Esther Howard

Infobox Actor
name = Esther Howard


imagesize = 173px
caption =
birthname =
birthdate = 4 April 1892
birthplace = Helena, Montana U.S.
deathdate = 8 March fy|1965 (aged 72)
deathplace = Hollywood, California
othername =
occupation = actress
yearsactive = 1917–fy|1952
spouse = Arthur Albertson
(? - 26 October fy|1926 "his death")

Esther Howard (4 April 1892–8 March fy|1965) was a film character actress who played a wide range of roles from man-hungry spinsters to amoral criminals, appearing in over 100 movies in her 23-year film career.

Career

Esther Howard was born in Helena, Montana in 1892, and she made her Broadway debut in 1917,ibdb name|45695] in a play called "Eve's Daughter", which was not a success. [ibdb title|7063|Eve's Daughter] . Nevertheless, Howard continued to appear regularly on the Great White Way for the next twelve years, performing in comedies and musicals until 1929, when she was featured in "The New Moon", a Sigmund Romberg musical, [ibdb title|10719|The New Moon] which was her final Broadway production.

In fy|1930, Howard changed her focus to making movies,imdb name|0397284] appearing in a Vitaphone comedy short, "The Victim". [imdb title|0021519|The Victim] From that point until her retirement in fy|1952, Howard worked regularly – a least one film she appeared in was released every year, and usually more. She was often cast as an oversexed dowager or a decrepit old hag, and was known for her versatility and expressive face.Erickson, Hal [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:33477 Biography (Allmovie] ] Notable among her many roles were "Mrs. Stillman" in fy|1933's "The Iron Master", "Jessie Florian" in Raymond Chandler's "Murder My Sweet" with Dick Powell (fy|1944), a murderess in Laurel and Hardy's "The Big Noise" (1944), the determined Mrs. Kraft out to solve a murder in "Born to Kill" (fy|1947) and Kirk Douglas’ mother in the multi-Oscar nominated "Champion" (fy|1949).

Beginning in the early 1940s, Howard was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in seven films written and directed by Sturges. [Howard appeared in "The Great McGinty", "Sullivan's Travels", "The Palm Beach Story", "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek", "Hail the Conquering Hero", "The Great Moment" and "The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend", Sturges' last American film. She also appeared in "I Married a Witch", which Sturges produced.] Her performances in Sturges' films were among her best, especially the wife of the "Wienie King" in "The Palm Beach Story" (fy|1942).

From fy|1937, Howard was a regular player in short-subjects produced at Columbia Pictures, where she was frequently cast opposite comedian Andy Clyde. Her last film was a Columbia comedy short, "Caught on the Bounce" (fy|1952), in which she played Joe Besser's aunt. [imdb title|0176595|Caught on the Bounce]

Howard died of a heart attack [IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397284/bio Biography] ] in Hollywood, California on 8 March fy|1965 at the age of 72, and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

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