Paula Shay

Paula Shay
A white woman with wavy hair,wearing a headband
Paula Shay, from a 1917 publication
BornApril 22, 1893
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
DiedOctober 14, 1972 (age 79)
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Other namesPaula Shay Sleicher, Paula Shay Davis, Paula Crawford
Occupation(s)Actress, writer, artist

Paula Shay (April 22, 1893[1] – October 14, 1972), also known as Paula Sleicher, Paula Shay Davis, and Paula T. Crawford, was an American actress, writer and artist. She appeared on stage and in silent film in the 1910s and 1920s. Later she wrote poetry, plays, and instructional texts, and was known as a local artist in Florida.

Early life and education

Shay was born in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of William D. Shay and Jessie Shay.[1]

Career

Shay appeared in silent films between 1915 and 1922, including the melodramas Forbidden Fruit (1915) and The Immortal Flame (1916), both directed by Ivan Abramson.[2][3] Her Broadway credits included roles in The Whirlwind (1919–1920), Toto (1921),[4][5] The Teaser (1921), and Whitewashed (1924). She also starred in a touring production of Everywoman in 1917 and 1918,[6][7] produced by Henry W. Savage.[8] In 1923 she starred in Lawful Larceny in summer stock.[9]

Shay joined the Red Cross during World War I, saying "We stage folk want to do our bit for our country, even though we are regarded as gay and light and flippant; we have our serious moods just as everyday people have; it isn't all greasepaint and makeup, and there are very few of us who haven't been touched by the war."[10] Shay was invited to participate in an Actors' Equity Association exhibition of art by actors in 1923, in New York City.[11]

In the 1930s and 1940s Shay taught art[12] and acting.[13] The Strait Museum in Florida exhibited art by Paula Shay Davis the 1950s.[14][15][16] She was an active member of the Lake Worth Art League,[17][18] into the 1960s.[19]

A white woman with light wavy hair, face resting on one hand
Paula Shay, from a 1916 publication

Filmography

Writings

  • "November" (1937, poem, American Poetry Magazine)[23]
  • The Last Proposal (1937, one-act play)[24]
  • Radiant Memory (1937, one-act play)[24]
  • Lightning Strikes Twice (1943, play, with Margaret F. Bower)[25]
  • Individualized Lessons on the Fundamentals of Good American Speech (1947)[26]
  • "Painting for Pleasure" (1964, The Palm Beach Post)[27]

Personal life

Shay married industrial engineer Ralph H. Sleicher in the 1930s. He died in 1950.[28] She married Joseph Davis in October 1951.[29] Her third husband was writer Merwin R. Crawford; he survived her when she died in 1972, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 79.[30][31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b Birth date, birth place, and father's name as recorded on Shay's 1923 application for a United States passport, via Ancestry.
  2. ^ a b "Forbidden Fruit" (review), The Moving Picture World (December 25, 1915): 2380.
  3. ^ Cooper, Oscar. "The Immortal Flame" (review), Motion Picture News (March 11, 1916): 1469; via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ "Leo Ditrichstein Coming in "Toto"". The New York Times. March 10, 1921. p. 11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  5. ^ "Bijou: 'Toto' (review)". Theatre Magazine: 458. June 1921.
  6. ^ Power, James W. "Halifax, N.S." The Dramatic Mirror (September 8, 1917): 35.
  7. ^ "Free Tickets to Everywoman". The Shreveport Journal. 1918-02-08. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Hip, Hip, Hooray for Paula Shay". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1918-04-07. p. 43. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "'Lawful Larceny' in Stock at the Alhamra". New York Star. 30 (9): 18. May 12, 1923.
  10. ^ Dalrymple, Dolly (1917-12-25). "Pretty Paula Shay, Leading Lady with 'Everywoman' and the Other 56 Members of the Big Company". Birmingham Post-Herald. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Actors in Art Exhibition". The New York Times. April 17, 1923. p. 26.
  12. ^ "Paula Shay Sleicher (advertisement)". Asbury Park Press. 1949-06-26. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "We Are Lured to Shawnee". The Morning Call. 1935-08-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Art League Holds Preview Reception". The Miami Herald. 1956-02-13. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Preview Tea to Open Strait Museum Exhibit Feb. 8-14". The Palm Beach Post. 1956-02-05. p. 35. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Strait Museum Opens Exhibit of Local Talent". The Palm Beach Post. 1957-01-13. p. 41. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Art Group Holds Painting Exhibit". The Palm Beach Post. 1958-06-29. p. 12. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Artists See Demonstration". The Palm Beach Post. 1959-01-24. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Smith, Helen Van Hoy (1961-11-16). "Panel Discussion Set by Art League". The Miami Herald. p. 74. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Ivan Completes The Immortal Flame, to be Released in March" Motion Picture News (March 4, 1916): 1285; via Internet Archive.
  21. ^ "Macy, Belasco Lead, with Ivan" Motion Picture News (April 1, 1916): 1889; via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "The Moving Picture Beautiful". National Magazine. 50 (3): 127. June 1921 – via Internet Archive.
  23. ^ Sleicher, Paula Shay. "November", American Poetry Magazine 18(1937): 4.
  24. ^ a b Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1965). Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series. Parts 3-4: Dramas and Works Prepared for Oral Delivery Jan-Dec 1965: Vol 19 No 1-2. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 50, 51.
  25. ^ Library of Congress Copyright Office (1943). Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [C] Group 3. Dramatic Composition and Motion Pictures. New Series. p. 161.
  26. ^ Library of Congress Copyright Office (1947). Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1947. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. p. 539.
  27. ^ Crawford, Paula T. (1964-03-01). "Painting for Pleasure". The Palm Beach Post. p. 52. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Ralph Sleicher, Former Trojan, Dies in New York". The Troy Record. 1950-01-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Shawnee". The Pocono Record. 1951-11-15. p. 33. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Obituaries: Mrs. Paula Crawford". Scottsdale Progress. October 16, 1972. p. 9 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  31. ^ "Obituary for Paula Crawford". The Arizona Republic. 1972-10-15. p. 84. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Obituary for Merwin Richard Crawford". The Arizona Republic. 1973-10-19. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-07-31 – via Newspapers.com.
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