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Martha Mattox

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Martha Mattox
Mattox in The Cat and the Canary (1927)
Born
Eleanor Perry Mellen

(1879-06-19)June 19, 1879
Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedMay 2, 1933(1933-05-02) (aged 53)
Sidney, New York, U.S.
Alma materEast Mississippi Female College
OccupationActress
Years active1913 - 1933
SpouseArchibald Junius Sneed
Children5

Martha Mattox (born Eleanor Perry Mellen; June 19, 1879 – May 2, 1933) was an American silent film actress most notable for her portrayal of Mammy Pleasant in the 1927 film The Cat and the Canary. She also played a role in Torrent (1926). She died from a heart ailment at age 53.

Early years

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Born Eleanor Perry Mellen in Natchez, Mississippi, Mattox was the daughter of Thomas Lewis Mellen and Mary Eleanor Mellen.[1] She attended East Mississippi College, where she studied dramatic art.[2] (Another source gives the school's name as East Mississippi Female College, with graduation in 1892.[3]) A 1923 article in the Calgary Herald newspaper described her as "a full-blooded Creole", of Spanish descent on her father's side and French on her mother's.[4] She taught for several years at Holding Seminary.[1]

Career

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Her initial acting was on stage,[2] including performances with the Marion Leonard Company.[4] After working on stage, she began performing in films, initially in Westerns and action films and later in melodramas and comedies.[2] Her film debut came in 1915, and she played a variety of roles in the silent-film era.[5]

Personal life and death

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Mattox married Arichbald J. Sneed Jr. on July 29, 1897, in Canton, Mississippi,[6] and they had five children.[1]

Activities in Mattox's personal life included donating prizes and selecting winners in the Better Baby Exposition.[7]

On May 2, 1933, Mattox died of heart disease in Sidney, New York, at age 53.[2]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Death clains actress sister of Enid women". The Enid Daily Eagle. May 3, 1933. p. 11. Retrieved January 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d Katchmer, George A. (2009). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-0-7864-4693-3. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "Mississippi Female College". Birmingham Post-Herald. June 2, 1892. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Martha Mattox film pioneer". Calgary Herald. Canada, Alberta, Calgary. December 17, 1923. p. 16. Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Martha Mattox". AllMovie. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Sneed-Mellen". Evening Messenger. Texas, Marshall. August 5, 1897. p. 8. Retrieved January 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Actress Aids Better Baby Exposition". Los Angeles Evening Express. California, Los Angeles. September 26, 1929. p. 35. Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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