The actress: Mary Duncan

Among the many colorful characters in the Dungan family, Mary Dungan (Duncan) Sanford was a shining star -- literally.  Born in 1895 in Luttrellville, Northumberland County, Virginia, Mary left the Northern Neck to become an actress, first on Broadway and, later, in silent films.

In 1933, she married Stephen "Laddie" Sanford, a professional polo player and heir to a carpet fortune, and retired from acting.  Mary spent the rest of her life in Palm Beach, Florida, where she was active in social and charitable events.  A friend and neighbor of Rose Kennedy, she entertained, among others, the King and Queen of Jordan, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  She was known as the "queen of Palm Beach society", a title she disliked.  As quoted in the Palm Beach Daily News, "If you say I'm the Queen of Palm Beach, every woman in Palm Beach will be mad at me.  There are lots of queens in Palm Beach -- and I don't mean that kind of queen, even though there are some of those.  They're nice, too."

Born Mary Annie Dungan, she was the sixth of eight children.  At some point, she changed her surname from Dungan to Duncan, perhaps to make it more "stage-friendly".  So Mary Duncan became her professional name, and all published references I have found refer to her by that name or by her married name.

Mary's childhood home.

Mary, along with five brothers and two sisters, was born and raised on her parents' farm in Northumberland County.  Like her father, most of the Northern Neck Dungans earned a living as farmers or sailors.  So it is remarkable that Mary attended Cornell University. At that time, it was relatively uncommon for Northern Neck residents, especially females, to attend college, particularly one as far away as Ithaca, New York.  Mary may have been one of the first Northern Neck Dungans to attend college.

The Dungan family, about 1905.  Pictured are parents Bill and Ada Dungan with children Fletcher, Alice, Ann, Earl, Mary, Joe, and Moody.  Brother William Perry died before this picture was taken.




After one year at Cornell, Mary became a successful Broadway actress, playing the lead role in "Shanghai Gesture" -- a scandalous play at the time -- before moving to Hollywood.  Regarding that role, Mary remarked, "I played the first nymphomaniac on Broadway, and I was a virgin at the time."

Columnist Louella Parsons described her in 1931 as "Exotic and a capable actress, she has been much in demand as a screen siren."  Mary appeared in sixteen films over a six-year span, including "Very Confidential" in 1927; "Soft Living" and "Four Devils" in 1928; "Romance of the Rio Grande" and "The River" in 1929; "City Girl," "Kismet" and "The Boudoir Diplomat" in 1930; "Men Call It Love", "Five and Ten" and "The Age for Love" in 1931; "State's Attorney", "Thirteen Women" and "The Phantom of Crestwood" in 1932; and "Morning Glory" in 1933 -- for which Katherine Hepburn won her first Academy award.

With Charles Farrell in "City Girl", part of the Murnau, Borzage and Fox DVD box set.

Interest in Mary's films was recently renewed with the release of a Fox DVD box set featuring directors F. W. Murnau and Frank Borzage.  Mary acted in several of their films, including "City Girl", "The River", and "4 Devils".  These first two films are included in the DVD box set.  "4 Devils", however, has been lost.  As reported by the Palm Beach Daily News, around 1948, Mary acquired a copy to show her friends.  After viewing the film, she noticed a vinegar smell -- and knew what it meant.  The nitrite used in film of that era was chemically volatile and, once it started to turn, could explode without warning.  So, not wanting to take any chances, Mary had one of her servants throw the film into the Atlantic Ocean -- not knowing it was the last "4 Devils" print in existence.

In 1933, Mary retired from acting, married the wealthy Sanford, and moved to Palm Beach.  She was known to Palm Beach society by her married name, Mary Sanford, and for sixty years, seldom discussed her acting career.  Many of her friends knew little of her background.  She died in 1993 at the age of 98.

Even the horses are posing!

Mary and husband, Laddie Sanford.

      














Although Mary left the Northern Neck as a young woman, she did not forget her Virginia roots.  Family friend Bobby Davis recalls a time when a tornado blew the roof off a church near Mary's childhood home.  Mary, having achieved financial success by that time, sent a sizeable check to the church to pay for a new roof.  The church, however, returned the check with a note explaining that they could not accept "the Devil's money" -- an apparent reference to Mary's chosen career.

In another instance, Mary swept into town for a niece's wedding -- decked out in a short red skirt and large red hat -- then promptly returned to Richmond for the flight back to Palm Beach.  She was in her seventies or eighties at the time, and still carried herself like the movie star she was.

Mary was the great-great granddaughter of David Dungan, the first Dungan to settle in the Northern Neck.