Madge Evans (1909-1981) - American Actress was born as "Margherita Harrison Evans" on 1 July 1909 in Manhattan, New York to parents Arthur John Evans (1874-) and Maud Mary Harrison (1878-). Madge Evans began her career as an infant model and a popular child actress. By the age of ten she had appeared in about thirty films and was identified as the most photographed child of her time. She was pictured on Fairy soap advertisements and song sheets as well as having her own brand of girl's hats. She also appeared on Broadway with John Barrymore in the 1917 production of "Peter Ibbetson". While working on stage in 1927 she was signed by MGM Studios. As an adult performer she went on to make more than seventy two films and numerous stage appearances. In adult roles, by her own admission, she was usually typecast as the "ingenue". In 1939 she married playwright, Sidney Kingsley (born Sidney Kirschner) (1906-1995) in York Village, Maine. After her marriage she retired from the film business, but made a few radio and television appearances in the 1950's. She died on 26 April 1981 in Oakland, New Jersey aged 71. additional information: The Dramatists Guild Fund in conjunction with the Kingsley Estate administrate the "Madge Evans and Sidney Kingsley Award for Excellence in Theater". This annual award goes to a playwright and an actor for their body of work.
