says:
    May 11, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    Laurette Taylor

    Like

  6. Victor H Brown , from over the pond in England's avatar Victor H Brown , from over the pond in England says:
    May 11, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    Could this be Marjorie Main before she matured into Ma Kettle?

    Like

  7. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    May 11, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    Marjorie Rambeau

    Like

  8. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:
    May 11, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Larry: How about Enid Bennett. Mike

    Like

  9. Sam's avatar Sam says:
    May 11, 2009 at 6:33 pm

    Billie Dove

    Like

  10. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    May 11, 2009 at 7:06 pm

    Mary Miles Minter?

    Like

  11. Carol Gwenn's avatar Carol Gwenn says:
    May 12, 2009 at 9:10 am

    A second stab: Alma Rubens?

    Like

  12. Anne Papineau's avatar Anne Papineau says:
    May 12, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Julian Eltinge?

    Like

  13. jany's avatar jany says:
    May 12, 2009 at 9:26 am

    MARGARET SULLAVAN

    Like

  14. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    May 13, 2009 at 9:08 am

    Definitely a dowager with Franklin Pangborn, but which dowager…

    Like

  15. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    May 13, 2009 at 9:20 am

    Is that Tallulah Bankhead with Franklin Pangborn?

    Like

  16. herb nichols's avatar herb nichols says:
    May 13, 2009 at 9:29 am

    marion davies and franklin pangborn

    Like

  17. mike hawks's avatar mike hawks says:
    May 13, 2009 at 9:48 am

    Larry: How about Marjorie Rambeau with Franklin Pangborn. Mike

    Like

  18. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    May 13, 2009 at 10:35 am

    He is a young Franklin Pangborn.

    Like

  19. Pat in Michigan's avatar Pat in Michigan says:
    May 13, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Carmel Myers

    Like

  20. Eileen's avatar Eileen says:
    May 13, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Marjorie Kane?

    Like

  21. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    May 13, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    Is it Alla Nazimova and Franklin Pangborn in the play The Marionettes?

    Like

  22. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    May 13, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Is that Marjorie Rambeau with Pangborn? They starred in “Her Man” together, but neither wears anything like that in the stills we have.

    Like

  23. Nancy Price's avatar Nancy Price says:
    May 13, 2009 at 5:44 pm

    Pert Kelton

    Like

  24. Unknown's avatar Andy in Maine says:
    May 13, 2009 at 7:13 pm

    Clara Bow, the “It Girl”

    Like

  25. patricia's avatar patricia says:
    May 13, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    Betty Compson

    Like

  26. Judge Crater's avatar Judge Crater says:
    May 13, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    Dorothy Dix

    Like

  27. Chris Albanese's avatar Chris Albanese says:
    May 14, 2009 at 12:30 am

    Mildred Davis

    Like

  28. Lee B.'s avatar Lee B. says:
    May 14, 2009 at 12:58 am

    Wild guess – Lila Leslie?

    Like

  29. Chris Albanese's avatar Chris Albanese says:
    May 14, 2009 at 3:20 am

    How could it be anyone other than Mabel Normand…. And the older beau would have to be Mack Senett.

    Like

  30. John Gibbs's avatar John Gibbs says:
    May 14, 2009 at 3:32 am

    Margaret Dumont

    Like

  31. Eddie L. Dominguez's avatar Eddie L. Dominguez says:
    May 14, 2009 at 5:07 am

    Norma Talmadge ?

    Like

  32. George W. Tush's avatar George W. Tush says:
    May 14, 2009 at 5:31 am

    Angela Lansbury

    Like

  33. ATLBlair's avatar ATLBlair says:
    May 14, 2009 at 7:24 am

    Clara Kimball Young

    Like

  34. Paul Cardinal's avatar Paul Cardinal says:
    May 14, 2009 at 7:53 am

    Marjorie Rambeau

    Like

  35. boop15's avatar boop15 says:
    May 14, 2009 at 9:03 am

    Esther Barrymore

    Like

  36. boop15's avatar boop15 says:
    May 14, 2009 at 9:04 am

    OOps sorry Ethel Barrymore.

    Like

  37. william's avatar william says:
    May 14, 2009 at 9:16 am

    marjorie beebe

    Like

  38. Eileen's avatar Eileen says:
    May 14, 2009 at 9:54 am

    Ethel Barrymore?

    Like

  39. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    May 14, 2009 at 10:03 am

    In the radio listener picture, she’s beginning to look more like Ethyl Barrymore (who I am certain, she is not).
    BTW: Roles for women have changed radically since the thirties. When was the last time any of us heard the term ‘dowager’?

    Like

  40. Jeannie Crawley's avatar Jeannie Crawley says:
    May 14, 2009 at 10:05 am

    Blanche Sweet

    Like

  41. Elizabeth Berger's avatar Elizabeth Berger says:
    May 14, 2009 at 10:40 am

    I think it is Sylvia Sidney.

    Like

  42. G-Money's avatar G-Money says:
    May 14, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Constance Talmadge???

    Like

  43. Lizzie's avatar Lizzie says:
    May 14, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Janet Gaynor?

    Like

  44. Zooey's avatar Zooey says:
    May 14, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    Dot Farley

    Like

  45. Rahuna's avatar Rahuna says:
    May 14, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    Julia Faye

    Like

  46. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    May 14, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    Could it possibly be Ethel Barrymore?

    Like

  47. Mary Poppins's avatar Mary Poppins says:
    May 14, 2009 at 10:00 pm

    Ellen Corby?

    Like

  48. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    May 14, 2009 at 10:43 pm

    The actress is Martha Mattox.

    Like

  49. David Warheit's avatar David Warheit says:
    May 15, 2009 at 12:23 am

    The guest is Franklin Pangborn.

    Like

  50. Joan Y. Compagno's avatar Joan Y. Compagno says:
    May 15, 2009 at 6:58 am

    Josephine Hutchison?

    Like

  51. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:20 am

    The older she gets, the more she could be Spring Byington. Is she?

    Like

  52. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:32 am

    Alison Skipworth

    Like

  53. lana's avatar lana says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:42 am

    Mary Boland

    Like

  54. mike hawks's avatar mike hawks says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:44 am

    Larry: The film w/George Raft and Marjorie is BROADWAY 1942 Universal. Mike Hawks

    Like

  55. mike hawks's avatar mike hawks says:
    May 15, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Larry: The film w/george and Marjorie Rambeau is BROADWAY 1942 Universal. Mike Hawks

    Like

  56. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    May 15, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Is it two strikes and you’re out when guessing the mystery person? Today it’s Marjorie with George Raft in Broadway. Was yesterday’s still from 20 MULE TEAM, IN OLD OKLAHOMA?

    Like

  57. annie frye's avatar annie frye says:
    May 15, 2009 at 10:42 am

    could it be Spring Byington?

    Like

  58. Jeff Ball's avatar Jeff Ball says:
    May 15, 2009 at 10:50 am

    Larry, this is two weeks in a row that you have lied about the date that the answer would be revealed, moving it from Friday (as “advertised”) to Saturday, because you were “having so much fun.”
    If you are going to continue to lie about it, why not just change the boilerplate text at the beginning to say, “The answer will be revealed Saturday.”
    It would be more honest.

    Like

  59. Gary Martin's avatar Gary Martin says:
    May 15, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    I think I recognize Gladys George who I remember from an early Doris Day movie. Right?

    Like

  60. william's avatar william says:
    May 16, 2009 at 10:08 am

    Re: Marjorie Rambeau. Thanks for giving us these great pics & your column in general. I love these “toughies” & even tho my giesses have generally been incorrect, they are never just random….I enjoy trying to figure out the ans on these great names that are now forgotten. Looking forward to your column everyday!

    Like

Comments are closed.