Mallory was born on October 22, 1913. She became a model for the Walter Thornton Modeling Agency in New York. Moving to
Hollywood, she found employment with
Fox Films and was cast in the film version of
Dawn Powell's play
Walking Down Broadway. This was the first sound film by
Erich von Stroheim. He shared both screenwriting and directing credits and regarded Mallory as his discovery. The play told the story of a young unmarried woman involved in a love triangle who becomes pregnant. The finished film, however, strongly suggested a lesbian relationship between Mallory's character and the character played by
ZaSu Pitts. Other sexual themes involving the character played by
James Dunn were considered too daring. Fox executives brought in director
Alfred L. Werker to drastically cut Von Stroheim's version and to shoot additional scenes. The film was finally released under the new title
Hello, Sister! (1933) with little promotion and was not a success. Von Stroheim's original version was neither copyrighted nor released, and is considered lost. In 1932 her second completed film,
Handle with Care, also co-starring James Dunn, was released and marked her debut. Mallory was chosen as one of the
WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1932. A tall blonde, Mallory was well regarded for her striking looks and was photographed by such photographers as
Alfred Cheney Johnston,
Hal Phyfe, and
George Hurrell. She also was painted nude by the pin-up artist
Rolf Armstrong. Over the next few years, Mallory played the lead in several
"B" pictures, including the
Rin Tin Tin serial
The Wolf Dog (1933), and received top-billing in
Carnival Lady (1934) and
The Big Race (1934). On radio she worked with
James Cagney in productions for
Lux Radio Theatre. She made her final film appearance in an uncredited role in the
Laurel and Hardy film
Swiss Miss (1938). ==Personal life==