Charlene Aber

Biography

Charlene was born Charlene Aber on January 29, 1912 in Fort Worth, Texas. She was one of six children born to Charles B. Aber and Wilhelmina Schultz Aber. Charlene was a musician and a dancer, often working with her sister Arline Abers. Where most actresses of that era started on stage and migrated to films, Arlene and Charlene Aber started in films in 1927 and moved to the stage when they became Ziegfeld Girls in 1930. Although Charlene worked under her own name with a slight alteration in spelling (Charline), Arlene worked under a few other names. In Climbing the Golden Stairs (1929), Arlene and Charlene are credited as The Aber Twins. Florenz Ziegfeld had a fascination with twins and showcased twins in his productions whenever possible. If two sisters looked very much alike, they were changed to twins on the credits. Consequently, Florenz Ziegfeld credited the sisters as the Aber Twins, even though they were not twins at all. Arlene was 18 months older than Charlene. In 1930, they both appeared in Florenz Ziegfeld's production "Smiles" for 63 performances, credited with a change in spelling as Arline and Charline. In 1933, they appeared as The Aber Twins in "Strike Me Pink" which ran for 122 performances. Charlene and her sister were active in two films before they moved to New York to become Ziegfeld Girls in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies of 1930. Charlene retired when she married David Marx, brother and co-founder of Louis Marx Toy Company and they had 4 children. They settled in Shrewsbury NJ and they raised thoroughbred horses on their Chal-Mar Farm. They summered in Palm Beach, Florida. Charlene was active as a board member of the Parent Teacher Association in Shrewsbury and a supporter of Monmouth Park charity balls. Her husband died in 1986. Charlene lived to be 101 years old (1912-2013).