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Marguerite Chapman Profile
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| (Marguerite Florence Chapman) |
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| 9 March 18 | is born in Chatham, New York, of Irish ancestry. Her father, Fred L. Chapman, is an engineer with the New York Central Railroad; her mother, Margaret, is a housewife. |
| ? | grows up with four brothers, three of them, Frederick M., Edward B, and Harold J., are older |
| c. 39 | attracts the attention of the John Robert Powers Agency and becomes a much sought-after Manhattan model |
| models for Chesterfield’s cigarettes, Elizabeth Arden and Campbell’s soup |
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| ? | New York photographers vote her the "girl with the most beautiful hands" |
| ? | aerial photography pioneer Sherman Fairchild introduces her to billionaire Howard Hughes, who later gives her a screen test at a Long Island studio. Subsequently she's put under exclusive contract. |
| 24 December 39 | arrives in Hollywood "lonelier than I had ever been my life" |
| Late December 39 | is escorted around town by actor Bruce Cabot and playboy Pat DiCicco, a friend of Hughes |
| 31 December 39 | attends Jack Warner's New Year's Eve party with stars such as Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Charles Boyer. Flynn asks her for a date, but she declines because he's married. |
| ? | does a second screen test for The Outlaw, personally directed by Hughes using a scene from an Irene Dunne picture |
| ? | she and Hughes date a number of times. When he feels she might get a crush on him, he tells her: "You're too nice for me." |
| ? | signs a six-month contract with 20th Century-Fox but is dropped |
| ? | at Ciro's she refuses to dance with Darryl F. Zanuck because he's shorter than she |
| June 41 | becomes a member of the "The Navy Blues Sextet," for Navy Blues. The seven beauties, including Lorraine Gettman, Peggy Diggins, Claire James, Kay Aldridge, Alice Talton, and Georgia Carroll, are sent to Honolulu for the world premiere, then return to make a cross-country junket starting in Dallas, Texas, and ending in New York City. |
| July 41 | William Lundigan is reported "continuing with Marguerite Chapman" |
| 3 September 41 | columnist Louella Parsons reports: “The first stopping place of Warner’s Navy Blues sextet is Dallas, the home of Georgia Carroll. Then they go to Memphis and then to New York. In New York Sherman Billingsley is giving them a party at the Stork Club. You can leave it to Bob Taplinger, Warner’s praise genius, to think up something for the girls and here it is: They have an act in which all of them appear as advocates of shorter dresses - defense saving. All of the girls, Georgia Carroll, Kay Aldridge, Peggy Diggins, Marguerite Chapman, Lorraine Gettman, and Alice Talton, are giving a farewell party tonight at the Mocambo. They’ll leave Wednesday and it is really a stunt for movie beauties to give the tired businessmen something to think about besides war and other worries.” |
| September 41 | the press tells that she "has reached the stage of showing off her cooking for Richard Travis" |
| November 41 | she and Jack Boyle are a new twosome at Charley Foy's supper club |
| June 42 | columnist Louella Parsons knows: "I keep hearing it whispered that one of these days pretty Marguerite Chapman and Barrett O'Shea will consult a preacher..." |
| December 42 | she and Eddie Love are "seeing sigh-to-sigh..." |
| January 43 | her three brothers are reported in the Navy. Fred's in Panama; Ed's in Hawaii, and Harold's on the East Coast. |
| is pictured wearing her service pin with three stars in honor of her three brothers serving in Army, Navy, and Coast Guard |
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| Late January 43 | returns Barrett O'Shea's engagement ring |
| End January 43 | she and Jess Barker are reported having found romance |
| April 43 | lives in an apartment house "but she's planted a Victory garden on her roof" |
| July 43 | is chosen "The Girl With Whom We'd Like to Keep an Appointment in Berlin" by Army Air Field cadets at Austin, Texas |
| August 43 | is noted convoyed by Ensign Ed Schlenvogt, PT boat hero |
| 1 October 43 | is on the cover of Yank, The Army Weekly |
| November 43 | she and her stand-in, Mary Ann Featherstone, tour Army camps and hospitals |
| December 43 | she and fellow starlet K. T. Stevens say that girls who refuse to marry their soldier and sailor sweethearts comprise a dangerous group of defeatists. "Both are engaged and will marry as soon as the exigencies will permit. Miss Stevens to Lieutenant Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, and Miss Chapman to Private William Lundigan of the United States Marine Corps." |
| is chosen "Miss Breathless of 1943" |
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| Christmas 43 | sent by the Hollywood Victory Committee and the USO, she is among about 150 movie stars entertaining servicemen over the holidays. In her group are Marsha Hunt, Henry O'Neill, Reginald Owen, Jinx Falkenburg, Fred Brady, Walter Pidgeon, Lucille Ball, Charles Bickford, Anne Gwynne, Ann Rooney, Sir Cedric Hardwick, Raymond Walburn, and Francis Lederer. |
| January 44 | appears at a camp show for soldiers stationed at the Las Vegas army air field |
| February 44 | columnist Walter Winchell tells that she," the cinemadonna, and Captain B. Polan are in rhythm..." |
| 17 November 44 | is on the cover of Yank, The Army Weekly |
| April 45 | is named "The Gal it Would be Nicest to Go Chuting With" by the men of the 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment at Camp Mackall, North Carolina |
| 18 May 45 | is on the cover of Yank, The Army Weekly |
| May 45 | is seen at Ciro's handholding with actor John Carroll |
| September 45 | is G. Bentley Ryan's first date out of the army |
| October 45 | Winchell tells: "Coasters allege that Marguerite Chapman's illness at Palm Springs is achchelly torch-totin' for a lad who is as involved as he is pretty..." |
| March 46 | at her birthday party she plays hostess to Tom Harmon and Elyse Knox, Jeff Donnell, Evelyn Keyes and others |
| is named America's number one brunette by the Coiffure Creation Council. Adele Jergens is named number one blonde; Rita Hayworth number one redhead. |
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| 24 May 46 | she and attorney Greg Bautzer attend Atwater Kent's costume party as L'il Abner and Daisy Mae |
| May 46 | enjoys dinner with Helmut Dantine at the Colony House |
| July 46 | columnist Harrison Carroll knows: "The good-looking Canadian, who gave Marguerite Chapman such a rush before returning home, was Jock Heatherington, former flyer and now a divisional inspector of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police..." |
| September 46 | is seen out with Greg Bautzer |
| November 46 | Tony Martin is noted again romancing a Columbia actress. "Last time it was Rita Hayworth - this time it's Marguerite Chapman. They were at Ciro's at a table for two." |
| columnist Louella Parsons thinks that Marguerite "is seeing a lot of Kurt Kruger these days..." |
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| June 47 | Winchell tells: "When Marguerite Chapman is done with the cameras over at Columbia's Relentless you can find her in the arms of Johnny Miles..." |
| August 47 | columnist Hedda Hopper knows: "Frank Ryan, who came west to visit Anita Colby, is now in Saratoga Springs, New York, with Marguerite Chapman..." |
| 48 | leaves Columbia in the recession of the year |
| 22 December 48 | she and G. Bentley Ryan, law firm partner of Greg Bautzer, announce they will marry next week at the Santa Barbara Mission. Mrs. Speed Post will be matron of honor; Jack Huber, best man. They will return to Hollywood for a reception at the Bel Air Hotel, then honeymoon in Mexico City and Acapulco. |
| 29 December 48 | marries Ryan at the Santa Barbara Mission. He's 41; she's 30. The two have known each other for eight years. The Roman Catholic ceremony is performed by the Reverend Thomas N. O'Toole. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Chapman of White Plains, New York, attend. The newlyweds honeymoon in Mexico City. |
| October 49 | she and Ryan are reported straining at the leash |
| December 49 | separates from Ryan two weeks before their first wedding anniversary |
| 21 January 50 | files for divorce from Ryan in Los Angeles charging cruelty |
| 20 February 50 | wins an interlocutory decree, claiming extreme cruelty. She charges that Ryan left home after a minor disagreement for some five weeks at a time and was critical of everything she did. She says she did "everything in my power" to make the marriage succeed, but that Ryan said it all was a mistake. |
| March 50 | starlet Mari Blanchard is reported the new femme lead in Ryan's life |
| Winchell reports her and Willard Parker, "both estranged from their mates, are yes, in-deedy..." |
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| May 50 | Winchell tells that she "is playing Juliet to G. Gregson..." |
| June 50 | returns to the screen after two years off for marriage and interior decorating |
| columnist Erskine Johnson thinks she might "qualify for Wall Street after the financial settlement she demanded, and got, from ex-husband Bentley Ryan..." |
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| September 50 | her favorite escort is Michael Graham, the British flyer |
| 10 March 51 | receives her divorce from Ryan, plus a settlement of $10,000 |
| 52 | is off to England for the filming of The Last Page |
| ? | starts a romance with British producer Anthony Havelock-Allan, the ex of actress Valerie Hobson |
| February 52 | columnist Jack Lait thinks that she and actor John Howard plan to get hitched |
| April 52 | she and Howard are reported romancing |
| June 52 | columnist Earl Wilson expects her to marry John Howard in July |
| Early September 52 | is seen at the Captain's Table with Alex Runciman |
| Late September 52 | columnist Harrison Carroll reports: "At the Mocambo I ran into Marguerite Chapman and wealthy Alec Runciman, who used to be engaged to Marie Windsor. However, Marguerite will be leaving soon for a three-month stay in New York. And that probably means she and John Howard will pick up where they left off." |
| October 52 | she and Cy Howard are noted applauding the Mocambo's new act, comedian Jackie Miles |
| won't see Howard as soon as expected because she has pictures coming up in Hollywood and he has signed for Broadway's Hazel Flagg |
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| December 52 | at Sally Ellise's big cocktail party at the Champagne Room, she tells columnist Edith Gwynne that she isn't going to marry Howard |
| April 53 | upon her return from New York she tells Harrison Carroll about her long-time romance with Howard: "That goes on furiously and bric-a-brac accumulates." |
| September 53 | Gwynn tells: "Now that Marguerite Chapman has switched to Eddie Norris, her former best boyfriend, John Howard is seeing Eva Ralf..." |
| January 54 | Carroll tells: "Eddie Norris was supposed to take Marguerite Chapman to Bryan Foy's party but showed up alone. He told pals it's all over between them." |
| February 54 | she and Norris are reported having resumed their romance |
| May 56 | George Baker of Sad Sack fame is reported going for her |
| September 56 | is heralded quitting the movies to sell houses as a Palm Springs real estate broker |
| May 57 | joins Dorothy Malone in becoming a blonde |
| 14 January 58 | is accused of driving while drunk in Los Angeles. Clad in skimpy shorts, sweater and sports coat, she is stopped following a minor auto accident when her car hits the rear of another on Sunset Boulevard. She spends several hours in jail for refusing to take a sobriety test and is finally released on a $263 bail after giving two policemen an impromptu ballet demonstration. She will be sentenced on February 20. |
| 24 / 31 July 64 | as Marguerite M. Leander, she marries John Richard Bremerkamp, director of TV's "Petticoat Junction," in Los Angeles. He's 47; she's 46. |
| 70 | is reported married to Bremerkamp and a talented artist, her work displayed in West Coast galleries |
| November 72 | divorces Bremerkamp who will marry actress-singer Mary Meade in 1973 and die at age 87 in 2004 in Apple Valley, California |
| January 73 | lives on top of a hill in Hollywood with a scrapbook she disparages, two French poodles, and "the knowledge that she's a good actress who should be working more steadily" |
| 90s | her address is 11558 Riverside Dr. #304, North Hollywood, CA 91602 |
| 97 | is asked for a part in Titanic but is too ill to accept |
| 31 August 99 | as Marguerite Chapman, she dies at age 81 in Burbank, California; she was childless |
| Sources: Norma Chapman Dolan, "Marguerite Chapman: Tall Dark and Beautiful" by Joe Collura in Classic Images, Hollywood Players: The Forties by James Robert Parish, The New York Times, Mansfield News, Oakland Tribune, The Daily Review, The Charleston Gazette, The Lowell Sun, Nevada State Journal, Valley Morning Star, The Clearfield Progress, The Frederick Post, Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star, Reno Evening Gazette, Waterloo Daily Courier, The Era, Middletown Times-Herald, Portland Press Herald, Edwardsville Intelligencer, Dixon Evening Telegraph, The Sedalia Democrat, Sunday Times Signal, The Zanesville Signal, The Times Recorder, The Monessen Daily Independent, Pottstown Mercury, The Lethbridge Herald, The Daily Times-News, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, The Gettysburg Times, The Lima News, Silver Screen, Movies, pro.Corbis.com, www.Ancestry.com | |
| Recommended Books: | |
| Links: Filmography Spooky Tom's Nightmare Mansion | |