Bathing Beauties X

Mary Akin was born on June 24, 1901 in Evansville, Indiana. She was the second child born to Ransom Lee Akin and his second wife, Carrie Josepha Hoxsey. The couple had another daughter Margery Maurine a few years earlier. Akin also had I believe three older sons from a previous marriage. He passed away in 1907.

Mary had a busy few years before she made her way to Hollywood. She moved with her mother and sister to Chicago and when she was a teenager she began working as an artist's model and also entered and won a local beauty contest. It was here too that she met her first husband, Thomas Armstrong, who she married in the late 1910's/early 1920's. 

The marriage did not last long at all and Mary (and most likely her mother) wanted out of it quick! So, mother and daughter moved to Mexico in order to establish residency so they could obtain a Mexican divorce. Mary had also met the man who would be her second husband, and another reason for a quick push for a divorce. Director Edwin Carewe was down in Mexico filming and he spotted the almost 20 years younger, Mary. When her divorce was final in 1925, the couple was married in a double wedding with friends Claire Windsor and Bert Lytell. They had a daughter, Sally Ann born later that year and son, William was born two years later. The couple ended up divorcing in 1928 when rumors began circulating that Carewe was having an affair with his newest discovery, actress Dolores Del Rio. There has never been any proof of an affair but all the time Carewe seemed to spending with his new protege was enough for Mary to end their marriage. HOWEVER, there must have still been love in the air because the couple eventually remarried in 1929 and had another daughter, Carol Lee in 1932. They remained married until Carewe's death in 1940. 

Mary's film career spanned from 1924 until 1942 with around 11 film credits. Seems like she was more well known for being Carewe's wife rather than a Bathing Beauty. Two years after retiring from films she married architect Gerard Rea Colcord and the two remained married until either he or she passed away (I don't know what year he died).

Mary passed away on November 12, 1954 in Los Angeles. She was buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale.

"Nothing seems important to me but to make a comfortable and cheerful home for my husband and baby and I know I could never do that if I had to come home in the evening all fagged out after a strenuous day at the studio." ~~ Mary Akin Carewe to Motion Picture Magazine, explaining her reasoning behind taking a break from acting to have a family. (February 1926)

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Eugenia Gilbert was born Eugenia Knapp on November 18, 1902 in East Orange, New Jersey. 

She made her film debut in 1920 and appeared in over 60 films/shorts until retiring in 1929. She sometimes appeared under the name "Eugenie Gilbert." Besides being a Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty, she also played vamp roles and was an accomplished ballet dancer. In 1923, she won a "Bathing Girl Parade" contest and had the chance to meet Charlie Chaplin, who I am sure LOVED his job as a judge. After she retired from Hollywood, she worked as a model in various fashion shows throughout the 1930's.

Eugenia passed away on December 8, 1978 in Santa Monica, California. 

I know she was at least married once, to a man with the surname of "Endes," but I don't have any information other than that. 

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Kathryn Stanley was born on November 12, 1897 in Illinois. 

She made her film debut in 1925 and appeared in 50 films/shorts until she retired in 1934. She also worked as a stand in for a number of actresses including Jane Wyatt and her close friend, Irene Dunne. 

Kathryn passed away on April 17, 1978 in Los Angeles. 

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Beulah Sunshine was born Beulah Clara Harwell on March 15, 1894 in Ellis, Texas. She was the youngest child born to James Noah Harwell, an oil salesman, and his wife, Louisa Abernathy. Beulah had two older brothers, Merrett and Cole. 

I don't know much about her early life except that in 1910 she was living in a Los Angeles boarding house. She married tailor and Russian immigrant, Morris Sunshine in 1912 and gave birth to their son, Paul in 1920. The couple remained married until Morris's death in 1959.

The unfortunate thing about Beulah is that she is not listed on IMDb so I don't know what all her career consisted of. She was a Bathing Beauty because she is in a number of pictures, but I am not sure if she was just uncredited or working under a different name. It is a shame that we can't find a record of her career. 

Beulah passed away on December 22, 1970 in Sutter, Texas. She was buried next to her husband in Sutter Cemetery.