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Celeste Holm 1917 - 2012

Celeste Holm was born on April 29, 1917 in New York, New York USA, and died at age 95 years old on July 15, 2012 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
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April 29, 1917
New York, New York, USA
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July 15, 2012
Roosevelt Hospital in New York, New York, USA
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Updated: December 6, 2020
Biography ID: 93184424 What's this
Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (1917 - 2012)
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Celeste Holm's History: 1917 - 2012

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  • Introduction

    Celeste Holm Born April 29, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA Died July 15, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA (heart attack) Height 5' 5¾" (1.67 m) Celeste Holm was an only child, born into a home where her mother was a painter and her father worked in insurance. She would study acting at the University of Chicago and make her stage debut in 1936. Her Broadway debut came when she was 19. She appeared in many successful plays, including "The Women", "Oklahoma!" and "Bloomer Girl". It was in the production of "Oklahoma!" that Celeste would sing the showstopper, "I Cain't Say No". She was signed by 20th Century Fox in 1946 and appeared in her first film, Three Little Girls in Blue (1946). With her third film, Gentleman's Agreement (1947), she would win the Supporting Actress Oscar and a Golden Globe. Celeste would be nominated twice more for Academy Awards in the Come to the Stable (1949) and All About Eve (1950). But, Celeste was a star who loved the stage so she left Hollywood, only to return for two MGM musicals in the 1950s. They were The Tender Trap (1955) and High Society (1956). In addition to her stage career, Celeste appeared on television in her own series, Honestly, Celeste! (1954) and as a panelist on Who Pays? (1959). In 1970, Celeste returned to television series as the chaperon to the president's daughter on Nancy (1970). For the next two decades, she would appear on television in regular series, miniseries and movies. Celeste Holm died at age 95 of a heart attack on July 15, 2012. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Fontana Spouse (5) Frank Basile (29 April 2004 - 15 July 2012) ( her death) Wesley Addy (22 May 1966 - 31 December 1996) ( his death) Alexander Schuyler Dunning (21 March 1946 - 6 May 1953) (divorced) ( 1 child) Francis Emerson Harding Davies (7 January 1940 - 8 May 1945) (divorced) Ralph Nelson (11 September 1936 - 1939) ( divorced) (1 child) Performed in five stage shows with George M. Cohan. Turned down the 1977 Broadway revival of "Oklahoma!" when she realized she was wanted for Aunt Eller not Ado Annie. Originated the role of boy-crazy Ado Annie, the girl who "cain't say no", in "Oklahoma!" on Broadway in the 1940s. Won an undisclosed settlement from Pedro Almodóvar for his use of film footage of her from All About Eve (1950) without her permission in his film All About My Mother (1999); her contract from the film stipulated her image could not be used. Was a spokesperson for UNICEF. Her professional theatrical debut was in a production of "Hamlet", with Leslie Howard ("Ashley Wilkes" from Gone with the Wind (1939). Inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1992 Toured occasionally with her one-woman show, "An Intimate Evening with Celeste", in which she related stories from her long film career, followed by readings from writer Ruth Draper, until her retirement in 2009. Was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Her father was an insurance adjuster for Lloyd's of London who emigrated from Norway to the US in 1909, and her mother a portrait artist and author. Received an honorary degree from Seton Hall University in May 1991. In 1957 King Olav V of Norway made her Knight 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav for her help in saving one of Norway's national treasures, the schooner "Christian Radich". Her son Ted is an innovator in the information technology industry. It was Nelson who coined the term "hypertext", in the early 1960s. In April 2006, Holm was presented with one of the first two Lifetime Achievement Awards ever awarded by the SunDeis Film Festival at Brandeis University. (Margaret O'Brien received the other.). Following her divorce from Ralph Nelson, Holm put her son Ted Nelson in the care of her parents in order to pursue her acting career. She saw him only in between breaks from shooting or rehearsals, but maintained a closer relationship with him when Ted became an adult. Returned to work 6 months after giving birth to her son Daniel in order to begin filming Gentleman's Agreement (1947). Met her fifth husband Frank Basile, 46 years her junior, at a fundraiser in October 1999. Grandmother to David Dunning (b. 1981); they have been estranged since 2007. Lived on Central Park West in Manhattan, New York City, in a co-op apartment she bought in 1953 for $10,000 cash. She had confirmed that she no longer spoke to her sons following five years of litigation, which resulted in her losing $2 million in lawyer's fees (2 July 2011). Was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002. Her youngest son Daniel lived with her until he was age 15 and then began attending boarding school. (July 15, 2012) Early morning, she was admitted to New York's Roosevelt Hospital with dehydration and suffered a heart attack whilst in the facility. Holm died a few hours later. She was a lifelong progressive Democrat. She was cremated after her death. Best remembered by the public for her role as Hattie Green on Promised Land (1996). Was a Girl Scout. Gave birth to her 1st child at age 20, a son Theodor "Ted" Nelson on June 17, 1937. Child's father is her 1st ex-husband, Ralph Nelson. Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 29, a son Daniel Schuyler Dunning on November 5, 1946. Child's father is her 3rd ex-husband, A. Schuyler Dunning. Was the 29th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Gentleman's Agreement (1947) at The 20th Academy Awards on March 20, 1948. She was nominated for the 2014 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Entertainment Category.
  • 04/29
    1917

    Birthday

    April 29, 1917
    Birthdate
    New York, New York USA
    Birthplace
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  • Ethnicity & Family History

    Norwegian.

  • Early Life & Education

    Brooklyn grade school and high school. She would study acting at the University of Chicago.

  • Professional Career

    Famous Academy Award winning actress.

  • Personal Life & Family

    Broadway and Movie Star.
  • 07/15
    2012

    Death

    July 15, 2012
    Death date
    Unknown
    Cause of death
    Roosevelt Hospital in New York, New York USA
    Death location
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  • Obituary

    Celeste in 1955 Born April 29, 1917 New York City, New York, U.S. Died July 15, 2012 (aged 95) New York City, New York, U.S. Cause of death Heart attack Alma mater University of Chicago Occupation Actress, Singer Years active 1937–2012 Spouse(s) Ralph Nelson (m. 1936–1939; divorced) Francis Davies (m. 1940–1945; divorced) A. Schuyler Dunning (m. 1946–1953; divorced) Wesley Addy (m. 1961–1996; his death) Frank Basile (m. 2004–2012; her death) Children 2 Parent(s) Theodor Holm [Norwegian] Jean Parke Website Celeste Holm Official Website Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress.[1] Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), and was Oscar nominated for her roles in Come to the Stable (1949) and All About Eve (1950). She originated the role of Ado Annie in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (1943).[1] Early life Born and raised in Manhattan, Holm was an only child. Her mother, Jean Parke, was an American portrait artist and author; her father, Theodor Holm, was a Norwegian businessman whose company provided marine adjustment services for Lloyd's of London. Because of her parents' occupations, she traveled often during her youth and attended various schools in the Netherlands, France and the United States. She graduated from University School for Girls in Chicago, where she performed in many school stage productions. She then studied drama at the University of Chicago before becoming a stage actress in the late 1930s. Career Holm's first professional theatrical role was in a production of Hamlet starring Leslie Howard. She first appeared on Broadway in a small part in Gloriana (1938), a comedy which lasted for only five performances, but her first major part on Broadway was in William Saroyan's revival of The Time of Your Life (1940) as Mary L. with fellow newcomer Gene Kelly. The role that got her the most recognition from critics and audiences was as Ado Annie in the premiere production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! in 1943. After she starred in the Broadway production of Bloomer Girl, 20th Century Fox signed Holm to a movie contract in 1946. She made her film debut that same year in Three Little Girls in Blue, making a startling entrance in a "Technicolor red" dress singing "Always a Lady," a belting Ado Annie-type song, although the character was different—a lady. In 1947 she won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in Gentleman's Agreement. However, after another supporting role in All About Eve, Holm realized she preferred live theater to movie work, and only accepted a few select film roles over the next decade. The most successful of these were the comedy The Tender Trap (1955) and the musical High Society (1956), both of which co-starred Frank Sinatra. In 1965, she played the Fairy Godmother alongside Lesley Ann Warren in the CBS production of Cinderella. During the 1970s and 1980s, Holm did more screen acting, with roles in films such as Tom Sawyer and Three Men and a Baby, and in television series (often as a guest star) such as Columbo, The Eleventh Hour, Archie Bunker's Place and Falcon Crest. In 1979, she played the role of First Lady Florence Harding in the television mini-series, Backstairs at the White House. She was a regular on the ABC soap opera Loving, appearing first in 1986 in the role of Lydia Woodhouse and again as Isabelle Dwyer Alden #2 from 1991 to 1992. She last appeared on television in the CBS television series Promised Land (1996–99). Honors Accepting her Academy Award for Gentleman's Agreement (1947) A life member of The Actors Studio, Holm received numerous honors during her lifetime, including the 1968 Sarah Siddons Award for distinguished achievement in Chicago theatre; she was appointed to the National Arts Council by then-President Ronald Reagan, appointed Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Olav of Norway in 1979,[4] and inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1992. She remained active for social causes as a spokesperson for UNICEF, and for occasional professional engagements. From 1995 she was Chairman of the Board of Arts Horizons, a not-for-profit arts-in-education organization. In 1995, Holm's was inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame. [Amanda Stevenson arranged that.] In 2006, Holm was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the SunDeis Film Festival at Brandeis University. Personal life Holm married Francis Emerson Harding Davies, an English auditor, on January 7, 1940. Davies was a Roman Catholic, and she was received into the Roman Catholic Church for the purposes of their 1940 wedding; the marriage was dissolved on May 8, 1945. From 1946 to 1952, Holm was married to airline public relations executive A. Schuyler Dunning, with whom she had a second son, businessman Daniel Dunning. From 1961 to 1996, she was married to actor Wesley Addy (1913–1996), until his death at age 83 in 1996. The couple lived together on her family farm in the Schooley's Mountain section of Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey. On April 29, 2004, her 87th birthday, Holm married opera singer Frank Basile, age 41. The couple met in October 1999 at a fundraiser for which Basile was hired to sing. Soon after their marriage, Holm and Basile sued to overturn the irrevocable trust that was created in 2002 by Daniel Dunning, Holm's younger son. The trust was ostensibly set up to shelter Holm's financial assets from taxes though Basile contended the real purpose of the trust was to keep him away from her money. The lawsuit began a five-year battle with her sons, which cost millions of dollars, and according to an article in The New York Times, left Holm and her husband with a fragile hold on their apartment, which Holm purchased for $10,000 cash in 1953 from her film earnings, and which in 2011 was believed to be worth at least $10,000,000. Health and death According to her husband, Holm had been treated for memory loss since 2002, suffered skin cancer, bleeding ulcers and a collapsed lung, and had hip replacements and pacemakers. In June 2012, Holm was admitted to New York's Roosevelt Hospital with dehydration. She suffered a heart attack on July 13, 2012 in the facility. She died at her Central Park West apartment on July 15, 2012. She was survived by husband Frank Basile and her sons and grandchildren. Work Film Year Title Role Notes 1946 Three Little Girls in Blue Miriam Harrington 1947 Carnival in Costa Rica Celeste Gentleman's Agreement Anne Dettrey Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (2nd place) 1948 Road House Susie Smith The Snake Pit Grace 1949 Chicken Every Sunday Emily Hefferan A Letter to Three Wives Addie Ross (voice, uncredited) Come to the Stable Sister Scholastica Nominated-Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Everybody Does It Doris Blair Borland 1950 Champagne for Caesar Flame O'Neill All About Eve Karen Richards Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress 1955 The Tender Trap Sylvia Crewes 1956 High Society Liz Imbrie 1962 Bachelor Flat Helen Bushmill 1963 Hailstones and Halibut Bones Narrator (voice) short film 1967 Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! Louise Halloran 1973 Tom Sawyer Aunt Polly 1976 Bittersweet Love Marian 1977 The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Florence Hollister 1987 Three Men and a Baby Mrs. Holden 1989 Nora's Christmas Gift Nora Richards video 1997 Still Breathing Ida 2005 Alchemy Iris 2012 Driving Me Crazy Mrs. Ginsberg 2013 College Debts Grandma GG Completed
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24 Memories, Stories & Photos about Celeste

Edmund Gwenn
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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12/05/2020
Edmund Gwenn
Edmund Gwenn, Loretta Young, Ronald Colman and Celeste Holm.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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11/28/2019
I got her into the Norwegian-American Hall of Fame. She was very pleased and kissed me. A gorgeous portrait of her was next to the Ladies Room at the theater where we were in the audience. Town Hall. She never stopped being beautiful and gracious even when she was 95 years old.
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Celeste Holm and Frank Basile
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm and Frank Basile
A photo of Celeste Holm who was married to Frank for 8 years until she passed away at 95.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Celeste Holm and Bette Davis
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm and Bette Davis
A photo of Celeste Holm with Bette Davis in All About Eve.
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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08/09/2017
Celeste Holm
A photo of Celeste Holm with Frank Basile.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Celeste Holm's Family Tree & Friends

Celeste Holm's Family Tree

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Other Biographies

Other Celeste Holm Biographies

Holm, Celeste (Jan 8, 1918 - Feb 1985)

Other Holm Family Biographies

Holm, Anna (Born Mar 24, 1886) Holm, John (Born Mar 1, 1884) Holm, Bernard (Jul 26, 1915 - Feb 29, 2004) Holm, Robert (Feb 8, 1922 - Jan 20, 2009) Holm, Esther (Nov 16, 1917 - Jul 2, 1993) Holm, Donald (Aug 30, 1922 - Jul 28, 2004) Holm, Patricia (Dec 21, 1921 - Apr 1979) Holm, Gladys (Mar 18, 1928 - Apr 2, 2009) Holm, Alma (Oct 29, 1886 - Jul 1979) Holm, Doris (Aug 30, 1918 - Sep 3, 2007)
Holm, Lill (Feb 20, 1916 - May 26, 2000) Holm, Edwin (May 8, 1911 - Jun 2, 1999) Holm, Barbara (Jun 13, 1890 - Nov 1978) Holm, Stella (Jul 2, 1917 - Sep 15, 1993) Holm, Niel (Dec 19, 1874 - Mar 1964) Holm, Kaj (May 5, 1922 - Sep 15, 1997) Holm, Urania (Mar 8, 1896 - Jun 1969) Holm, William (Sep 3, 1922 - Nov 25, 2003) Holm, Birger (Jun 18, 1920 - Sep 1983) Holm, Veronica (Aug 24, 1926 - Aug 31, 2003)
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