Florence Shirley

American actress (1892–1967

A. J. Koehler

(m. 1917)

Florence Shirley (born Florence Isabell Splaine;^[1] June 5, 1892 – May 12, 1967) was an American stage and film actress.

Early years

Born in New York City, Shirley was the daughter of Francis Splaine.^[1]

Career

Florence Shirley and Taylor Holmes, in *His Majesty Bunker Bean*, from a 1916 publication

Shirley began her stage career in Boston at age 14 when she said two lines in a Christmas play put on by John Craig's Castle Square Stock Company. Craig's interest led to her having children's parts in other plays, including boys' parts in productions of Shakespeare's plays. By 1914, she had become the ingenue of that company.^[2]

She enjoyed moderate success on Broadway.^[3] After the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, she participated in a benefit concert for survivors held at the George M. Cohan Theatre.^[4] Her last Broadway appearance was in Alice in Arms (originally called Star in the Window^[5]) alongside Kirk Douglas.^[6]

She appeared in more than 50 films throughout her film career.^[3]

Personal life and death

On February 14, 1917, Shirley married efficiency engineer A. J. Koehler in New York City.^[1]

Works

Selected filmography

Shirley's film credits include the following:^{[citation needed]}

Stars and Stripes Forever (Navy nurse), 1952 (uncredited)
Deadline - U.S.A. (Miss Barndollar), 1952 (uncredited)
The Dancing Masters (Matron), 1943 (uncredited)
Let's Face It (Woman in Sun Shell Cafe), 1943 (uncredited)
A Yank at Eton (Mrs. Sampson), 1942 (uncredited)
Her Cardboard Lover (Casino patron watching chemin de fer game), 1942 (uncredited)
We Were Dancing (Mrs. Charteris), 1942
It Started with Eve (Bit Role), 1941 (uncredited)
When Ladies Meet (Janet Hopper), 1941
Three Sons o' Guns (Mrs. Tyler), 1941
Nice Girl? (Woman Gossip), 1941 (uncredited)
Lady with Red Hair (Daisy Dawn), 1940 (uncredited)
Third Finger, Left Hand (Agnes, dinner guest), 1940 (uncredited)
Pier 13 (Mrs. Forrest), 1940
New Moon (Guest), 1940 (uncredited)
Private Affairs (Mrs. Gilkin), 1940
Opened by Mistake (Elizabeth Stiles), 1940
I Take This Woman (Mrs. Leila Bettincourt), 1940 (uncredited)
Balalaika (Lily Allison (Paris tourist)), 1939 (uncredited)
Ninotchka (Marianne, Swana's Phone Friend), 1939 (uncredited)
The Women (Miss Archer), 1939 (uncredited)

Broadway

Shirley's Broadway credits include the following productions:^[7]

Alice in Arms (Daisy), 1945
Take My Tip (Mrs. Dolly Browning), 1932
Fast Service (Doris Borden), 1931
Doctor X (Eleanor Stevens), 1931
Embers (Germaine Bie), 1926
The Poor Nut (Julia Winters), 1925
The Locked Door (Muriel Walling), 1924
My Aunt From Ypsilanti (Peggy), 1923
Why Men Leave Home (Fifi), 1923
Apple Blossoms (Mrs. Anna Merton), 1920
Oh, Lady! Lady!! (Fanny Welch), 1918
Anthony in Wonderland, 1917
His Majesty Bunker Bean, 1916
The Wall Street Girl (Pearl Williams), 1912

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Splaine-Koehler Wedding". The Miami Republican. Kansas, Paola. February 23, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "A Charming Stock Ingenue". National Magazine: 312–313. May 1914. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Rites today for Florence Shirley". Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1967. p. 26.
^ "More benefits planned; many stage stars volunteer for Cohan Theatre concert to-night" (PDF). The New York Times. April 21, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
^ "Premiere tonight of 'Alice in Arms'". The New York Times. January 31, 1945. p. 26.
^ "Thin Man Proves Himself". The Wall Street Journal. January 29, 1945. p. 4.
^ Florence Shirley at the Internet Broadway Database