Gloria Holden

Gloria Holden (September 5, 1908 in London, England – March 22, 1991 in Redlands, California) was a film actress of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s

Early life

Gloria Holden came to America as a child. She attended school in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Theater

Gloria Holden succeeded Lilly Cahill as the feminine lead in "As Husbands Go" at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway (Manhattan), in June 1931. Prior to this she had small parts in plays like "The Royal Family", in which she spoke four lines playing a nurse. She was an understudy to Mary Ellis in "Children of Darkness". She had a bit part in "The Ferguson Family".

In August 1932 Gloria Holden was part of the cast of "Manhattan Melody". The play was presented at the Longacre Theatre. The Lawrence Hazard play, adapted by L. Lawrence Weber, also featured Helen Lowell, Minnie Dupree, and William Corbett as players. She was the leading lady in "Survivor" (1933), written by D.L. James. Holden was among the cast members in "Memory" (1933), a Myron Fagan play.

The western drama, "The Long Frontier" (1935), was presented at the Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, Connecticut. Nance O'Neil headed a cast which included Gloria Holden, Alan Bunce, and Claire Carleton.

Motion Pictures

She may be best remembered for two roles in her long career, that of Mme. Zola in "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937), and her "exotic" depiction of the title role in "Dracula's Daughter" (1936).

In July 1937 Gloria Holden was assigned to play the character of "Marian Morgan" in "The Man Without A Country" (1937). The technicolor short co-starred John Litel and was nominated for an Academy Award.

In "Dodge City" (1939), Gloria Holden played the part of the aunt of Olivia de Havilland, "Mrs. Cole". This Warner Brothers western drama was filmed in Modesto, California.

In the Pearl Harbor-themed "Behind The Rising Sun" (1943), Gloria Holden portrays "Sara Braden" and plays alongside of Robert Ryan and Margo.

Gloria Holden accumulated film credits throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including films such as "The Hucksters" (1947), "Killer McCoy" (1947), "Precious Waters" (1948), "A Kiss For Corliss" (1949), and "The Eddie Duchin Story" (1956). Her last roles came in 1958, when she played in "This Happy Feeling" and "Auntie Mame ((uncredited).

Personal life

Gloria Holden had brown hair and eyes and an olive complexion. She was 5'5" tall and weighed 124 pounds.

In 1931 Gloria Holden had a son who was six years of age.Clarifyme|date=March 2008

In 1937 dated Rudy Sehr, a member of a Viennese banking family and a film cutter in HollywoodGloria.

In 1944 she married William Hoyt, her husband until her death.

Gloria Holden was an enthusiastic cyclist.

She died in 1991 in Redlands, California, USA, from a heart attack, aged 82.

References

*New York Times, "In The Summer Spotlight", June 14, 1931, Page X3.
*New York Times, "Theatrical Notes", August 27, 1932, Page 13.
*New York Times, "16 New Plays Open In Byways Tonight", August 14, 1933, Page 18.
*New York Times, "Theatrical Notes", January 27, 1934, Page 8.
*New York Times, "Listing The Week's New Shows", July 21, 1935, Page X1.
*Zanesville Signal, "Liberty Horror Film", June 23, 1936, Page 11.
*Los Angeles Times, "New Film Productions Started In Last Week" February 2, 1936, Page C1.
*Los Angeles Times, "The Pageant of The Film World", July 14, 1937, Page 13.
*Los Angeles Times, "Around And About In Hollywood", October 4, 1937, Page A9
*Los Angeles Times, "Town Called Hollywood", August 21, 1938, Page C1.
*Los Angeles Times, "Troupe Treks To Modesto Location", November 11, 1938, Page 10.
*Los Angeles Times, "Jap Treachery Background of Screen Drama", September 11, 1943, Page 7.

External links

*imdb name|id=0390192|name=Gloria Holden
* [http://movies.nytimes.com/person/32811/Gloria-Holden/filmography Gloria Holden] New York Times Filmography