Marguerite Churchill

Marguerite Churchill

1910-12-26

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marguerite Churchill (December 26, 1910 – January 9, 2000) was an American film actress appearing in more than 25 films with a career spanning from 1929 to 1952. She is best known today as John Wayne's first leading lady, in The Big Trail (1930). She was the daughter of a producer who owned a chain of theaters, but he died when she was ten years old. She was educated in New York City at the Professional Children's School and the Theatre Guild Dramatic School. She appeared on stage and was applauded on Broadway as a leading lady when just sixteen years old. An official of the Fox Company saw her acting and gave her a contract which shortly afterwards led her to debut on screen in The Diplomats. Churchill played leading lady to John Wayne in Howard Hawk's The Big Trail (1930), an early widescreen epic and Wayne's first leading role. She appeared with Wayne the following year in Girls Demand Excitement (1931), with Spencer Tracy and George Raft in Quick Millions (1931), with Will Rogers in Ambassador Bill (1931), with Warner Oland in Charlie Chan Carries On (1931), with George O'Brien in Riders of the Purple Sage (1931), with Charles Farrell in Girl Without a Room (1933), with Ralph Bellamy in The Final Hour (1936), with Boris Karloff in The Walking Dead (1936), and with Edward Van Sloan in Dracula's Daughter (1936). She died on January 9, 2000, aged 89, from natural causes in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She was survived by her daughter, Orin.

Also appears in

Dracula’s Daughter

Dracula’s Daughter

5.9

The Big Trail

The Big Trail

6.7

Quick Millions

Quick Millions

7.1

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead

6.2

Murder by an Aristocrat

Murder by an Aristocrat

3.0

The Valiant

The Valiant

5.6

Bunco Squad

Bunco Squad

5.9

Born Reckless

Born Reckless

5.6

Charlie Chan Carries On

Charlie Chan Carries On

6.5

Legion of Terror

Legion of Terror

5.0

Forgotten Commandments

Forgotten Commandments

6.0

Speed Devils

Speed Devils

4.0

The Final Hour

The Final Hour

6.0

They Had to See Paris

They Had to See Paris

5.6

Man Hunt

Man Hunt

Not yet rated

Alibi for Murder

Alibi for Murder

5.5

Girl Without a Room

Girl Without a Room

5.3

Ambassador Bill

Ambassador Bill

5.7

Seven Faces

Seven Faces

Not yet rated

Good Intentions

Good Intentions

Not yet rated