{{Short description|American actress}} '''Marjorie Hannan''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date |24|1936|7|12|noage=1}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Busy Marjorie Hannan Adds Novel Writing to Radio Dramatic Work |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118153993/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=The Nebraska State Journal |date=July 12, 1936 |page=22|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref>) was an American actress.
==Early years== Hannan was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and she majored in physical education at the University of Cincinnati (UC).<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=May 24, 1946 |title=Teacher Turns Actress |page=22 |work=The Cincinnati Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118147371/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> While she attended UC, she also studied at the Schuster-Martin School of Dramatic Art. In July 1930 she was chosen from applicants recommended by six schools of the arts in the Cincinnati area to be the first guest student at Cincinnati's Three Arts Club, with her residence there beginning in September 1930.<ref>{{cite news |title=Honored by Three Arts Club |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118151084/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |date=July 20, 1930 |page=Section 5, page 3|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> Hannan, who graduated from the drama school in 1931, was a tap dancer who was featured in the school's 1931 senior dance recital.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tap Dancer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118152252/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=The Cincinnati Post |date=April 30, 1931 |page=4|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> She was also an Albertina Rasch dancer.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wolters |first1=Larry |title=News of the Radio Stations |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118153038/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=December 15, 1934 |page=22|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> She taught at Mother of Mercy High School in Cincinnati but found that her interests lay more in drama.<ref name=":0" />
==Career== [[File:Marjorie Hannan and Hugh Studebaker Bachelor's Children.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hugh Studebaker and Hannan in ''Bachelor's Children'']] Hannan left teaching to seek work on stage in New York. After six months there with no success she returned to Cincinnati, where she became an actress on radio station WLW.<ref name=":0" />
Hannan's performance in a 1930 radio adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol'' led to advances in her career. A production manager, attracted by her ability and her voice, "arranged the commercial audition that started her on the road up."<ref name=":1">{{cite news |title=Marjorie Hannan Has Pet Christmas Superstition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118148615/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=December 23, 1934 |page=26|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> On network radio, Hannah portrayed Ruth Ann on ''Bachelor's Children''{{r|ota|page1=56}} and Fay on ''Ma Perkins''.<ref name="ota">{{cite book |last1=Dunning |first1=John |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=May 7, 1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |page=420 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Marjorie+Hannan+%22+actress&pg=PA420 |access-date=February 7, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Other radio programs on which Hannan performed included ''Sally of the Talkies''<ref name=":1" /> and ''The Mysterious Doctor Mikalin''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hegard |first1=Ken |title=Along Radio Lane |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118154792/the-journal-times/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=The Journal Times |date=April 14, 1938 |location=Wisconsin, Racine |page=29|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Hannan retired from radio in the mid-1940s, a move that led to the death of the character that she had portrayed on ''Bachelor's Children'' for more than 10 years. Bess Flynn, the program's author, wrote that "a very fine actress" was hired to take over the role, but "she was not Ruth Ann!"<ref name="ls">{{cite news |title=Editor's note |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118173898/marjorie-hannan/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=The Lincoln Star |date=June 2, 1946 |page=32|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> Flynn added, "To me, Ruth Ann died with Miss Hannan's leaving the show" and the stories would continue to be convincing only if the character died."<ref name="ls" />
==Personal life== Hannan was married to radio executive Myron Reck, and they had a son.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gadget collector on radio tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118156097/belvidere-daily-republican/ |access-date=February 7, 2023 |work=Belvidere Daily Republican |date=June 20, 1942 |page=5|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannan, Marjorie}}
Category:1910s births Category:Actresses from Ohio Category:American radio actresses Category:American soap opera actresses Category:Year of death unknown Category:People from Hamilton, Ohio Category:University of Cincinnati alumni Category:20th-century American actresses