Marjorie Riordan

File:Stage-Door-Canteen-LC-6.jpg with Lon McCallister, Marjorie Riordan, William Terry, Cheryl Walker, Margaret Early, and Sunset Carson (as Michael Harrison).|261x261px]]

Riordan was born in Washington, District of Columbia. Her family relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she attended high school and later studied drama for two years at the University of Wisconsin from 1937 to 1939, before moving to Los Angeles, California.{{Cite web|date=May 23, 1944|title=This Starlet Twinkled First at U. W.|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78242817/clipped-from-the-wisconsin-state/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Wisconsin State Journal|page=20|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=July 1, 1943|title=Marjorie Riordan - Visits Hometown|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78462853/marjorie-riordan-with-lon-mcallister-at/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Capital Times|page=19|language=en}}

Her interest in movies grew while living near the motion picture studios, but she first took a job working as a doctor's secretary and assistant, then using her spare time to look for film-related jobs on the side.{{Cite web|date=March 23, 1944|title=In Hollywood: Miss Riordan Loses Sleep|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78244012/clipped-from-the-des-moines/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Des Moines Register|page=10|language=en}} While modelling in Los Angeles and making uncredited appearances in films, she was chosen for a small role in the wartime B-movie melodrama Parachute Nurse (1942).

The Hollywood producer Sol Lesser and later president of the Sol Lesser Productions Inc.,{{Cite news|date=January 8, 1945|title=Lesser Studio to spend 5,000,000 this year|pages=12|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78234247/clipped-from-the-the-los-angeles/|access-date=2021-05-28}} often looking for new faces and unknown talent, signed Riordan as a contract player after she approached him about possible roles. Riordan made her debut in the Sol Lesser film, Stage Door Canteen (1943), a morale boosting musical revue picture made during World War II, where she played actor Lon McAllister’s girl of interest in the story, before his character “California” received assignment orders to leave for the war.{{Cite news|date=July 18, 1943|title=Stage and Screen - New Players|pages=50|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78235749/marjorie-riordan-and-lon/|access-date=2021-06-08}}{{Cite web|date=July 24, 1943|title='Stage Door Cateen' Is Capitol Film|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78241900/stage-door-cateen/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Quad-City Times|page=33|language=en}} Many well known film screen, stage and radio stars were featured in the films various stage performances, but Sol Lesser purposely went against conventions and cast other unknowns for the main story acting roles. The other newly contracted players featured in addition to Riordan included Lon McCallister, Margaret Early, Sunset Carson (as Michael Harrison) and Cheryl Walker, a former “stand-in” for actresses Veronica Lake, Claudette Colbert and Madeleine Carroll.{{Cite web|date=January 9, 1945|title=Stage Door Canteen, Playing Auditorium|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78241253/clipped-from-the-newark-advocatestage/|access-date=2021-05-28|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Newark Advocate|page=7|language=en}}

Shortly afterwards, Riordan's contract was transferred from Sol Lesser Productions to Warner Bros.{{Cite web|date=August 28, 1943|title=Sol Lesser – Producer|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78250504/sol-lesser/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Miami Herald|page=8|language=en}} where she was cast as Bette Davis's daughter Fanny Jr. in Mr. Skeffington (1944).{{Cite web|date=November 28, 1944|title=A Bit Of Drama|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78241009/mr-skeffington-1944-bette-davis-and/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Lancaster New Era|page=12|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=January 28, 1944|title=Marjorie Riordan Gets Coveted Roll|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78241087/mr-skeffington-1944-marjorie-riordan/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Democrat and Chronicle|page=8|language=en}} In 1945, she went on to act alongside Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in a Universal Pictures produced film titled Pursuit to Algiers (1945) where she had both an acting{{Cite web|title=AFI Catalog - Pursuit to Algiers (1945) Cast|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24538|access-date=2021-05-19|website=catalog.afi.com}}{{Cite web|date=January 6, 1946|title=Leslie Vincent and Marjorie Riordan|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78238051/marjorie-riordan-inpursuit-to-algiers/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Shamokin News-Dispatch|page=9|language=en}} and singing performance role.{{Cite web|date=April 21, 1946|title=Exciting Roles|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78239484/marjorie-riordanacts-and-sings/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Waxahachie Daily Light|page=6|language=en}}

Riordan often took part in various activities related to the war effort campaigns that were common during 1941–1945 by participating in USO canteen activities and other services that were provided to enlisted U.S. military members.{{Cite news|date=October 16, 1943|title=Ping-Pong Doubles|pages=18|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78235312/clipped-from-the-los-angeles/|access-date=2021-05-28}} She also assisted in the fundraising efforts that were part of the joint Navy and Red Cross campaign to sell war bonds to help raise money that would go towards building the cruiser USS Los Angeles.{{Cite web|date=July 13, 1943|title=Military Exhibit Opens - Dedication|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78299499/clipped-from-the-the-los-angeles/|access-date=2021-05-28|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Los Angeles Times|page=16|language=en}} The wartime effort activities she participated in along with the increased visibility that the film Stage Door Canteen had brought, and her modelling experience, lead her to also be promoted as a pin-up beauty{{Cite web|date=June 16, 1945|title=Marjorie Riordan - G.I. Pin-up|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78240901/marjorie-riordan-as-gi-pinup/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Chanute Field Wings|page=8|language=en}} among G.Is.{{Cite web|date=April 18, 1944|title=Oh, Chute!|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78250440/marjorie-riordanair-fliers-pinup-pick/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Tampa Times|page=7|language=en}} On June 25, 1945, as part of the widespread “help the war effort campaigns”, the California department of motor vehicles bestowed the title of “Share - the - Ride - Girl” upon Riordan to help the war effort by encouraging motorist to share their cars.{{Cite web|date=June 25, 1944|title=We'd Be Glad to__Anytime|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78242580/marjorie-riordan-share-the-ride/|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Daily News|page=18|language=en}}

She continued to appear in film supporting roles into the 1950s, while attending graduate school to study speech pathology, which later evolved into the study of clinical psychology.{{Cite web|date=May 31, 1956|title=Actress Teaches Children|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78423902/marjorie-riordan-actress-to-speech/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Mirror News|page=26|language=en}} After she further developed a career as a clinical psychologist,{{Cite web|date=January 14, 1960|title=Herb Stein - "Hollywood"|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78425416/clipped-from-the-philadelphia/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer|page=7|language=en}} she eventually gave up acting altogether.

Riordan's real life seemed to echo the role she had played in the film Stage Door Canteen (1943). While entertaining at a serviceman's canteen event, she met a Marine major named George T. Lumpkin, and they married in 1945.{{Cite news|date=November 5, 1945|title=Miss Riordan Marries Marine|pages=2|work=The Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78234049/marjorie-riordan-marries-marine-major/|access-date=2021-06-09}}{{Cite web|date=October 22, 1945|title=Out of Circulation|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78242489/actress-marjorie-riordan-marries-marine/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Daily News|page=102|language=en}} After her first marriage ended, she later married Allan Schlaff, a PhD fellow clinical psychologist,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=October 26, 1967|title=Guidance Clinic Treats Hundreds Each Month|url=http://www.newspapers.com/clip/78247131/dr-allan-schlaff-clinical-psychologist/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=Los Angeles Times|page=4 (San Gabriel Valley Section)|language=en}} on February 21, 1958.{{Cite web|date=February 21, 1958|title=DocDetails - Marriage Licenses|url=https://clerk.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimWeb/Document/DocDetails?TransactionItemId=6437920|access-date=2021-06-09|website=clerk.clarkcountynv.gov}} Schlaff died in 1972. Riordan died in 1984 of breast cancer.

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• Parachute Nurse (1942) - Wendie Holmes (as Marjorie Reardon)
• Stage Door Canteen (1943) - Jean (Principal cast)
• Mr. Skeffington (1944) - Fanny Jr.
• Navy Nurse (1945) - Nurse
• Pursuit to Algiers (1945) - Sheila Woodbury
• Three Strangers (1946) - Janet Elliott
• South of Monterey (1946) - Maria Morales
• The Hoodlum (1951) - Eileen
• Racket Squad (1951) - one episode, S2.E14: ‘’Five Star Swindle’’

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{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|id=0727860|name=Marjorie Riordan}}
• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0727860/bio Marjorie Riordan - IMDb Biography] Attributed to John A. Schlaff - Marjorie's son
• [https://archive.org/details/cinemundial29unse/page/335/mode/2up Cine Mundial, July 1944, Vol. 29, pg. 335] - archive.org source link. Marjorie Riordan publicity photo while under contract with Warner Bros.
• [https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/marjorie-riordan/3030454094/ TV Guide - Actor, Marjorie Riordan]
• [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9470/marjorie-riordan Marjorie Riordan] at Find a Grave

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Category:1921 births

Category:1984 deaths

Category:American film actresses

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni