Mae Busch(1891-1946)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mae Busch can certainly claim career versatility, having successfully
played Erich von Stroheim's mistress,
Lon Chaney's girlfriend,
Charley Chase's sister,
James Finlayson's ex-wife and
Oliver Hardy's wife! She was born in
Melbourne, Australia, in 1891; her parents were in the theater and when
she was six years old the family moved to the US, arriving in
San Francisco in 1897 before moving to New York. It is claimed Mae was
placed in St. Elizabeth's Convent in New Jersey until at least the age
of 12, when she joined her parents in vaudeville as part of the
Busch Devere Trio (New York press articles confirm Mae as being part of
the group in early 1908). Her big break came in March 1912 when she
replaced Lillian Lorraine in the lead role in the Broadweay play "Over the River", with
Eddie Foy. She continued in this role until the end of the
season, when she joined one of Jesse L. Lasky's touring "girl" shows, where
she stayed until signed by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Pictures in 1915.
As she was performing on Broadway at the same time as "The Agitator"
was filming in California, the claim that this was her first film is
incorrect. Similarly, there is no evidence that she knew Mabel Normand prior to arriving in Los Angeles in 1915.
In Hollywood things didn't begin so well for Mae. In order to get work,
she falsely claimed to have lived in Tahiti and to be able to swim and
dive. A high dive she took while filming
The Water Nymph (1912) resulted
in an injury and her returning to her parents in New York. It was only
then when working in the theater again that she developed into
leading-lady status.
Mae returned to Hollywood, and Keystone, in 1915. However, her
friendship with Mabel ended abruptly when she was "caught" with
Sennett, Mabel's fiancé, and Mae was forced to leave Keystone. Over the
years she had substantial roles in quite a few films, such as von
Stroheim's
The Devil's Passkey (1920)
and Foolish Wives (1922). Although
1927 was the year of her first movie with
Stan Laurel and Hardy, it wasn't until
Unaccustomed As We Are (1929)
that she first played Mrs. Hardy, the role that she will always be
remembered for. She was Mrs. Hardy again in
Their First Mistake (1932),
Sons of the Desert (1933),
and
The Bohemian Girl (1936). She
also appeared in other Laurel and Hardy pictures but not as Mrs. Hardy,
such as Charlie Hall's wife in
Them Thar Hills (1934), and she
only flirted with Hardy in
Tit for Tat (1935).
Mae's Hollywood career lasted 30 years; she worked with many of the
leading directors, actors and actresses of the time. After a long
illness she died in 1946, aged 54. She was cremated and her ashes
remained in a cardboard box at the Motion Picture Country Home Hospital
for over 20 years until a proper interment and plaque was provided.
played Erich von Stroheim's mistress,
Lon Chaney's girlfriend,
Charley Chase's sister,
James Finlayson's ex-wife and
Oliver Hardy's wife! She was born in
Melbourne, Australia, in 1891; her parents were in the theater and when
she was six years old the family moved to the US, arriving in
San Francisco in 1897 before moving to New York. It is claimed Mae was
placed in St. Elizabeth's Convent in New Jersey until at least the age
of 12, when she joined her parents in vaudeville as part of the
Busch Devere Trio (New York press articles confirm Mae as being part of
the group in early 1908). Her big break came in March 1912 when she
replaced Lillian Lorraine in the lead role in the Broadweay play "Over the River", with
Eddie Foy. She continued in this role until the end of the
season, when she joined one of Jesse L. Lasky's touring "girl" shows, where
she stayed until signed by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Pictures in 1915.
As she was performing on Broadway at the same time as "The Agitator"
was filming in California, the claim that this was her first film is
incorrect. Similarly, there is no evidence that she knew Mabel Normand prior to arriving in Los Angeles in 1915.
In Hollywood things didn't begin so well for Mae. In order to get work,
she falsely claimed to have lived in Tahiti and to be able to swim and
dive. A high dive she took while filming
The Water Nymph (1912) resulted
in an injury and her returning to her parents in New York. It was only
then when working in the theater again that she developed into
leading-lady status.
Mae returned to Hollywood, and Keystone, in 1915. However, her
friendship with Mabel ended abruptly when she was "caught" with
Sennett, Mabel's fiancé, and Mae was forced to leave Keystone. Over the
years she had substantial roles in quite a few films, such as von
Stroheim's
The Devil's Passkey (1920)
and Foolish Wives (1922). Although
1927 was the year of her first movie with
Stan Laurel and Hardy, it wasn't until
Unaccustomed As We Are (1929)
that she first played Mrs. Hardy, the role that she will always be
remembered for. She was Mrs. Hardy again in
Their First Mistake (1932),
Sons of the Desert (1933),
and
The Bohemian Girl (1936). She
also appeared in other Laurel and Hardy pictures but not as Mrs. Hardy,
such as Charlie Hall's wife in
Them Thar Hills (1934), and she
only flirted with Hardy in
Tit for Tat (1935).
Mae's Hollywood career lasted 30 years; she worked with many of the
leading directors, actors and actresses of the time. After a long
illness she died in 1946, aged 54. She was cremated and her ashes
remained in a cardboard box at the Motion Picture Country Home Hospital
for over 20 years until a proper interment and plaque was provided.