Sheila Terry was a blonde, blue-eyed actress who appeared in more than 30 films in the 1930s, mostly for Warner Bros. She was best known for playing opposite John Wayne in several westerns, such as Haunted Gold, The Lawless Frontier, and ‘Neath the Arizona Skies. She also had roles in other genres, such as comedy, drama, and romance. Some of her notable films include You Said a Mouthful, Scarlet Dawn, and Madame Butterfly.
However, behind the glamorous facade of Hollywood, Sheila Terry had a troubled and unhappy life. She struggled with financial problems, failed marriages, depression, and addiction. She eventually committed suicide by overdosing on pills in her New York apartment in 1957. She was only 46 years old. She died penniless and was buried in a pauper’s grave on Hart Island.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Sheila Terry was born Kathleen Eleanor Mulhern on March 5, 1910 in Warroad, Minnesota. One of her ancestors was John Wycliffe, who had translated the Bible into English. She dreamed of being an actress from a very young age. When she was a teenager, she studied dramatics at the Dickson-Kenwin Academy of Dramatic Art in Toronto. She began her career acting in stock companies.
Unfortunately, her wealthy uncle wanted her to become a teacher instead of an actress. She returned to Minnesota and taught school for a brief time so she could claim her inheritance. On August 16, 1928, she married Laurence Clark, a banker. Then she moved to New York City and was cast in the play The Little Racketeer. A talent scout saw her in the play and she was signed by Warner Bros.
Rise and Fall in Hollywood
In 1932, she made her film debut in the comedy Week-End Marriage. She had small roles in more than a dozen films that year, including Scarlet Dawn (starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Nancy Carroll), Madame Butterfly (starring Cary Grant and Sylvia Sidney), and Convention City (starring Joan Blondell, Adolphe Menjou, and Mary Astor). She also appeared with John Wayne in the western Haunted Gold.
She continued to work steadily for Warner Bros. throughout the 1930s, playing leads and second leads in various genres. She often portrayed glamorous or adventurous women who were involved with men of questionable character. She also showed her versatility by playing different ethnicities, such as Chinese, Russian, French, and Spanish.
However, she was dissatisfied with the quality of her roles and the lack of recognition she received from the studio and the public. She felt that she was typecast as a “secretary” or a “girlfriend” who had little to do in the plot. She also complained that some of her scenes were cut or reduced without her knowledge or consent.
She left Hollywood briefly in 1933 to return to the New York stage. She hoped to find more challenging and rewarding parts there. However, she did not achieve much success on Broadway either. She came back to Hollywood in 1934 and resumed working for Warner Bros.
Her marriage to Laurence Clark ended in 1934. She claimed he often criticized her and said she was a rotten singer. She married William Magee, a San Francisco millionaire, in October 1937, but that union was short-lived too.
Unhappy with the roles she was getting, she decided to quit acting altogether. Her final film was the drama I Demand Payment in 1938. Then she moved back to New York City and started a new career as a press agent.
Final Years and Death
Sheila Terry tried to make a comeback as an actress in the late 1940s and early 1950s. She had brief romances with actor John Warburton and producer Tay Garnett. In a 1948 interview she said she wanted to start acting again and that she needed an act for night clubs.
However, she did not manage to find any significant work in show business. She suffered from financial problems and depression. She also became addicted to sleeping pills.
On January 19, 1957, she committed suicide by taking an overdose of pills in her third floor apartment at 241 E. 60th St., which was both her home and office. Her body was discovered by a friend who went to check on her after failing to reach her on the phone.
The police found five empty capsules on the floor beside her body. Friends told the police that she had returned from a trip to Mexico a few days before her death and that she was ill when she came home.
It was later discovered that she died broke; she left only a scanty wardrobe. She had no relatives or close friends who could claim her body or pay for her funeral expenses.
She was buried on Hart Island, New York, a public cemetery for unclaimed and indigent people. Her grave is marked only by a number.
Legacy and Influence
Sheila Terry was one of the many actresses who came to Hollywood in the 1930s with hopes and dreams of stardom, but ended up being forgotten and neglected by the industry and the public. She was a talented and versatile performer who deserved better opportunities and recognition.
She left behind a filmography of more than 30 films, some of which are considered classics of their genres. She also left behind a tragic story of a woman who could not cope with the pressures and disappointments of Hollywood.
Sheila Terry’s life and death are a reminder of the dark side of fame and fortune, and the need for compassion and support for those who struggle with mental health issues and addiction.
Sheila Terry cause of death is a topic that still fascinates and saddens many film fans and historians today. Her films are still available for viewing and appreciation, and her memory is still honored by those who admire her work and her beauty.
