About Mary Anderson
Lived 1897 – 1986 (aged 88). Mary Anderson was an American actor.
Mary Anderson (June 28, 1897 – June 22, 1986) was an American actress, who performed in over 77 silent films between 1914 and 1923.
Career
Anderson was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she also attended Erasmus Hall High School. Anderson later attended Holy Cross School and there made her first public performances as a Grecian dancer at charity functions. Anderson had been seen in many productions since the day she first made her bow on the silver screen for Vitagraph Studios.
A popular player, she probably did her best work in Irvin Willat's feature production, The False Faces
She later worked for Famous Players–Lasky and Canyon Pictures.
Personal life/death She was daughter of actress Nellie Anderson. She married cinematographer Pliny Goodfriend but they divorced in 1937. She died in El Cajon, California, six days before her 89th birthday.
Selected filmography C.O.D. (1914) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) My Official Wife (1914) The Silent Plea film short (1915) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) The Human Caldron film short (1915) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) Cal Marvin's Wife film short (1915) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) The Flower of the Desert (1916) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) Horse Shoe for Luck (1916) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) Her Loving Relations (1916) Vitagraph Company of America (Broadway Star Feature) The Last Man (1916) The Flaming Omen (1917) When Men Are Tempted (1917) The Divorcee (1917) Sunlight's Last Raid (1917) By Right of Possession (1917) The Magnificent Meddler (1917) The Warning (1917) Playthings (1918) His Birthright (1918) The Hushed Hour (1919) The False Faces (1919) Johnny Get Your Gun (1919) The Spender (1919) Bubbles (1920) Vanishing Trails (1920) Two Minutes to Go (1921) Too Much Married (1921) Bluebeard, Jr. (1922) The Half Breed (1922) Wildness of Youth (1922) Shell Shocked Sammy (1923) Enemies of Children (1923)
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Important facts
People in Mary Anderson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Mary Anderson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mary Anderson?
American actress (1897-1986)
When was Mary Anderson born?
Mary Anderson was born on 28 June 1897 in Brooklyn.
When did Mary Anderson die?
Mary Anderson died on 22 June 1986 in El Cajon.
What was Mary Anderson's occupation?
Mary Anderson was an actor.
What nationality was Mary Anderson?
Mary Anderson was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Mary Anderson (actress, born 1897)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mary Anderson. https://biography.guide/mary-anderson-actor-1897/
MLA: "Mary Anderson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mary-anderson-actor-1897/.
Chicago: "Mary Anderson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mary-anderson-actor-1897/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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