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| Ena Gregory |
| born: 16 April 1907 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
died: 13 June 1993 Laguna Beach, California, United States of America (age 86) |
| Australian-born actress. She was a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1925. Her last film was in 1931. US fan magazines said she went on stage at the age of 3, acting; doing pantomime; ballet dancing. She appeared in dramatic juvenile roles in English companies touring Australia and won 1st prize in a beauty contest shortly before coming to America in Feb.1920. 1920 - Feb.2: arrives in San Francisco with her Mom JESSIE GREGORY (1888-1947). Ena's age is given as "11" (student) and Mom as Housewife (35). Final destination: LA. However, the Australian Birth Index at Ancestry her real birth year is listed as 1907 - which is also supported by the Social Security Applications & Claims Index. 1925 - March: arrested in DesMoines, Iowa. Along with ANNA MAY WONG and several other actors in a touring troupe "Hollywood Frolic", she was accused of skipping out without paying their hotel bill in Omaha. The actors filed suit against the hotel for $250,000 for defamation because it had given their names to the newspaper. The tour sponsor had given them the impression that the bill had been paid when they left Omaha for Iowa. 1926 - Dec.23: "secretly" married producer/director ALBERT S. ROGELL (1901-1988) in Santa Barbara. 1927 - to help her waning career and waning spirits, her husband recommends a "nose job" (she does it). An astrologer/numerologist (or press agent) recommends she change her unlucky name. She chooses MARIAN DOUGLAS, taken from her 2 favorite actors, MARY PICKFORD and DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS. Her career picked up... for a while. 1934 Aug: Reno, NV. AL ROGELL sues for divorce saying she liked to go to all night drinking parties and "grew angry when he refused to accompany her". He also sued Hollywood millionaire lawyer/capitalist, W.V.R. SMITH for alienation of Ena's affection. Then SMITH and ENA each threatened to sue ROGELL! (She got the house---$15,000 in 1930.) 1937 - Nov.5: marries Dr. FRANCIS D. NOLAN (1905-1971), Hollywood physician/surgeon. Second marriage for both. Supposedly, when taking her wedding vows she unconsciously said I will "take this man to be my AWFULLY wedded husband" 1939 - July: granted divorce from Dr.NOLAN claiming he "neglected her by staying away from home for days at a time". 1951 - May 2: Orange Co., marries JAMES THOMPSON TALBOT (1904-1955) successful oil co. exec./investment stock broker. His 2nd marriage and her 3rd; he is 47 and she is 36 (sic). They live in South Laguna Beach. He died in November 1955. BIRTH YEAR: I go with the 1909 date on her US Citizenship Application in 1932 because she was about 24 with no reason to "lie" on an official document. Some sources give a birthdate of 18 April 1906. The Social Security Death Index says she was born "1907". The 1930 and 1940 Census's support the 1909 date, although they only let you calculate an approximate year (you will find her in 1930 as "MARIAN I." married to "ALBERT S. ROYELL"). The CA Death Index says she was born "1915". She "lied" on her 3rd Marriage Certificate in 1951, stating her age as "36", so I think this is where the CADI came up with the 1915 date. ENA had no children and all her husbands were dead and any living friends or relatives were in Australia so the County Coroner would put on the Death Certificate the information that was given to him. Dr. FRANK D. NOLAN: his official Columbus, OH (Franklin Co) birth record clearly shows "FRANCIS D. NOLAN Jr.". As an adult, he used "FRANK G." (vitalsearch.com) and his 3rd Marriage Certificate (1946) says "FRANK GREGORY NOLAN". In 1957, he helped the State of CA pull off a "sting" operation by posing as a buyer/middleman looking to buy homeopathic doctor/surgeon credentials from a medical school in MD which would allow the surgeon to practice surgery in CA through reciprocity agreements. With the evidence (recordings) FRANK gathered, the culprits were tried and convicted. The convictions held all the way through the CA Supreme Court. |
| Real name: Ena Jessica Gregory Height: 5'2" |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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