Image of Marilyn Knowlden

Marilyn Knowlden

In 1931, a one-day effort by Marilyn Knowlden's attorney father led to an interview, a next-day screen test and a large part for four-year-old Marilyn in one of the early "talkies", Women Love Once (1931). A ten-year movie career followed, where she played the daughter of such stars as Claudette Colbert, Katharine Hepburn, Allan Jones and Norma Shearer. She appeared in some of the screen's great classics, including Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), David Copperfield (1935) and Les Misérables (1935), in which she played the child Cosette. She appeared in six films nominated by the Academy for Best Production of the Year and performed with such distinguished actors as Fredric March, Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis. College, marriage and four children followed. A composer and playwright as well as an actress, she wrote the music and lyrics for ten produced musicals, including three for which she also wrote the scripts. The latter included her musical, "I'm Gonna Get You in the Movies!" for which she drew heavily on her own early experience. After a 50-year hiatus, Marilyn returned to acting in 1994. She appeared in over 20 plays and musicals in San Diego County, including the role of Aunt Abby in "Arsenic and Old Lace," the leads in "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "Quilters," and Prof. Higgins' mother in "My Fair Lady." In 2011 Bear Manor published Marilyn Knowlden's autobiography "Little Girl in Big Pictures."


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Born:
May 12, 1923 In Oakland, CA
Movie/TV Credits:
21
First Appeared:
In the movie The Cisco Kid 1931-11-01
Latest Project:
Movie Broadway Rhythm 1944-01-19
Known For
Poster of Just Around the Corner
Poster of Marie Antoinette
Poster of Condemned to Live
Poster of The Conquerors
Filmography
Movie Broadway Rhythm Co-ed in Drugstore (uncredited) 1944-01-19
Movie The Way of All Flesh Julie Kriza 1940-07-05
Movie All This, and Heaven Too Marianna Van Horn (uncredited) 1940-07-05
Movie Barefoot Boy Julia Blaine 1938-08-03
Movie Marie Antoinette Princesse Therese 1938-08-26
Movie Just Around the Corner Gwendolyn (uncredited) 1938-11-11
Movie Angels with Dirty Faces Laury - as a Child 1938-11-26
Movie Slave Ship Girl 1937-06-16
Movie Show Boat Kim as a Child 1936-05-17
Movie Anthony Adverse Florence Udney 1936-08-26
Movie A Woman Rebels Flora at Age 9 (uncredited) 1936-11-06
Movie Rainbow on the River Lucille Layton 1936-12-18
Movie David Copperfield Agnes Wickfield as a Girl 1935-01-18
Movie Condemned to Live Maria 1935-09-15
Movie Les Misérables Little Cosette (as Marilynne Knowlden) 1935-04-20
Movie As the Earth Turns Esther 1934-02-14
Movie Imitation of Life Jessie Pullman, Age 8 (uncredited) 1934-11-23
Movie Little Women Amy's Classmate (uncredited) 1933-11-24
Movie The Conquerors Frances Standish, as a child 1932-11-18
Movie Call Her Savage Ruth as a Girl (Uncredited) 1932-11-24
Movie The Cisco Kid Annie Benton 1931-11-01