Mae Clarke
Toronto Daily Star, July 24 1931
Mae Clarke (1910-1992) was born Violet Mary Klotz, so it is not surprising that she was given a stage name. 1931 was the year in which Ms. Clarke made the two film appearances for which she was best known: she was Dr. Frankenstein's bride in the movie Frankenstein and she had half a grapefruit pushed into her face by James Cagney in The Public Enemy.
After suffering a car accident in 1933, Ms. Clarke was cast in lower-budget films and eventually in supporting roles. She was married and divorced three times.
Waterloo Bridge, the film in which Ms. Clarke was working at the time of the above photograph, was controversial because Ms. Clarke was portraying a chorus girl who had turned to prostitution to support herself. Film censors in several cities demanded cuts before the film could be released; when the Motion Picture Production Code came into effect in 1934, the film could no longer be shown. The film remained hidden in studio vaults and was not screened again until the 1990s.
Created November 4, 2025.