Sheila Terry was a blonde, vivacious actress who rose to fame in the late 1920s and early 1930s, appearing in several films with Warner Bros. and co-starring with John Wayne in some westerns. She was also a nightclub playgirl who married twice and divorced once. But her career and personal life took a downward turn in the mid-1930s, and she ended up working as a press agent for 15 years. In January 1957, she was found dead in her New York apartment, apparently by suicide. She died broke and alone, and was buried in a pauper’s grave on Hart Island. What led to her tragic fate? Here is a brief overview of her life and death.
Early Life and Career
Sheila Terry was born Kathleen Eleanor Mulhern on March 5, 1910, in Warroad, Minnesota. She had a wealthy uncle who wanted her to become a teacher, so she studied education from 1927 to 1929 and taught in a country school for a while. But she had always dreamed of being an actress, so she used her inheritance from her uncle (which was lost in the stock market crash of 1929) to pursue her passion. She first studied dramatics at Dickson-Kenwin Academy, a Toronto school affiliated with London’s Royal Academy. Then she moved to New York, where she continued her studies and appeared in several plays. She was spotted by a film scout while on Broadway in The Little Racketeer and offered a test that resulted in a contract with Warner Bros., according to Bizarre Los Angeles.
She made her film debut in 1932, and soon became a familiar figure in Hollywood night spots. She appeared in such films as You Said a Mouthful, Scarlet Dawn, and Madame Butterfly (all 1932). She also co-starred with John Wayne in three westerns: Haunted Gold (1932), ‘Neath the Arizona Skies (1934), and The Lawless Frontier (1934). She was considered as Warner Bros.’ Joan Crawford, according to Harriet Parsons. She had a glamorous image and a charming personality, and was praised for her acting skills.
Marriages and Decline
Sheila Terry married twice, both times unsuccessfully. Her first husband was Major Laurence Clark, a wealthy Toronto socialite whom she married on August 16, 1928. They separated on August 15, 1930, and she divorced him on February 15, 1934, according to Wikipedia. Her second husband was William Magee Jr., a San Francisco businessman whom she married in 1936 and divorced in 1937. After her second marriage ended, she retired from show business and moved to New York.
She tried to make a comeback in the late 1940s, but failed to find any work. She said in a newspaper interview in 1947: I’m going back into show business and I need an act. I can’t sing, I can’t dance and I can’t play the piano. I should be terrific in night clubs. She worked as a press agent for various clients for the next decade, but struggled financially and emotionally.
Death and Burial
In January 1957, her body was discovered in her third floor apartment at 241 E. 60th St., which was both her home and office. A friend and neighbor, Jerry Keating, went to her apartment after he failed to reach her on the phone. The door was locked, and she did not answer the bell. Keating called the police, who broke in and found her body on the bedroom floor, clad in a nightgown, with five empty capsules on the floor beside her. Friends told the police that she had returned from a trip to Mexico some time before her death and that she was ill when she came home. It was later discovered that she died of an overdose of pills, according to IMDb.
She died penniless and left only a scant wardrobe. She had no relatives or close friends who claimed her body or arranged for her funeral. She was buried on Hart Island, New York’s potter’s field where unclaimed or indigent bodies are interred. She was 46 years old.
Sheila Terry cause of death was a sad end for a once promising starlet who had everything going for her but lost it all due to bad luck and bad choices. She is one of the forgotten stars of Hollywood’s golden age who deserves more recognition for her talent and beauty.
