Majel Coleman

Majel Coleman (February 22, 1903 – July 27, 1980) was an American film actress and model from Mason, Ohio. Most of her 11 film credits are silent movie features.

Majel Coleman
BornFebruary 22, 1903
Mason, Ohio, United States
DiedJuly 27, 1980
Paramount, California, United States
OccupationActress

Early life

Coleman was born in Mason, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati, Ohio) to Pierce ("Percy") Coleman and Grace (nee Slayback) Coleman. Her father was a former Major League Baseball pitcher from Mason.[1] The name "Majel" means "wood dove". Sometime prior to age 17, Majel and her parents were living in Cincinnati, where she attended Hughes Center High School (which is adjacent to the University of Cincinnati campus).[2]

Modeling career

Coleman -- "a quiet red-haired girl"[3] -- was listed among the 14 most beautiful women in the world in 1926 along with Sally Rand, Etta Lee, Eugenia Gilbert, Jocelyn Lee, Sally Long, Clara Morris, Olive Borden, Christina Montt, Adalyn Mayer, Thais Valdemar, Yola D'Avril, and Dorothy Seastrom.

Coleman's hands became an ideal of perfection, beginning with film screen tests which revealed their beauty, and she was often a hand double in movies.[4] A 1927 nationally syndicated newspaper article noted that "Many times when you have gazed upon a closeup of a feminine hand reaching for a cigaret (sic), playing with gold and jewels, or coming snakelike fashion from behind a heavy curtain, the hand has not been that of a star. More often such hand shots are made with a double furnishing the hands. Those perfectly tapered fingers, those matchless nails, the slender wrists that are the envy of every woman have been shown with care. One star who broke into the movies by her perfect hands is Majel Coleman. Long before the directors discovered that Majel Coleman's face was not hard to look upon, her hands were given screen tests and found not wanting. Majel's hands began to be famous in Hollywood."[5]

A nationally syndicated newspaper story in 1922 noted that "The largest close-up of a pair of hands ever made for the screen was taken recently of those belonging to Majel Coleman, a former Cincinnati society girl, who is now carrying a career for herself in the films. Miss Coleman's shapely hands were used in several statues made by the sculptors of the Cincinnati Art Institute, and caused much comment when the statues were exhibited at the Exposition Internationale des Arts, in Paris.[6]

Coleman was also featured in print advertising campaigns including for William Hepner's "Halo-Tress" cosmetics and wigs.[7]

Film actress

Majel, who was a beauty contest winner in her hometown, went to Hollywood in 1921 after high school.

A February 1922 newspaper article stated that she had been disqualified from an amateur beauty contest because her photos were shot by a professional photographer. However, "her beauty attracted the attention of a big middle-western theater owner, who sent her photos on to a representative of a Pacific coast studio, with the result that she has already appeared in five feature productions and is now a permanent resident at the capital of the cinema world."[8] A month earlier a newspaper reported that "Max Linder is working on a burlesque of 'The Three Musketeteers', a five-reel Goldwyn comedy nearing completion. He has chosen what he thinks are two real American beauties -- Jobyna Ralston of New York and Majel Coleman, winner of a pretty girl contest in Cincinnati."[9]

On her 19th birthday in 1922, a newspaper reported she "received an instrument of destruction this week in the shape of a snappy speedster (car) from her father, P.D. Coleman, southwestern representative of a large eastern paint concern. Miss Coleman is now appearing in King Baggott's 'Kisses' at Universal."[10]

Coleman wanted to work for Cecil B. De Mille in particular. When she could not find a way to get his attention, she lost interest in working for other movie studios. Then a chance happening changed Coleman's future. De Mille noticed Coleman when a small stray dog followed her home and became intimidated by her police dog. The little dog jumped off her porch and broke its leg on the cement below. It continued on across the street with Coleman pursuing. A car driven by the film producer almost ran over the red haired beauty. Together Demille and Coleman took the puppy to the hospital. De Mille then signed Coleman to a movie contract in March 1925. He made tests and arranged for her to act in small parts in his next films.

Her early motion picture efforts include roles in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1923) and several Harry Carey westerns, Soft Shoes (1925) and West of Broadway (1926). In Corporal Kate (1926) Coleman stars with Vera Reynolds and Julia Faye. The setting is Rivecourt, France, a town almost totally destroyed by the German offensive of August–September 1918, during World War I. The American 7th Machine Gun Battalion fought there.

In 1927, Coleman played Procula, the wife of Pontius Pilate, in Demille's production of King of Kings.[11] Her last films include roles in The Girl In The Glass Cage (1929) and Romance of the Rio Grande (1929).

Personal life

Majel Coleman was married to Academy Award-winning feature film and television set decorator Victor Gangelin (1899-1967), whose father was born in Russia and mother in Germany. The couple lived in Los Angeles. Her husband died in 1967 at age 68.

Majel Coleman Gangelin died at age 77 in 1980 in Paramount, California.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1923Bluebeard's 8th Wife
1924Unmarried WivesMrs. Lowell
1925Soft ShoesMabel Packer
1925The Dressmaker from ParisMannequinUncredited
1926Sunny Side UpShowgirl
1926West of BroadwayMuriel Styles
1926Corporal KateEvelyn Page
1927The King of KingsProculla - Wife of Pilate
1927Almost HumanCecile Adams
1929The Girl in the Glass CageIsabelle Van Court
1929Romance of the Rio GrandeDorry Wayne
1934The Girl from MissouriPaige's StenographerUncredited, (final film role)

References
  1. "Percy Coleman Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  2. "Hughes High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH), Class of 1918, Page 74 of 322 - E-Yearbook.com has the largest online yearbook collection of college, university, high school, middle school, junior high school, military, naval cruise books and yearbooks. Search and browse yearbooks online!". E-yearbook.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  3. "12 Dec 1926, 33 - The Miami News at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  4. "The News - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  5. "2 Jul 1927, 16 - The Capital Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  6. "11 Feb 1922, Page 22 - El Paso Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  7. "9 Mar 1930, 103 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  8. "12 Feb 1922, 4 - Leader-Telegram at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  9. "16 Jan 1922, Page 2 - The Kansas City Kansan at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  10. "12 Feb 1922, Page 36 - Oakland Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  11. "Review: The King of Kings (dir. Cecil B. DeMille, 1927)". Patheos.com. 7 December 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
Sources
  • Denton, Maryland Journal, At The Palace Theater, February 27, 1926, Page 2.
  • Havre, Montana Daily News Promoter, Movie Sidelights, September 17, 1926, Page 6.
  • Los Angeles Times, Screen-Struck Mutt's Hard Luck Results In De Mille Contract For Young Actress, March 15, 1925, Page 25.
  • Los Angeles Times, Device Named Heart Of Radio, October 24, 1926, Page B8.
  • Los Angeles Times, War Film Novel In Lack of Scene at Battlefields, October 31, 1926, Page C23.
  • Los Angeles Times, Reverent Picture Seen Again, October 26, 1928, Page A9.
  • Syracuse Herald, Hands Win Film Fame, July 8, 1927, Page 10.
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