I'm sorry this is a day late.
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| Merna on the set of The Circus. |
Merna was the childhood friend of Chaplin’s second wife Lita Grey. It was Lita who suggested her for the role of the equestrienne, not only because she was pretty, but because she had the developed legs of a dancer. Merna made several more films after
The Circus, but retired in 1934 when she married choreographer/director Busby Berkeley (the marriage only lasted a year). She died of a heart attack in 1944, shortly after her second marriage to Forrest Brayton, she was only 35.
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| Eating an egg on the lawn of the Chaplin Studios. |
I had no idea she was married to Busby Berkeley at one time! I ordered the somewhat new biography of him, and guess I will find out more from that.
ReplyDeleteThere is a book about Busby Berkeley on Google Books that has a picture from their wedding. It may be from the book you ordered. It also contained some information about their short-lived marriage--it seems they split up mainly because of his alcoholism.
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