Western and Serial Heroines

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

A 1928 WAMPAS Baby Star, Dorothy Gulliver was part of "The Collegians" silent series of the late 1920s for Universal, and also did some silent oaters and serials with William Desmond, Jack Hoxie and Hoot Gibson. In talkies, she appeared in a bunch of 1930s cliffhangers: THE PHANTOM OF THE WEST (Mascot, 1930), THE GALLOPING GHOST (Mascot, 1931), THE SHADOW OF THE EAGLE (Mascot, 1932), THE LAST FRONTIER (RKO, 1932), and CUSTER'S LAST STAND (Stage & Screen, 1936). She was the heroine in a few sound era sagebrushers, starring opposite Rex Lease, Tim McCoy, Jack Hoxie and Bill Elliott.

You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and then to the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Dorothy Kathleen Gulliver, born 9/6/1908 in Utah, Mother's maiden name of Greenaway, and passed away in the San Diego, California area on 5/23/1997. I could not find a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Dorothy Gulliver: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0347827/

Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website notes that Gulliver was cremated and ashes scattered: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9021032

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above, Kenneth Harlan and Dorothy Gulliver in the early sound oater, UNDER MONTANA SKIES (Tiffany, 1930).

(Courtesy of Ed Tabor)

Above, Rex Lease and pretty Dorothy Gulliver in a romantic interlude from IN OLD CHEYENNE (Sono-Art/World Wide, 1931).

(From Old Corral image collection)

George W. Merrick and Louis Weiss had Rex Lease as the star of the 15 chapter CUSTER'S LAST STAND (Stage & Screen, 1936). The players in the insets are: bottom left - Dorothy Gulliver (as 'Red Fawn') and Rex Lease, and on the right - Nancy Caswell and William Farnum.

(Courtesy of Lynn MacKaye Morgan)

Above, Fred MacKaye vs. Cecilia 'Cissy' Parker in the Ken Maynard oater GUN JUSTICE (1933). About four years after this western was filmed, Cecilia Parker had graduated from playing serial and B-western heroines and began her most remembered screen role as Mickey Rooney's sister "Marian Hardy" in the Andy Hardy series at MGM. About ten years after doing this film, MacKaye was directing the popular Lux Radio Theater.

Cecilia is the correct spelling of her name --- it is not Cecelia with an e in the middle.

Born in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, Parker made about 20 westerns and serials in a career that began around 1930.

There seemed to be two phases to Cecilia Parker's film work. The first was in doing bits and supporting roles in A and B grade films, as well as 1930s B westerns starring George O'Brien, John Wayne, Ken Maynard, Buck Jones and Smith Ballew. She also did cliffhangers, appearing in THE LOST JUNGLE (Mascot, 1934), JUNGLE MYSTERY (Universal, 1932) and THE LOST SPECIAL (Universal, 1932). Phase Two was portraying Marian Hardy, the sister to Mickey Rooney, in the Andy Hardy films at MGM.

She retired around 1942 to raise three children and assist her husband, Robert Baldwin Sr., in his California real estate business.

You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and then to the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Cecilia Maryelizabeth Baldwin, born 4/26/1914 in Canada, Mother's maiden name of Reichlemeier, Father's last name of Parker, and she passed away on 7/23/1993. There is a corresponding record in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Note that there is some confusion regarding Parker's birth year - her birth date is sometimes reported as April 26, 1905 (instead of 1914).

Remember blonde haired Cecilia in her RIDERS OF DESTINY role ... and the movie ending? Wayne and her do a smooch, and then he rides off to send a telegram. But before he leaves, Wayne comments about really liking Cissy's home-baked biscuits. Flustered and happy from the kiss, she runs to the ranch house while proclaiming to her dad (George Hayes) "gosh! I'm gonna bake a million biscuits!"

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Cecilia Parker: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0662118/

Jim Johnson's Andy Hardy Fan website has info and some images on the MGM Andy Hardy series: http://www.andyhardyfilms.com/