Marie Dressler
Throughout her career, Marie Dressler played greatly different types of character than those of her contemporaries. While other actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood were made famous for their stereotypical delicate looks, slim figures and feminine charm, Marie Dressler defied these expectations. A self-proclaimed "ugly duckling," Marie's physical characteristics were not seen as conventionally attractive or desirable to the typical male gaze. Instead, she relied on her strong physicality, powerful talent for facial expression, and a strong, independent personality to convey her characters on screen.
The films of this list exemplify Marie's ability to flout Hollywood standards of beauty, embodying characters that are more than just a pretty face but rather carry personality, strength, and unconventional female charm.
Tilly's Punctured Romance (1914)
Genre: Comedy
Silent
Min & Bill (1930)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
Politics (1931)
Genre: Comedy-Romance
Emma (1932)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
Tugboat Annie (1933)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking