Celeste Holm, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

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.