Alice White (born Alva White; August 25, 1904 – February 19, 1983) was an American film actress. She first came to the public's attention during the late silent era as a rival to Clara Bow, before starring in First National/Warner Brothers films Broadway Babies, Naughty Baby, Hot Stuff, and Sweet Mama. She moved to California with her grandparents when a teenager and attended Hollywood High School for secretarial classes.

After playing a succession of flappers and gold diggers, she attracted the attention of director and producer Mervyn LeRoy, who saw potential in her. Her screen debut was in The Sea Tiger (1927).

White was featured in The Girl from Woolworth's (1929), having the role of a singing clerk in the music department of a Woolworth's store. Karen Plunkett-Powell wrote in her book Remembering Woolworth's: A Nostalgic History of the World's Most Famous Five-and-Dime: "First National Pictures produced this 60-minute musical as a showcase for up-and-coming actress Alice White."

Later career

White left films in 1931 to improve her acting abilities, returning in 1933 only to have her career hurt by a scandal that erupted over her involvement with boyfriend actor John Warburton and future husband Sy Bartlett. Although she later married Bartlett, her reputation was tarnished and she appeared only in supporting roles after this, including Picture Snatcher (1933) with James Cagney, and a stand-out comic performance in Jimmy the Gent (1934) with Cagney and Bette Davis. By 1937 and 1938, her name was at the bottom of the cast lists. She made her final film appearance in Flamingo Road (1949) and eventually resumed working as a secretary. She filed for divorce in 1937, claiming he "stayed away from home" and was awarded $65 per week in alimony.

White re-married to film writer, John Roberts, on August 24th, 1940. They divorced on April 18, 1949, in Los Angeles. The following year, she sued him over unpaid alimony.

Death

White died of complications from a stroke on February 19, 1983, at age 78. She was buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.

Award

White has a star at 1511 Vine Street in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

|-

! Year

! Film

! Role

! Notes

|-

|rowspan=6|1927

| The Sea Tiger || Manuella || Lost film

|-

| The Satin Woman || Jean Taylor Jr. ||

|-

| American Beauty || Claire O'Riley || Lost film

|-

| Breakfast at Sunrise || Loulou ||

|-

| The Private Life of Helen of Troy || Adraste || Incomplete

|-

| The Dove || Bit part || Uncredited<br>Incomplete

|-

|rowspan=8|1928

|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes || Dorothy Shaw || Lost film

|-

| Mad Hour || Aimee || Lost film

|-

| Lingerie || Angele Ree ('Lingerie') ||

|-

| The Big Noise|| Sophie Sloval || Lost film

|-

| Harold Teen || Giggles Dewberry ||

|-

| Three-Ring Marriage || Trapeze Performer || Lost film

|-

| Show Girl || Dixie Dugan ||

|-

| Naughty Baby || Rosalind McGill ||

|-

|rowspan=4|1929

| Hot Stuff || Barbara Allen ||

|-

| Broadway Babies || Delight "Dee" Foster ||

|-

| The Girl from Woolworth's || Pat King || Lost film

|-

| The Show of Shows || Herself ||

|-

|rowspan=5|1930

| Playing Around || Sheba Miller ||

|-

| Showgirl in Hollywood || Dixie Dugan ||

|-

| Sweet Mama || Goldie ||

|-

| Sweethearts on Parade || Helen ||

|-

| The Widow from Chicago || Polly ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1931

| The Naughty Flirt || Katherine Constance "Kay" Elliott ||

|-

| Murder at Midnight || Esme Kennedy ||

|-

|rowspan=4|1933

| Employees' Entrance || Polly Dale ||

|-

| Luxury Liner || Milli Lensch ||

|-

| Picture Snatcher || Allison ||

|-

| King for a Night || Evelyn ||

|-

|rowspan=5|1934

| Cross Country Cruise || May ||

|-

| Jimmy the Gent || Mabel ||

|-

| A Very Honorable Guy || Hortense Hathaway ||

|-

| Gift of Gab || Margot ||

|-

| Secret of the Chateau || Didi Bonfee ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1935

| Sweet Music || Lulu Betts Malone ||

|-

| Coronado || Violet Wray Hornbostel ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1937

| Big City || Peggy Delvin ||

|-

| Telephone Operator || Dottie Stengal ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1938

| King of the Newsboys || Dolly ||

|-

| Annabel Takes a Tour || Marcella, Hotel Manicurist ||

|-

| 1941 || The Night of January 16th || || Uncredited

|-

| 1942 || Girls' Town || Nicky ||

|-

| 1949 || Flamingo Road || Gracie ||

|-

| 1950 || International Burlesque || ||

|-

|-

! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Short subjects

|-

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

|-

| 1933 || Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 || ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1934

| Hollywood on Parade No. B-6 || ||

|-

| The Hollywood Gad-About || ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1935

| A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio || ||

|-

| Broadway Highlights No. 2 || ||

|-

|}

References

  • Alice White singing and dancing in a clip from Show Girl in Hollywood (from YouTube).
  • Alice White at the TCM Movie Database
  • Alice White Photos & Biography
  • Photographs and literature