Mayfair

Mitzi Mayfair, a lovely woman, actress and dancer, was also a chess player.

I was looking for something else when this video caught my eye. I watched it with delight as the performers sang and danced in a way designed to make you smile.

I don't watch films other than clips on Youtube, but I can see Mitzi's appeal.

Mitzi had many names in her lifetime.  She was born Juanita Emylyn Pique. When she married Albert F. Hoffman in 1938, she undoubtedly took his last name. Professionally, on Broadway and Hollywood, she became known as Mitzi Mayfair (apparently the manager of a theater couldn't remember her real name and created the name for the marquee).  In 1943 she divorced Hoffman and married Charles Henderson who worked for 20th Century Fox in 1944, at which time she played postal chess under the name Lyn Henderson.   In 1963 she married Fred Cook (and presumably took his last name).

At the 1945 Pan-Am games in Hollywood.
Front left is Mary Bain, co-winner, with Miss N. May Karff, of the women's tournament in which Mitzi participated (there were 7 total participants). 

31 year old Mitzi Mayfair and the 22 year old Argentinean champion Hector Rossetto.

Chess Review, Nov. 1948

The postal game the article referred to:

hi :3

WOW!

First of all, she was so pretty!

Second of all, she played the Dutch defense in the style of Morphy! Well played all the way.

sparkling smile! Nice post thanx!

cool

wow

Nice post!

hi

No doubt you are a good researcher, batgirl. The movie clip is from 1933... That's old! 

The game, even though it is short, it is instructive. Nice writing. 

;-) 

Manuel 

Wow...congrats...Very good

Intresting. Enjoyed the post.

Thank you very much @batgirl! Your posts are unique!

+1

hi

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

You might find it interesting that co-star Kay Francis was her matron of honor at her April 7, 1944 wedding to Charles Henderson (at that time the associate head of the music dept. for 20th Century Fox). 

I'm sure their opponents were of different quality. In 1954 Charles was rated at 1596 and Lyn at 1152.

Thank you so much @batgirl ! My dad is from Argentina, so nice posts! Your posts get better every day!

It was that precise game that pushed him to 530.