- Hope Emerson
Infobox Actor
name = Hope Emerson
birthdate = birth date|1897|10|29
birthplace =Hawarden, Iowa
deathdate = death date and age|1960|4|25|1897|10|29
deathplace =Hollywood, California Hope Emerson (
October 29 ,1897 -April 25 ,1960 ) was anAcademy Award -nominated Americanactress .Early life
Emerson was born in
Hawarden, Iowa . Following her graduation from West High School inDes Moines in 1916, she moved toNew York City where she performed invaudeville .Career
Emerson made her Broadway debut in "Lysistrata" in 1930. She made her film debut in "Smiling Faces" (1932) but then returned to theater work. In the 1940s, Emerson was well known as the voice of
Elsie the Cow in Borden Milk commercials onradio .Towering 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and weighing 240 pounds (109 kg), Emerson was a force in both film and theater. She returned to
Hollywood in 1946 and appeared in character parts. Among her most memorable roles was as a circus strongwoman testifying in court in "Adam's Rib " (1949,) a malevolant nurse in film noir extraordinaire "Cry of the City" and a mail-order bride in "Westward the Women " (1952). Her most famous role, as sadistic prison matron Evelyn Harper, in "Caged " (1950) garnered her an Academy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actress .She also did television work and had a regular role in "
Peter Gunn " (1958, for which she received anEmmy nomination) and "The Dennis O'Keefe Show " (1959).Death
Emerson died of
liver disease aged 62 inHollywood, California . She was interred in Grace Hill Cemetery in her hometown.External links
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Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
