
Sally Payne
Acting
1912-09-05 - Present
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sally Payne (September 5, 1912 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. She featured in several B-Westerns in the 1940s.
Payne made her first film in 1935, appearing in a bit part. She became a leading actress in B films, usually westerns. She also played in comedy shorts for RKO Radio Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She is most remembered for her performance as Calamity Jane in the Roy Rogers western Young Bill Hickok (1940), as well as acting the role of Belle Starr in Robin Hood of the Pecos (1941), where her performing style echoed that of a contemporary, Una Merkel. Just before her association with Rogers ended, her status had enlarged from a supporting-role character to that of first-billed actress.
Payne's characters were usually the tomboy type, often helping men rather than being dependent on them. She frequently wore men's clothing, carried a weapon, drove stagecoaches and rode horses. Her male associates identified strongly with her ability to survive a rough environment like the Old West frontier, but she was never the object of male fantasies. Rarely did Payne's characters become physically intimate with her masculine counterparts; thus if she were called on to display affection of any sort, the relationships never went beyond the strictly platonic. Thus, her persona was that of a female sidekick, but never a lover.
After Payne left acting, she ran her own book store and worked as an artist, creating oil paintings for her family and her friends and illustrating a series of children's books.
Payne retired from films in 1942 after her marriage to Arthur F. Kelly, an executive for Western Airlines.
On May 8, 1999, she died in Los Angeles of a stroke at the age of 86.
Credits

No, No, NanetteasMaid

The Big ShowasToodles Brown

Bad Man of Deadwoodas'Princess' Sally Blackstone

Young Bill HickokasMiss 'Calamity' Jane Canary

When the Daltons RodeasAnnabella

I Love You AgainasSalesgirl (uncredited)

City for ConquestasSinger (uncredited)

One Night in the TropicsasWoman with Second Man Polled by Jim (uncredited)

Red River ValleyasSally Whittaker

Robin Hood of the PecosasBelle Starr

The Amazing Mr. WilliamsasJean - Wedding Guest (uncredited)

The Lady from CheyenneasChorus Girl

Blondie Meets the BossasMrs. Williams (uncredited)

Man from Music MountainasPatsy

Hollywood HobbiesasTourist

In Old Cheyenneas'Squeak' Brown

Sheriff of TombstoneasQueenie Whittaker, aka Queenie LaTour

Nevada CityasJo Morrison

Rodeo DoughasSally

Jesse James at BayasPolly Morgan

The Higgins FamilyasLizzie

Romance on the RangeasSally
Set 'em UpasGirl Bowler

Money and the WomanasMrs. Jones (uncredited)

Wedding BillsasBride-to-be (uncredited)

La Conga NightsasLucy Endover

My Wife's RelativesasLizzie

Blondie Brings Up BabyasYoung Woman (uncredited)
Exiled to ShanghaiasMabel
Soaring StarsasAutograph Seeker

Man from CheyenneasSally Evans
Let's Talk TurkeyasAbner's Wife

Westward Ho-HumasSally
Cash StashersasThe Wife (uncredited)

Tuxedo JunctionasPansy Weaver
The Domineering MaleasGertrude 'Gertie' (uncredited)

Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La CongaasSally

Bargain MadnessasSally (uncredited)
Penny To the RescueasMrs. Smudge
Culinary CarvingasMrs. Formaldehyde
A Quiet FourthasSally Kennedy
Cooks and CrooksasSally Kennedy
I'll Fix ItasSally

Mountain RhythmasFanniebelle Weaver
Ain't It Aggravatin'asFrugal Man's Wife (uncredited)

Bested by a BeardasMaisie
Inferior DecoratorasMrs. Kennedy