Claire Dodd, signed to Paramount Pictures in 1930, was one of a band of starlets who took to playing bicycle polo. (Do a Google search for “polo” and ridesabike.com to find some of her studio teammates.) Here she is with a steering wheel-equipped bike (for quicker maneuvers and mobility). Dodd appeared in over sixty films in a 12 year span; titles at Paramount include the James Cagney musical Footlight Parade and the Dashiell Hammett adaptation of The Glass Key. Dodd retired from acting in 1942, all of 30-years-old. Photo: Underwood and Underwood.

Here’s the snipe: “SCRAMBLED ATHLETICS Hollywood, Cal. — It looks like polo– it could be a bicycle race– or perhaps she’s only going swimming. You’re all wrong. Claire Dodd, Paramount star, is just introducing Hollywood’s newest craze– Bicycle Polo.”