Evening star., 1948-10-13
Mary Eaton, Ex-FoIGes Star
Who Got Her Start Here Dies
Dancer and Singer
Once Was Member of
St. Potrick's S Players

Mary Eaton, musical comedy star
of the 1920s, who made her first
stage appearance in Washington as
child in Mrs. Wigs of the Cab
bage Patch,' died Sunday in Holly
wood.
The 46-year-old Virginia born ac-
tress was starred in The 'zieg-
field Follies" from 1923 to 1880, and
was co-starred with Eddie Cantor
in Kid Boots"
The daughter of c. H. S. Eaton
Of Norfolk, a newspaper printer,
she moved to Washington when
she was 10 years old, when her
father took job with the Wash
ington Post.
When only 2 years old, she won a
gold prize for singing at a charity
bazaar, and after coming to WASH
ington, where she attended high
school, she received her early stage
training as a member of the famed
st. Patrick's Players. The group was
founded by the Rev. Francis Hurney
who aided such stage and motion
picture players as Ina Claire, Helen
Hayes and Kate Smith.
With Poll Stock Company.
Her stage debut as child actress
in Mrs. Wigs of the Cabbage
Patch" was with the Poll Stock
Company and her pay was 81 a week
In this role she spoke only one line
Many are cold. but few are frozen. -
From this beginning, she played
other child roles in "Salomy Jane
and "Salomy James Pa" and the
title role of Little Lord Fauntle-
roy"
In the 1914 season the Poll man.
ager cast Mary Eaton in the role OF
Tyltyl. the boy, in The Bl le Bird, ;
while her younger. sister, Doris
played Mytyi The show ran fol
three weeks to crowded houses and
led the. Schuberts to revive THE
Blue Bird" and engage the Eaton
sisters. It was in this play that Mary
Eaton made her first appearance or
the New York stage before touring
the country in this revival in
1914-15.
Studied Singing and Ballet.
Determined on stage career, she
moved with her mother to New York
IN 1915 and began studying ir
earnest. She studied ballet under
Ivan Terasof1 and singing unde,
Albert Jeanette, training that paic
of later when critics hailed her al
the first musical comedy actress
who could sing, dance and act.
After qualifying as a toe dancer
she was engaged for solo dance
in Follow Me" at the Casino
Theater when she was only IS years
old. Juvenile groups stepped in
and halted her appearances until
she reached 16 years of age.
A petite blond of striking beauty
known as "TWinkletoes" in her early
years, she won a role in 1917 in
Over the Top" at the Forty fourth
Street Roof Garden. The following
year she was cast as the principal
dancer in The Royal Vagabond'
and her success in that role led to
an engagement for the "Follies" and
kid Boots" She also had appeared
in Lucky Julius Caesar" and
The 5 O'Clock Girl"
Took Over Marilyn Miller Role.
She also appeared in Sally"
taking over the Marilyn Miller
role when Miss Miller became ill.
In 1881, Miss Eaton went to Lon
don and appeared there in Folly
To Be Wise Motion pictures in
which she had appeared include
His Children's Children" and
"Glorifying the American Girl"
Miss Eaton is survived by her
husband, Ed Laughton, a movie ac-
tor, and her mother, Mrs. Mary
Eaton, who now lives in Detroit
She had been married to Will
lard Webb, motion picture director
who died in 1885, and to Charles
A. Emery.
A funeral service for her will
bt held tomorrow in Hollywood.