Sally Eilers - Biography

Sally Eilers (December 11, 1908 – January 5, 1978) was an American actress.

Life and career

Born as Dorothea Sally Eilers in New York City to a Jewish-American mother, Paula, and an Irish-American father, Peter Eilers, (who was an inventor). She was educated in Los Angeles and went into films because so many of her friends were in pictures. She studied for the stage, specialising in dancing. Her first try was a failure so she tried typing but then went back into pictures and succeeded.

She made her film debut in 1927 in The Red Mill, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. After several minor roles as an extra, she found work with Mack Sennett as one of his Sennett Bathing Beauties in several comedy short subjects, along with Carole Lombard, who had been a school friend. In 1928 she was voted as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, a yearly list of young actresses nominated by exhibitors based on their box-office appeal.

Eilers was a popular figure in early-1930s Hollywood, known for her high spirits and vivacity. Her films were mostly comedies and crime melodramas such as Quick Millions (1931) with Spencer Tracy and George Raft. She was married for a short time to Hoot Gibson, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1933.

By the end of the decade her popularity had waned, and her subsequent film appearances were few. She made her final film appearance in 1950.

Death

During her final years, Eilers suffered poor health, and died from a heart attack in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 69.

Selected filmography

• The Red Mill (1927)
• The Show of Shows (1929)
• She Couldn't Say No (1930)
• Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931)
• Quick Millions (1931)
• The Black Camel (1931)
• Bad Girl (1931)
• Central Airport (1933)
• State Fair (1933)
• Carnival (1935)
• Remember Last Night? (1935)
• Talk of the Devil (1936)
• Coroner Creek (1948)

External links

• Photographs of Sally Eilers