Mary Blackwood

born: 04 October 1912 Colfax, Louisiana, United States of America

died: 01 May 1969 New York City, New York, United States of America (age 56)

American actress, born to Dr. Edward H. Blackwood and his wife Laura (Lora) Souther in Colfax, Louisiana (about 30 miles from Alexandria). They were a wealthy and socially prominent family. At the University of Texas (Austin), she was elected "Miss Texas Sweetheart" (1932) and went to Hollywood with her Mom in 1933. She got small parts in several movies. Sometime after 1938 she went to New York to become a photographer's model. There she met and married (1942) London born, William Miesegaes, wealthy heir to a Dutch rubber company and eventually a documentary film company president. They were civic and socially active in NYC and had a daughter in 1954. They were married until her death in 1969.

Real name: Mary Tom Blackwood

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1933 Me And My Pal Bridesmaid 1937 Pick A Star Miss Apple Valley Acknowledgements: https://obscureactresses.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/mary-blackwood/ (Stella Star - complete biography) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPYM-PB4 (1910 Census parents and brother in Colfax, LA.) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVQ5-3VC (1920 Census with parents in Colfax, LA.) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMR5-CKT (1930 Census with Mom and Step-dad in Alexandria, LA.) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQT6-GB8 (1940 Census in NYC as photographer's model.) https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68100721 (birth and death dates at findagrave.com.) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94K-F73R?cc=1923888 (MARY MIESEGAES born Colfax, La.) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99H8-W9RN?cc=2060123 (Husband naturalized NYC 1942.) "Shreveport LA Times" 01 Apr 1932 p.1: MARY BLACKWOOD of Alexandria, LA, chosen U of TX "Miss TX Sweetheart". "New Orleans Times" 09 Jul 1933 p.45 MARY BLACKWOOD of Alexandria given Paramount screen test. http://www.archive.org/stream/filmdaily67wids#page/n397/mode/1up/search/%22mary+blackwood%22 (1935 signs with Fox. "Elmira NY Star" 09 Jan 1942 p.8 NYC gossip column: MARY BLACKWOOD, Conover model is engaged to BILLY MIESEGAES. Jim Jarvis (research and help) Jesse Brisson (identification in Me And My Pal) This page was last updated on: 04 October 2025