CarrieLiz Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 For a while now, I've been trying to help a friend identify a photo of an actress. We're both stumped. The only clue is the code in the lower right-hand corner of the photo, MM-17-K, and an RKO stamp on the back which dates the photo either 1946 or '48. Assuming the "MM" stands for the name of the actress, how many had those initials? Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Miller, Marilyn Maxwell, Mona Maris, Maria Montez... Any others? Or is "MM" the code for a movie title? Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Is there any way you can post the photo so we can see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 "MM" has nothing to do with who's depicted in the photo. Every studio had its own system of cataloguing the still photos taken during productions. MGM's was probably the simplest: every film had a production number in a series that began when the studio was formed in 1924. For every "scene" shot there was a dash and another number indicating where in the total inventory of still taken the particlar shot belonged (ex: 1711-84). Then there was the "X" series, which was used to inventory behind-the-scenes production shots (ex: 1711-x-12). As such, it's usually quite easy to find out what's on an MGM still. RKO's system was decidedly more complex, and it'd probably take a bit of research to figure out what film your still photo is from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 The photo could possibly be of Jacqueline White, from the RKO movie ?Mystery in Mexico? from 1948. Does the ?MM? in your photo look like the ?MM? in this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/Photo-JACQUELINE-WHITE-Mystery-in-Mexico-1947_W0QQitemZ350049477977QQihZ022QQcategoryZ18826QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247#ebayphotohosting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Ok, here are some more clues: Notice that the RKO movie title code for this film is ?GS?. This film is ?Good Sam?. http://cgi.ebay.com/Photo-GARY-COOPER-Good-Sam-1947_W0QQitemZ350051132453QQihZ022QQcategoryZ18826QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting Notice that the RKO movie title code on this next film is ?VT? for ?The Velvet Touch?: http://stores.channeladvisor.com/jp-themint/Image.aspx?URL=http://www.mmgcollectibles.com/images/O/OH/OH797f.jpg So I?m even more inclined now to think that your photo is a picture of Jacqueline White, from the RKO movie ?Mystery in Mexico? from 1948. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 The photo could possibly be of Jacqueline White, from the RKO movie ?Mystery in Mexico? from 1948. Does the ?MM? in your photo look like the ?MM? in this one? This would have been solved much sooner had the link to photo been posted earlier so that I could take a good look at it. If you examine the photo's serial number, it doesn't read "MM," it says MIM, so, yes, it's almost certainly MURDER IN MEXICO (either that, or the price of the photo is $1999, expressed in Roman numerals). Of course, the easiet thing to do is read the text in the link, where it says "Jacqueline White MURDER IN MEXICO." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Actually, MIM does not exist in Roman numerals. To use the subtractive property, the numeral to the left of that from which it is subtracted must be one less power of ten than that numeral. Hence, we can have MCM, but not MIM. 1,999 would be MCMXCIX .. but then who really cares ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 And that's why the Roman Empire no longer exists, and Latin is a dead language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Personally, I am waiting for this film to be translated into Arabic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieLiz Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 _CineSagejr_ -- The photo from Mystery in Mexico is not the one in question. _FredCDobbs_ posted it to ask if the code matched the one on my photo. I appreciate your tutorial on studio cataloging techniques. I've been learning about that in snatches, and it's nice to have a whole lot of information at once. _Fred_ -- Thank you so much for your help. I had looked into Mystery in Mexico as a possibility, but the code on my photo is definitely "MM" and not "M I M" My friend gave me the go ahead to post the MM photo. I really should have posted it sooner. Sorry. Here it is... [img=http://www.cgerr.com/misc/mm.jpg] (http://www.cgerr.com/misc/mm.jpg) I resized it to cut down on loading time. Again, the code in the corner is MM-17-K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Thanks for posting the photo, CarrieLiz. She looks a little familiar, but nothing comes to mind. If no one on this thread can figure it out, try posting the photo in the *Trivia* thread. There are some sharp people there who can identify people. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Can you post a copy of the back of the photo, please. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieLiz Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 _Fred_ & _Rich_ -- Thank you both for your help. I'll be sure to try the Trivia thread if we can't figure this out. The back of the photo didn't scan very well, but... You can view a larger version here: http://www.cgerr.com/misc/mmb.jpg Message was edited by: CarrieLiz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visualfeast Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Don'e know what the MM stands for, but I think the actress is ANNE GWYNNE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 The scan of the back of the photo is fine, Carrie; the problem is that whoever stamped it decades ago didn't apply enough pressure on the stamp to get all the ink on the paper, though I suspect that examination under ultraviolet light might bring out a little more of the stamp's text. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 It looks like 1946, and Ernest A. Bachrach was the RKO photographer at that time. Maybe some of his shots are available on the internet somewhere. I've been checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I think you might be right. Similar photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I don't think it's Anne Gwynne. I've seen some of her movies, and that original photo does not look much like her. A check at imdb.com doesn't indicate she was at RKO during that time either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 She made a Dick Tracy movie for RKO in 1947: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039320/ But I?m not convinced that?s her. Message was edited by: FredCDobbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I checked "Stageroll" on e-bay. They had several RKO photos of stars, by Bachrach. One photo, of Michelle Morgan (it's not Carrie's mystery woman), has an MM at the bottom, followed by something too illegible to read. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.ca/MICHELLE-MORGAN-PRO-MO-PICS-E-BACHARACH-CU-2_W0QQitemZ190194129577QQihZ009QQcategoryZ18824QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem So perhaps MM _are_ the woman's initials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 I believe the lady is Madge Meredith, shown here with Tom Conway: Read about her bizarre story here: http://www.moviemorlocks.com/blog?action=detail&entry_id=8a25caad104c132701104c371d9e0002 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieLiz Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 _Rich_ -- I think you're *right*. Following your post, I found several photos of Madge Meredith on eBay; she certainly looks like the girl in my photo. The IMDb shows that Meredith was at RKO in 1946 for *Child of Divorce* and *The Falcon's Adventure*. And then there are the initials: MM. Thank you all so much for your help. May I call on you again sometime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Glad to help out, anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Looks like she made more movies after she got out of prison than before she went in. How about a Madge Meredith festival? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0557555/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 She plays a slave in The Ten Commandments, so if I ever get around to watching the 50th anniversary DVD, maybe I can spot her. Maybe her RKO films will show up on TCM. Hey, aren't you curious how I figured this one out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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