Marilyn Knowlden

Biography

In 1931, a one-day effort by Marilyn Knowlden's attorney father led to an interview, a next-day screen test and a large part for four-year-old Marilyn in one of the early "talkies", Women Love Once (1931). A ten-year movie career followed, where she played the daughter of such stars as Claudette Colbert, Katharine Hepburn, Allan Jones and Norma Shearer.

She appeared in some of the screen's great classics, including Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), David Copperfield (1935) and Les Misérables (1935), in which she played the child Cosette. She appeared in six films nominated by the Academy for Best Production of the Year and performed with such distinguished actors as Fredric March, Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis.

College, marriage and four children followed. A composer and playwright as well as an actress, she wrote the music and lyrics for ten produced musicals, including three for which she also wrote the scripts. The latter included her musical, "I'm Gonna Get You in the Movies!" for which she drew heavily on her own early experience.

After a 50-year hiatus, Marilyn returned to acting in 1994. She appeared in over 20 plays and musicals in San Diego County, including the role of Aunt Abby in "Arsenic and Old Lace," the leads in "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "Quilters," and Prof. Higgins' mother in "My Fair Lady." In 2011 Bear Manor published Marilyn Knowlden's autobiography "Little Girl in Big Pictures."

Known For

David Copperfield

Agnes Wickfield as a Girl

Les Misérables

Little Cosette (as Marilynne Knowlden)

Imitation of Life

Jessie Pullman, Age 8 (uncredited)

Little Women

Amy's Classmate (uncredited)

A Woman Rebels

Flora at Age 9 (uncredited)

Angels with Dirty Faces

Laury - as a Child

Condemned to Live

Maria

Marie Antoinette

Princesse Therese

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
1944	Broadway Rhythm	Co-ed in Drugstore (uncredited)
1940	All This, and Heaven Too	Marianna Van Horn (uncredited)
1940	The Way of All Flesh	Julie Kriza
1939	Hidden Power	Imogene
1938	Just Around the Corner	Gwendolyn (uncredited)
1938	Marie Antoinette	Princesse Therese
1938	Barefoot Boy	Julia Blaine
1938	An Evening with Edgar Guest	Ann
1938	Angels with Dirty Faces	Laury - as a Child
1937	Slave Ship	Girl
1936	Show Boat	Kim as a Child
1936	A Woman Rebels	Flora at Age 9 (uncredited)
1936	Rainbow on the River	Lucille Layton
1936	Anthony Adverse	Florence Udney
1936	Easy to Take	Gwen Ferry
1935	Les Misérables	Little Cosette (as Marilynne Knowlden)
1935	Condemned to Live	Maria
1935	David Copperfield	Agnes Wickfield as a Girl
1934	As the Earth Turns	Esther
1934	Imitation of Life	Jessie Pullman, Age 8 (uncredited)
1933	Little Women	Amy's Classmate (uncredited)
1932	The Conquerors	Frances Standish, as a child
1932	Call Her Savage	Ruth as a Girl (Uncredited)
1931	Husband's Holiday	Anne Boyd
1931	The Cisco Kid	Annie Benton

Year	TV Show	Role