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Gloria Grahame 1923 - 1981

Gloria Grahame was born on November 28, 1923 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States, and died at age 57 years old on October 5, 1981 in New York, NY.

Gloria Grahame

Gloria Hallward

November 28, 1923

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

October 5, 1981

New York, New York, United States

Female

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Gloria Grahame Gloria Grahame (1923 - 1981)

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Gloria Grahame's History: 1923 - 1981

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Introduction

Gloria Hallward, an acting pupil of her mother (stage actress and teacher Jean Grahame), acted professionally while still in high school. In 1944 Louis B. Mayer saw her on Broadway and gave her an MGM contract under the name Gloria Grahame. Her debut in the title role of "Blonde Fever" (1944) was auspicious, but her first public recognition came on loan-out in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). Though her talent and sex appeal were of star quality, she did not fit the star pattern at MGM, who sold her contract to RKO in 1947. Here the same problem resurfaced; her best film in these years was made on loan-out, "In a Lonely Place" (1950). Soon after, she left RKO. The 1950s, her best period, brought Gloria a supporting actress Oscar and typecast her as shady, inimitably sultry ladies in seven well-known film-noir classics. Rumors of being difficult to work with on the set of Oklahoma! (1955) sidelined her film career from 1956 onward. She also suffered from marital and child-custody troubles. Eight years after divorce from Nicholas Ray, who was 12 years her senior (and reportedly had discovered her in bed with his 13 year old son), and after a subsequent marriage to Cy Howard ended in divorce, in 1960 she married her former stepson Anthony Ray who was almost 14 years younger than her. This led Nicholas Ray and Cy Howard to each sue for custody of each's child by Grahame, putting gossip columnists and scandal sheets into overdrive. In 1960 she resumed stage acting, combined with TV work and, from 1970, some mostly inferior films. Gloria was described as a serious, skillful actress; spontaneous, honest, and strong-willed; imaginative and curious; incredibly sexy but insecure about her looks (prompting plastic surgery on her famous lips); loving appreciative male company; "a bit loony." Her busiest period of British and American stage work ended abruptly in 1981 when she collapsed from cancer symptoms during a rehearsal. She returned to New York a few hours before she succumbed on October 5, 1981 at age 57. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Rod Crawford: Gloria Hallward was born in Los Angeles, California. She was the daughter of Michael Hallward, an architect, and Jean MacDougall, an actress whose stage name was Jean Grahame. Her mother later became her acting coach. Descended from royalty--King Edward III through her father's side--she was bred for acting at an early age. By the time Gloria was a teenager she had little interest in school; she quit Hollywood High School just short of graduation to join a touring show called "Good Night Ladies". Later she appeared in a couple of Broadway plays, where she was spotted by MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer in 1944. He was impressed enough to offer her a contract with MGM at $250 a week. Her first role was that of Sally Murfin in Blonde Fever (1944), but it was a few years later that her role as Violet in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) set her apart from other actresses. She played the part of the local temptress who sets her sights on James Stewart, and was done for Columbia while she was on loanout from MGM. Although Gloria was extremely talented and sexy, MGM felt she didn't fit its rigid star pattern and sold her contract to RKO. After appearances in such films as It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) and Song of the Thin Man (1947), Gloria hit pay dirt as Ginny Tremaine in Crossfire (1947) for RKO. This was the film that would shoot her into superstardom. She was nominated for an Academy Award but lost out to Celeste Holm for Gentleman's Agreement (1947). After another stellar performance in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Gloria was nominated for yet another Oscar in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), in which she played Rosemary Bartlow, the wife of a novelist turned screenwriter, opposite Dick Powell. Her performance was absolutely outstanding, and this time she took home the Oscar. The film itself won four additional awards, making it the year's most honored movie. That same year saw her star in Macao (1952) and Sudden Fear (1952), both very well received. The 1950s was a wonderful decade for Gloria, as she appeared in several more hits, including the epic musical Oklahoma! (1955). Then, as with many other performers, her career slowed. She made Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), her last film until Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966). She suffered through another paucity of roles until she landed a part in The Todd Killings (1971).
11/28

1923

Birthday

November 28, 1923

Birthdate

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Gloria was an actress/entertainer.
Personal Life & Family

Gloria Grahame Actress. She is remembered for her Academy Award supporting role of Rosemary Bartlow in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952), but is often best remembered for her smaller role of Violet Bick in the Christmas classic movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). Born Gloria Hallward in Los Angeles, California, she was the second and last child of Reginald Michael Bloxam Hallward (1889 - 1982), an architect, and Jeanne McDougall, a British actress who used the stage name Jean Grahame. It was from her mother's stage name that Gloria adopted her own stage name. Gloria began her acting career under the tutelage of her mother, as a teenager on the stage and winning small roles on Broadway. There she was discovered by Louis B. Mayer and signed to a contract with MGM Studios. She made her film debut as Sally in "Blonde Fever" (1944), and it is for her third film, "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) that she is often still remembered today. But MGM believed she was not of star potential and sold her contract to RKO Studios in 1947. RKO Studios had similar problems identifying her potential, and over the next couple of years, would often loan her out for movies by other studios, despite her Oscar nomination for her role in RKO's "Crossfire" (1947). She was married four times, first to actor Stanley Clements in 1945, divorced three years later, second to director Nicholas Ray in June 1948, and divorced in 1952; they would have a son, Timothy. She then married Cy Howard, a writer, in 1954, divorcing three years later after having a daughter, Marianna. She then married her former stepson, Anthony Ray (son of Nicholas Ray and his first wife) in May 1960; they divorced in 1974 after having two sons, Anthony Jr. and James. In 1950, she starred with Humphrey Bogart in "In a Lonely Place" (1950), another loan-out role that got her considerable praise and is often considered her best work, but still, the studio bosses didn't notice her for it, and shortly afterward, she left RKO. Gloria finally got studio attention with her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952). "The Bad and the Beautiful" won four additional Oscars, making it the highest Oscar-winning film of 1952. She then had a series of successful roles for the next three years, but during this period, her marital problems and child-custody battles with her soon-to-be ex-spouse, Cy Howard, earned her a reputation for being a difficult actress to work with. This reputation, as well as being perceived as very difficult to cast (she was viewed as too naughty to be innocent, yet not evil enough to be really bad), and her career began to slip away with fewer film offers. Despite a successful playing of Annie Carnes in the musical "Oklahoma!" her job offers soon dropped to a minimum. She made only one movie in the 1960s, in "Ride Beyond Vengeance" (1966), and she resumed stage acting, supplemented with television guest roles, to keep employed. In the early in 1970s, she saw a resurgence of interest in her, with an additional steady series of movies in that decade. She was a skillful actress, strong-willed but imaginative, and serious to the point of having plastic surgery on her lips to enhance her appearance. In 1980, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, but refused to have surgery. While in England in 1981, she had her stomach drained, which resulted in a perforated bowel, and she collapsed during a stage rehearsal. Despite medical treatment, she was in serious condition, and her children took her back to New York City, where she died shortly afterwards. Her last film role was that of Florinda, in "The Nesting" (1982), filmed before she went to England but released just after her death. She is buried in Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery under the name Gloria H. Grahame. Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson Inscription
10/5

1981

Death

October 5, 1981

Death date

stomach cancer with peritonitis

Cause of death

New York, New York United States
Death location

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Obituary

GLORIA GRAHAME, 55, MOTION PICTURE ACTRESS, DIES Gloria Grahame, the actress best known for her screen portrayals of sulking and occasionally wisecracking blondes, died Monday night of cancer at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. She was 55 years old. Miss Grahame, who had been in London rehearsing a play, died three hours after arriving here aboard a commercial flight. Miss Grahame called her children in this country to help her return to New York, where treatment had been successful. It was on the flight to New York that shock resulting from the infection set in and ''when she got to the emergency room, she was nearly dead,'' Dr. Grace said. Appeared in 30 Films During her long Hollywood career, Miss Grahame appeared in more than 30 films, usually in a supporting role. She won an Academy Award in 1952 for her supporting role in ''The Bad and the Beautiful,'' the story of a Hollywood producer who turns out to be a heel. She was also noted for her role in ''It's a Wonderful Life,'' a 1947 film directed by Frank Capra, and ''The Big Heat,'' a 1953 police melodrama in which Lee Marvin, playing a cretin-faced gangster, flings scalding coffee into her eyes and pouting face. Miss Grahame was born in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 28, 1925, as Gloria Hallward. She was the daughter of a British actress, Jean Hallward, who had played Shakespearean and other classical roles on the British stage. Miss Grahame made her debut as an actress in Chicago soon after her graduation from high school. She soon went to Broadway, where she was hired as an understudy in Thornton Wilder's ''The Skin of Our Teeth,'' and began getting substantial roles in other plays. In 1944 she went to Hollywood, where she made her debut in ''Blond Fever'' (1944). Nominated for 'Crossfire' Role She was nominated for an Academy Award for supporting actress in 1947 for ''Crossfire,'' and during the next eight years had prominent roles in a series of films, including ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) and ''Oklahoma!'' (1955). During the late 1950's her roles declined, as she devoted herself to raising her children. In the 1970's she made occasional appearances in films. She also played parts on television and the stage, including a role in ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' at the New Darien Dinner Theater in 1977. She later played a neurotic mother in ''Head Over Heels'' (1979), and a comic character in ''Melvin and Howard'' (1980). Miss Graham was married four times. - October 8, 1981, The New York Times Archives - By JOSH BARBANEL OCT. 8, 1981.

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Gloria Grahame lived 17 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 57.

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17 Memories, Stories & Photos about Gloria

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

09/20/2023

Gloria Grahame

Tribute Photo Restored For AncientFaces.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/21/2019

Adam Williams and Gloria Grahame

I had lunch with him the day he kidnapped Cary Grant in NORTH BY NORTHWEST. I met her on a separate occasion.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/06/2021

Gloria Grahame

Gloria Grahame with her Oscar. I met her and she was very sweet to me and deserved a tribute.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

10/28/2019

Gloria Grahame autograph

A photo of Gloria Grahame

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

04/15/2019

Gloria Grahame

A photo of Gloria Grahame in color.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

01/22/2019

Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart

A photo of Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart in the film "In a Lonely Place."

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/30/2018

Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart

A photo of Gloria Grahame - Bogie & Gloria with director Nicholas Ray and cinematographer Burnett Guffey.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/22/2018

Gloria Grahame

A photo of Gloria Grahame

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/22/2018

Gloria Grahame

A photo of Gloria Grahame

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/22/2018

Gloria Grahame

A photo of Gloria Grahame

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Gloria Grahame's Family Tree & Friends

Gloria Grahame's Family Tree

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Gloria Grahame Nov 28, 1923 - Oct 5, 1981

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Other Biographies

Other Grahame Family Biographies

Sinclair-Grahame, Margaret (Born 1239) Grahame, David (Apr 21, 1912 - Dec 1958) Grahame, Anne (May 18, 1921 - Mar 30, 2002) Grahame, Paula (Apr 12, 1903 - Aug 4, 1990) Grahame, Scott (Jun 30, 1957 - Nov 30, 1992) Grahame, Charles (Apr 2, 1926 - Oct 1, 1990) Grahame, Jean (Oct 21, 1926 - Feb 16, 2005) Grahame, Hilda (Nov 5, 1900 - Nov 7, 1994) Grahame, Julia (Jun 20, 1916 - Nov 7, 1996) Grahame, Thomas (Mar 1, 1915 - Aug 19, 1989)

Grahame, Charles (Mar 16, 1908 - Feb 1970) Grahame, Joseph (Nov 18, 1904 - Dec 1980) Grahame, James (Sep 23, 1955 - Feb 19, 2009) Grahame, Harry (Aug 16, 1908 - Apr 26, 1994) Grahame, Mary (Jun 15, 1932 - Feb 6, 2011) Grahame, Kathi (Feb 26, 1951 - Jul 1979) Grahame, Julia (Aug 8, 1911 - Apr 23, 2002) Grahame, Orville (Apr 2, 1904 - Jul 6, 1989) Grahame, Shirley (Feb 5, 1920 - Oct 1, 2009) Grahame, William (Jun 27, 1952 - Apr 2, 2003)

About the AncientFaces Community

Gloria Grahame 1923 - 1981

Gloria Grahame's History: 1923 - 1981

Introduction

Birthday

Professional Career

Personal Life & Family

Death

Obituary

17 Memories, Stories & Photos about Gloria

Gloria Grahame's Family Tree & Friends

Gloria Grahame's Family Tree

Gloria's Friends

Other Grahame Family Biographies