Shirley Chambers

Shirley Chambers was notorious as Hollywood's First Dumb Blonde. She began her film career at the dawn of talking pictures and was the first 'dumb blonde' at R.K.O Studios, making whoopee in light comedies, and fluffy musicals. Born in Seattle, Washington, her family moved to California when she was in her infancy. Settling in Pasadena, Chambers was schooled in Huntington Park. By the time she left school in 1928, she was already working as a model. In 1930, she was signed by Samuel Goldwyn as a Goldwyn Girl around the same time as Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard, Lucille Ball, Dorothy Coonan, Toby Wing and Pat Wing. Among her early film credits are The Kid from Spain (1932), 42nd Street(1932) and Gold Diggers of 1933. Chambers made her film debut in the chorus of Whoopee! (1930) starring Eddie Cantor. Deployed in a symmetrical fashion, she and 100 other girls were filmed from above, a new technique which would later became ever associated with Berkeley. In 1932, she left MGM for RKO. A