Her final decades were spent in abject poverty with horrific stories of being swindled, declared incompetent, and living like a bag lady in a decaying house with holes in the roof and her beloved cats and dogs, whom she refused to leave. The city eventually won in court, and her house was auctioned off.
"Pale and blonde, she was a sister of Katherine MacDonald, considered by many to be the greatest beauty of early silent films. Mary, on the other hand, was merely pretty. On and off the screen she had two expressions--pained and agonized." - Lina Basquette, from her autobiography.
