Marie Dressler

Dressler twice married in her lifetime. The first was to George Hoeppert, an American citizen, in 1899. The marriage gave Dressler an American citizenship. The union, however, did not last and the two parted ways.

In 1907, Dressler first met Maine businessman, James Henry ‘Jim’ Dalton. The following year the couple married in Europe. The marriage lasted till Dalton’s death in 1921.

Following Dalton’s death, Dressler moved in with a friend Nella Webb. In 1929, she moved to Los Angeles and later to Beverly Hills. During her last years, she lived with her maid Mamie and the latter’s husband, Jerry.

Marie Dressler was born as Leila Marie Koerber on November 9, 1868, in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, to Alexander Rudolph Koerber and Anna Henderson. Both her parents were musicians. She had an elder sister named Bonita Louise Koerber.

Young Marie imbibed the passion for music from her parents. She would often accompany her father to St Peter’s Anglican Church where he worked as an organist. On some days, she would also perform the organ and sing.

Marie’s family was always on the go, moving from one community to the other until they finally settled in United States where her father worked as a piano teacher in Bay City, Michigan, Findlay, Ohio and Saginaw.

Marie’s stint with acting began as early as at the age of five. Her first ever performance was that of a Cupid for a church theatrical in Lindsay, Ontario. Following this, she acted in several amateur productions much to the dismay of her parents who detested her acting career.

Her earliest exposure to stage and acting had set quite a massive impression on the mind of Young Marie who aimed to become an actor. Pursuing her dream, she left home at the age of 14 to join the Nevada Stock Company. It was during this time that she adopted her stage name, Marie Dressler after her father expressed his objection of her using the family name Koerber.

Dressler’s time in Nevada Stock Company was an extensive learning period. She polished her acting skills by learning the nuances of the profession. During her time in Nevada Stock Company, Dressler travelled frequently, as the plays that the company produced were mostly for the American Midwest audience.

Dressler’s debut on stage came as a chorus girl named Cigarette for the play ‘Under Two Flags’. For the next three years, she remained with the troupe acting for a couple of plays before she left the same to join the Robert Grau Opera Company.

After some time with Robert Grau Opera Company, Dressler joined the Starr Opera Company as a member of the chorus. She twice replaced regular actress and took up lead roles, as Katisha in ‘The Mikado’ and as Princess Flametta for an 1887 production.

She left Starr Opera Company and briefly re-joined her parents in Saignaw. However, she was called to join Bennett and Moulton Opera Company. For the next three years, she was on the road again, playing roles of light opera for the company. She remained with the company until 1891.

Dressler’s most promising work came when she starred in the supper successful play, ‘Tillie’s Nightmare’. The play was a grand hit and became the magnum opus of Dressler’s early stage career. It was adapted into a film ‘Tillie’s Punctured Romance’ and its sequels.

Her career experienced a revival in late 1920s when she was cast in MGM films. During this time, she belted out hits after hits in all genres, right from comedy to serious drama. Her best bit came with the 1930 film, ‘Min and Bill’ for which she won an Academy Award.