Mamo Clark

Mamo Clark
from the trailer for the film Mutiny on the Bounty (1935).
Born	December 6, 1914(1914-12-06) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Died	December 18, 1986(1986-12-18) (aged 72) Panorama City, California, U.S.
Other names	Mamo
Years active	1935–1940
Spouse	James M. Rawley

Mamo Clark, sometimes billed only as Mamo, (1914–1986) was a Hawaiian born American actress, author.

Early life

Born December 6, 1914 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mamo Clark sailed to the mainland United States on board the SS Malolo on July 1, 1933 with her stepmother May Kaaolani Clark and father Joseph Kealakaimana Clark. Her stepmother was the daughter of John Adams Cummins. Her biological mother was Evelina Mahoe. Both her mother and stepmother were descendants of 15th century Hawaiian chief Liloa and distant relatives of Kamehameha I.

Mamo Clark was educated at the University of Southern California. When Mamo Clark and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Clark sailed on the voyage to the mainland United States i 1933, they brought with them a handmade Fong Inn Canopy bed and a historical 14 foot long spear that was known by her ancestors to have been used in may famous Hawaiian battles.

Career

Clark made her film debut in a featured role in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) acting as Miamiti, Clark Gable's wife in the film. The following year she appeared in a serial Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island playing a Polynesian princess. In 1937, she appeared with her Mutiny on the Bounty co-star, Movita, in The Hurricane but her career failed to advance and over the next few years she played roles in several 'B-pictures', invariably with Pacific Island settings, for instance Hawaii Calls (1938).

One Million B.C. (1940) provided her with a substantial role as the Queen of the Rock Tribe appearing with Lon Chaney Jr., but by this time her career was virtually over. She retired from films after a minor role in the Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne film Seven Sinners (1940).

Retirement

Following her retirement, she obtained a degree in cinematography from UCLA in 1966, and later wrote a book about her life titled Except Their Sun. The book was copyrighted by her husband James M. Rawley in 1994 and published by the Abigail Kekaulike Kawananakoa Foundation the same year. She died December 18, 1986 from cancer in Panorama City, California. The Koa bed, the spear, the movie scripts, the letters, photographs, UCLA degree and her husbands original monogrammed copy of Except Their Sun is in the private collection of Mr. Phillip Rimer of Las Vegas.

External links

• Mamo Clark at the Internet Movie Database