Marion Byron | |
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 Byron in 1929 | |
| Born | Miriam Bilenkin 1911 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 1985 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Peanuts |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1928–1938 |
| Children | 2 |
Marion Byron (bornMiriam Bilenkin; 1911 – 1985)[1] was an American silent film actress and comedian.
Born inDayton, Ohio,[2] Byron was one of five daughters of Louis and Bertha Bilenkin.[3]
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She made her first stage appearance at the age of 13 and followed it with a role in actor-producerLupino Lane'sHollywood Music Box Revue oppositeFannie Brice. It was while appearing in this production that she was given the nickname "Peanuts" because of her short stature. While appearing inThe Strawberry Blonde, she came to the attention ofBuster Keaton who signed her as his leading lady in the filmSteamboat Bill, Jr. in 1928 when she was just 16. (Keaton, standing 5' 5", was careful to cast ingenues who were petite, so they would photograph well opposite Keaton.)
From there she was hired byHal Roach[4] who teamed her withAnita Garvin in a bid to create a female version ofLaurel and Hardy. The pairing was not a commercial success and they made only three short comedies:Feed 'Em and Weep (1928),A Pair of Tights (1928), andGoing Ga-Ga (1929).
She left the Roach studio before it made talking comedies, then worked in musical features like theVitaphone filmBroadway Babies (1929) withAlice White, and the earlyTechnicolor featureGolden Dawn (1930).
Her parts slowly got smaller until they were unbilled walk-ons in movies likeMeet the Baron (1933), starringJack Pearl andHips Hips Hooray (1934) withWheeler and Woolsey; she returned to the Hal Roach studio for a bit part in theCharley Chase shortIt Happened One Day (1934). Her final screen appearance was as a baby nurse to theDionne Quintuplets inFive of a Kind (1938).
Byron married screenwriterLou Breslow in 1932 and they had two sons, Lawrence and Daniel. They remained together until her death in Santa Monica on July 5, 1985, following a long illness. Her ashes were later scattered in the sea.[citation needed]
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