Dawn Evelyeen (Evelyn) Paris (April 17, 1918 – July 4, 1993), known as Anne Shirley, was an Oscar-nominated American actress.
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Early life
Born in New York City, she began acting under the name of Dawn'Day. In 1934 she starred as the character of Anne Shirley in a movie production of Anne of Green Gables, and took that character's name as her stage name.
Career
She began acting at the age of five, and had a highly successful child star career in Pre-Code movies, appearing in such films as the 1930 version of Liliom, Tom Mix's Riders of the Purple Sage, So Big, Three on a Match and Rasputin and the Empress. She took the name of her character, Anne Shirley in 1934 when she starred in the film version of Anne of Green Gables. After that point she starred in Steamboat 'Round the Bend, Make Way for a Lady and Stella Dallas, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Later roles were in such movies as Vigil in the Night, Anne of Windy Poplars, The Devil and Daniel Webster and Murder, My Sweet. The latter was her last film, for she retired in 1944 after completing it.
Private life
Her first husband was the actor John Payne, and their daughter is actress Julie Payne. Her husband Charles Lederer, nephew of Marion Davies, and their son is Daniel Lederer. Shirley died from lung cancer in Los Angeles, aged 75 in 1993. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Blvd.
