Alice Brady Facts for Kids

For the Irish activist, see Alice Brady (labour activist). For The Brady Bunch character, see Alice Nelson.

Quick facts for kids Alice Brady
Brady c. 1916
Born	Mary Rose Brady (1892-11-02)November 2, 1892 New York City, U.S.
Died	October 28, 1939(1939-10-28) (aged 46) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1914–1939
Spouse(s)	James L. Crane (m.1919–div.1922)
Children	1

Alice Brady (born Mary Rose Brady; November 2, 1892 – October 28, 1939) was a famous American actress. She started her acting journey during the silent film era. She successfully continued her career when movies began to have sound, known as "talkies."

Alice Brady acted in many films until just before she passed away in 1939. Some of her well-known movies include My Man Godfrey (1936) and In Old Chicago (1937). For In Old Chicago, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1960, Alice Brady was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This special star is located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard. It celebrates her important contributions to the film industry.

Early Life and Acting Dreams
Alice Brady's Acting Career
Personal Life and Passing
Awards and Recognition
Selected Films
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Mary Rose Brady was born in New York City. Her father, William A. Brady, was a very important person in theater. He produced many plays. Her mother, Rose Marie Rene, was a French actress who passed away in 1896.

From a young age, Alice was very keen on becoming an actress. She first appeared on stage when she was 14 years old. By the age of 18, in 1911, she got her first job on Broadway. This was in a show that her father was involved with.

Alice Brady's Acting Career

Alice Brady started her stage career in 1911. She used the name Mary Rose for her debut in an operetta called The Balkan Princess. In 1913, she acted alongside John Barrymore in a play.

She continued to perform on Broadway for 22 years. Many of these shows were produced by her father. In 1931, she was part of the first performance of Eugene O'Neill's play, Mourning Becomes Electra. Her stepmother was actress Grace George.

Brady with co-star John Bowers in the 1917 film Darkest Russia

Alice's father started making movies in 1913 with his company, World Film Company. Alice soon followed him into the film world. Her first silent movie was As Ye Sow in 1914. Over the next 10 years, she appeared in 53 films. She did all this while still acting on stage. At that time, the film industry was mainly in New York.

In 1923, she took a break from movies to focus on stage acting. She did not return to the screen until 1933. At this point, she moved to Hollywood and joined M-G-M. Her first "talking picture" was When Ladies Meet. From then on, she worked often. She made 25 more films in just seven years. Her last movie was Young Mr. Lincoln in 1939.

Personal Life and Passing

Alice Brady was married to actor James Crane from 1919 to 1922. They divorced after three years. They acted together in three silent films. These films were His Bridal Night (1919), Sinners (1920), and A Dark Lantern (1920). Alice and James had one child, a son named Donald.

Alice Brady passed away from cancer on October 28, 1939. She was almost 47 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Alice Brady won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was for her role as Mrs. Molly O'Leary in the 1937 film In Old Chicago. Mrs. O'Leary was a made-up character based on a real person. The year before, she was also nominated for the same award. That nomination was for her work in My Man Godfrey.

There is a popular story about her Academy Award. It says that her award was stolen at the ceremony. Back then, supporting actors received a plaque, not a statuette. The story claims a man accepted the award for her and ran off with it. It was supposedly never found. The Academy then gave her a new plaque.

However, news reports from that time tell a different story. The film's director, Henry King, accepted the award for her. Friends of Alice Brady delivered it to her home later that night. Winners usually get a blank award at the ceremony. They return it to the Academy to have it engraved later. Alice Brady followed this process. This might have led to the misunderstanding about a "replacement" trophy.