Barely 17 when the pre-Code era rolled around, Marsh’s family had moved West to help foster her sister’s acting ambitions. Marian’s starring role in Svengali changed that as she became an overnight sensation. Able to project weariness and joy beyond her age in both directions, Marsh illuminated the screen against actors like John Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, and Warren William.

However, only a few years into her career, Marsh left the studio after a financial tiff and worked mostly B-pictures until 1940. She retired at 30 to become a housemother and lived happily that way until passing in 2003.