Jacqueline Alice Irene Newlin (November 7, 1906 – May 25, 1995), known professionally as Alice Day, was an American film actress whose career flourished during the silent and early sound eras. She began as one of Mack Sennett’s famous Bathing Beauties and went on to appear in dozens of films during the 1920s and early 1930s before retiring from acting at a young age.
Early years
Alice Day was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Frank and Irene Newlin. She later attended high school in Venice, California, where she was discovered and drawn into the motion picture industry. She was the elder sister of actress Marceline Day, who also enjoyed a successful career in silent films.
Career
Day entered films in the early 1920s and became associated with Mack Sennett’s Bathing Beauties, a group of young actresses featured in comedy shorts that helped launch many Hollywood careers. From there, she transitioned into more substantial roles and appeared in approximately 70 films between 1923 and 1932.
In 1928, Day’s rising profile was cemented when she was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, an annual promotional honor given to actresses believed to have strong star potential.
During the late silent era and the transition to sound, Day appeared in several notable productions. In 1929, she starred opposite Edward Buzzell in a film adaptation of George M. Cohan’s musical Little Johnny Jones. Unfortunately, like many films of the period, this production is now considered lost.
She also co-starred with bandleader Ted Lewis in the musical Is Everybody Happy? (1929), another film believed to be lost. Lewis reportedly selected Day from hundreds of actresses for the role, indicating her popularity and screen appeal at the time.
In the early 1930s, Day continued working in feature films, including Two-Fisted Law (1932), in which she appeared alongside Tim McCoy and a young John Wayne. Soon afterward, however, her screen career came to an end.
Personal life and retirement
On July 6, 1930, Alice Day married Jack B. Cohn, a jeweler and broker. Following her marriage, she largely withdrew from acting, choosing to step away from Hollywood while still in her twenties. The couple had two sons, but the marriage ended in divorce on July 28, 1939.
Day lived the remainder of her life out of the public eye, a path taken by many former silent-film stars after leaving the industry.
Death and legacy
Alice Day died on May 25, 1995, in Orange, California, at the age of 88. Although much of her work has been lost to time, she remains a representative figure of the late silent era—a performer whose career bridged slapstick comedy, musical features, and early studio-era filmmaking.
Her legacy also survives through her association with the Bathing Beauties, the WAMPAS Baby Stars, and the enduring fascination with Hollywood’s transitional years between silence and sound.
