Mary Alden

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Mary Maguire Alden June 18 1883 July 2 1946 was an American motion picture and stage actress She was one of the first Broadway actresses to work in Hollywood Born in New York City Alden began her career on the Broadway stage She spent five years on Broadway before moving to Hollywood where she worked for the Biograph Company and Pathé Exchange in the first portion of her career Her most popular role in movies came in Birth of a Nation directed by DW Griffith in 1915 Alden played the role of a mulatto girl in love with a northern politician The following year she was in Griffiths Intolerance with Mae Marsh Miriam Cooper and Vera Lewis After making Less Than The Dust with Mary Pickford in 1917 she took a temporary leave from motion pictures acting for a while on the stage Critics acclaimed Aldens portrayal of the mother Mrs Anthon in The Old Nest 1921 and her characterization of an old lady in The Man With Two Mothers 1922 The latter feature was produced by Sam Goldwyn Alden was prolific as a motion picture actress throughout the 1920s and into the early 1930s A sampling of movies in which she had roles are The Plastic Age 1925 The Joy Girl 1927 Ladies of the Mob 1928 and Port of Dreams 1929 The final films she received screen credit for are Hells House Rasputin and the Empress and Strange Interlude each from 1932 Alden died at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills Los Angeles California in 1946 This had been her residence for the last four years of her life She was 63 years of age