Merna Kennedy

Merna Kennedy (born Maude Kahler;^[1] September 7, 1908 – December 20, 1944) was an American actress of the late silent era and the transitional period into talkies.

Merna Kennedy
Kennedy in 1933
Born	Maude Kahler (1908-09-07)September 7, 1908 Kankakee, Illinois, U.S.
Died	December 20, 1944(1944-12-20) (aged 36) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Inglewood Park Cemetery, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1928–1934
Spouses	Busby Berkeley ​ ​ (m. 1934; div. 1935)​ Forrest Brayton ​ (m. 1944)​

Career

She was born in Kankakee, one of two children to Maud (née Reed) and John Kahler, a German-American butcher turned chiropractor. After her parents separated, her mother moved the family to California, where she married a grocer two years later, and changed their name to Kennedy. At the outbreak of World War I, their mother prepped seven-year-old Merna and brother Melvin (known as Merle) to tour as a dancing and singing sibling act on the Orpheum and Pantages theater circuits of vaudeville, where she became acquainted with Lita Grey.^[2] Merle broke his leg ending the duo, prompting Grey to suggest silent films to Merna.^[2]

Kennedy was best known during her brief career for her role opposite Charlie Chaplin in the silent film The Circus (1928), a role for which she was brought to the attention of Chaplin by her friend Lita Grey, who became Chaplin's second wife in 1924.^[3] She had red hair^[4] and muscular legs (due to being a dancer,) the latter of which helped her gain the role of the circus bareback rider.

Merna Kennedy in May 1933.

Kennedy continued acting after The Circus, starring in early sound films, but retired in 1934 when she married choreographer/director Busby Berkeley on February 10, 1934^[5] at Hollywood United Methodist Church.^[6] Their marriage broke up by 1936.^[2]

Death

Kennedy died at age 36 of a heart attack on December 20, 1944, four days after her marriage to Master Sergeant Forrest Brayton.^[7] She is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.^[8]

Filmography

Silent films

Kennedy and Glenn Tryon in the film Skinner Steps Out (1929)

• 1928 The Circus as The Ringmaster's Step-daughter, a Circus Rider
• 1929 Barnum Was Right
• 1929 Skinner Steps Out

Talkies

• 1929 Broadway
• 1930 The Rampant Age
• 1930 Embarrassing Moments
• 1930 The King of Jazz
• 1930 Worldly Goods
• 1930 The Midnight Special
• 1931 Stepping Out
• 1932 The Gay Buckaroo
• 1932 Lady with a Past
• 1932 Ghost Valley
• 1932 Come On, Tarzan
• 1932 The All American
• 1932 The Red-Haired Alibi
• 1932 I Like It That Way
• 1933 Laughter in Hell
• 1933 Emergency Call
• 1933 Easy Millions
• 1933 Don't Bet on Love
• 1933 I Love That Man (scenes deleted)
• 1933 Arizona to Broadway
• 1933 Police Call
• 1933 The Big Chance
• 1933 Son of a Sailor
• 1934 Wonder Bar
• 1934 Jimmy the Gent