Merna Kennedy, born Maude Kahler (1908-1944), was an American actress whose career coincided with the crucial transition from silent to sound cinema. After starting out as a vaudeville dancer, she landed the role that made her immortal thanks to her friendship with Lita Grey, Charlie Chaplin's wife at the time. Chaplin himself chose her as his co-star in his 1928 masterpiece, The Circus, in which she played the mistreated horsewoman with whom the Tramp falls in love. This iconic role opened the doors to cinema for her, allowing her to star in several early sound films, including Broadway (1929) and The Jazz King (1930). However, her career was short-lived: she retired from the stage in 1934 after marrying the famous choreographer Busby Berkeley, from whom she divorced shortly afterwards. Her life ended tragically at the age of 36, due to a heart attack, just four days after her third marriage.