Dorothy Short

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{{Short description|American actress (1915–1963)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Dorothy Short

| image = Dorothy Short as Mary Lane.png

| image_size =

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| caption = Dorothy Short as Mary Lane in Reefer Madness (1936)

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|6|29}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|6|4|1915|6|29}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Inglewood Park Cemetery

| resting_place_coordinates = Plot: Magnolia, Lot 35

| nationality =

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| years_active = 1934–1953

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| spouse = {{marriage|Dave O'Brien (Fronabarger)|1936|1954|reason=divorced}}

| partner =

| children = 2{{Cite web|url=http://www.b-westerns.com/obrien1.htm|title = Dave O'Brien}}

| parents =

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}}

Dorothy Short (June 29, 1915 – June 4, 1963) was an American film actress, mainly in low-budget Westerns and serials in the 1930s and 1940s.

A native of Philadelphia,{{cite web|url=http://www.dvrbs.com/people/CamdenShowbiz-DorothyShort.htm| title=Dorthy Short|publisher=DVRBS.com|accessdate=2021-06-09}} Short was the daughter of Mrs. E. M. Short. She began working in films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1933 on a trial basis. In November 1933, a court in California approved a seven-year contract, with options, between the 18-year-old actress and the studio.{{cite news |title=18-year-old girl wins M-G-M film contract |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77537870/dorothy-short/ |access-date=May 12, 2021 |work=The Indianapolis News |agency=Associated Press |date=November 22, 1933 |page=8|via = Newspapers.com}}

Short married actor Dave O'Brien{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hd8rAAAAIBAJ&pg=5028,2140940&dq=dorothy-short&hl=en|title='Brothers Of West' Coming To Kentucky|date=May 28, 1948|work=Kentucky New Era|access-date=November 9, 2011}} in 1936, the same year they appeared together in the low-budget exploitation cheapie Reefer Madness, which in modern times has become a well-known cult film.{{cite web|url=https://oldmovieteams.org/about/dorothy-short-dave-obrien/| title=Dorothy Short & Dave O'Brien| date=April 29, 2013|publisher=Old Movies Team.org|accessdate=2021-06-09}} She also appeared in another anti-marijuana film, Assassin of Youth, in 1937.

She often appeared alongside her husband in various 'B' pictures and the Pete Smith series of comedy shorts, in which O'Brien played the lead on many occasions during the 1940s. After their divorce in 1954, Short retired from film acting, and died nine years later at age 47.