Loretta Young

Loretta Young
Born Gretchen Young
January 6, 1913
Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Died August 12, 2000 (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, US
Resting place
 Holy Cross Cemetery
Occupation Actress
Years active 1917–2000
Religion Roman Catholic
Spouse(s) Grant Withers
(m.1930–1931; annulled)
Tom Lewis
(m.1940–1969; divorced)
Jean Louis
(m.1993–1997; his death)
Children Judith Young (w/Gable) (1935–2011)
Christopher Lewis (b. 1944)
Peter Lewis (b. 1945)

Gretchen Young (January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the 1948 best actress Academy Award for her role in the 1947 film The Farmer's Daughter, and received an Oscar nomination for her role in Come to the Stable, in 1949. Young moved to the relatively new medium of television, where she had a dramatic anthology series, The Loretta Young Show, from 1953 to 1961. The series earned three Emmy Awards, and reran successfully on daytime TV and later in syndication. In the 1980s Young returned to the small screen and won a Golden Globe in Christmas Eve in 1986. Young, a devout Roman Catholic,[1][2] worked with various Catholic charities after her acting career.[1][3]

Early life

She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, as Gretchen Young, the daughter of Gladys (Royal) and John Earle Young.[4][5] At confirmation, she took the name Michaela. When she was two years old, her parents separated, and when she was three, she and her family moved to Hollywood. She and her sisters Polly Ann and Elizabeth Jane (screen name Sally Blane) worked as child actresses, but of the three, Loretta was the most successful.

Young's first role was at the age of three, in the silent film The Primrose Ring. During her high school years, Young was educated at Ramona Convent Secondary School. She was signed to a contract by John McCormick (1893–1961), husband and manager of actress Colleen Moore, who saw the young girl's potential.[6] The name "Loretta" was given to her by Colleen, who later would explain that it was the name of her favorite doll.[7]

Career

Film

Young was billed as Gretchen Young in the silent film, Sirens of the Sea (1917). It was not until 1928 that she was first billed as "Loretta Young" in The Whip Woman. That same year she co-starred with Lon Chaney in the MGM film Laugh, Clown, Laugh. The next year she was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars.[8]

In 1930, when she was 17, she eloped with 26-year-old actor Grant Withers; they were married in Yuma, Arizona. The marriage was annulled the next year, just as their second movie together (appropriately titled Too Young to Marry) was released.

In 1935, she co-starred with Clark Gable and Jack Oakie in the film version of Jack London's The Call of the Wild, directed by William Wellman.

From the trailer for Cause for Alarm! (1951)

During World War II, Young made Ladies Courageous (1944; reissued as Fury in the Sky), the fictionalized story of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. It depicted a unit of female pilots during WWII who flew bomber planes from the factories to their final destinations. Young made as many as eight movies a year. In 1947 she won an Oscar for her performance in The Farmer's Daughter. That same year she co-starred with Cary Grant and David Niven in The Bishop's Wife, a perennial favorite. In 1949 she received another Academy Award nomination for Come to the Stable. In 1953 she appeared in her last theatrical film, It Happens Every Thursday, a Universal comedy about a New York couple who move to California to take over a struggling weekly newspaper; her costar was John Forsythe.

Television

Loretta Young hosted and starred in the well-received half-hour anthology series The Loretta Young Show (1953–61). Her trademark was a dramatic entrance through a living room door in various high fashion evening gowns. She returned at the program's conclusion to offer a brief passage from the Bible or a famous quote that reflected upon the evening's story. (Young's introductions and conclusions to her television shows were not rerun on television because she legally stipulated that they not be, as she did not want the dresses she wore in those segments to "date" the program.) Her program ran in prime time on NBC for eight years, the longest-running prime-time network program hosted by a woman up to that time.

The program, which earned her three Emmys, was based on the premise that each drama was in answer to a question asked in her fan mail. The program's original title was Letter to Loretta. The title was changed to The Loretta Young Show during the first season (as of the February 14, 1954 episode), and the "letter" concept was dropped at the end of the second season. At this time, Young's hospitalization, due to overwork towards the end of the second season, required that there be a number of guest hosts and guest stars; her first appearance in the 1955–56 season was for the Christmas show. From then on, Young appeared in only about half of each season's shows as an actress, and served as the program's host for the remainder.

Minus Young's introductions and conclusions, the series was rerun as the Loretta Young Theatre in daytime by NBC from 1960 to 1964. It also appeared in syndication into the early 1970s, before being withdrawn.

In the 1962–1963 television season, Young appeared as Christine Massey, a freelance magazine writer and mother of seven children, in CBS's The New Loretta Young Show. It fared poorly in the ratings on Monday evenings against ABC's Ben Casey. It was dropped after one season of 26 episodes.

In the 1990s, selected episodes from Young's personal collection, with the opening and closing segments (and original title) intact, were released on home video, and frequently were shown on cable television.

Awards

In 1988 she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.[9]

Young has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; one for motion pictures, at 6104 Hollywood Boulevard, and another for television, at 6141 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2011, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[10]

Personal life

Young in 1938

Young was married to actor Grant Withers from 1930 to 1931. She married producer Tom Lewis in 1940 and they divorced very bitterly in the mid-1960s; Lewis died in 1988. They had two sons, Peter Lewis (of the San Francisco rock band Moby Grape), and Christopher Lewis, a film director. She married fashion designer Jean Louis in 1993. Louis died in 1997. Young was godmother to Marlo Thomas (daughter of TV star Danny Thomas).[11]

Clark Gable affair

In 1935, Young had an affair with a then-married Clark Gable, while on location for The Call of the Wild. (Gable was married to Maria "Ria" Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham.) During their affair, Young became pregnant, but due to the moral codes placed on the film industry, Young covered up her pregnancy in order to avoid damaging her career (as well as Gable's). When the pregnancy began to show, she went on a "vacation" to England, and several months later returned to California. Shortly before the birth, she gave an interview from her bed, covered in blankets, stating that her long movie absence was due to a condition she'd had since childhood. Young gave birth to Judith Young on November 6, 1935, in a house that she and her mother owned in Venice, California. Three weeks later, she returned to movie making. After several months of living in the house in Venice, Judy was transferred to St. Elizabeth's, an orphanage outside Los Angeles. When she was 19 months old, her grandmother picked her up and Young announced to gossip columnist Louella Parsons that she had adopted the infant. Few in Hollywood were fooled by the ruse, and the child's true parentage was widely rumored in entertainment circles. Young refused to confirm or comment publicly on the rumors until 1999, when Joan Wester Anderson wrote Young's authorized biography. In her interviews with Anderson for the book, Young finally confessed that Judy was her biological child and the product of Young having had a brief affair with Gable.[12] The child was raised as "Judy Lewis",[13] taking the last name of Young's second husband, producer Tom Lewis.

According to Judy Lewis's autobiography Uncommon Knowledge, some people made fun of her because of the prominent ears she had inherited from her father. She states that at seven she had an operation to "pin back" her large ears and that her mother always had her wear bonnets as a child. In 1958, Lewis' future husband Joseph Tinney told her "everybody" knew that Gable was her biological father. The only time Lewis remembered Gable visiting her was once at her home when she was a teenager; she had no idea he was her biological father. Several years later he appeared on The Loretta Young Show after Young had been in hospital for several months. Lewis was an assistant and was right behind her mother when she noticed Gable. They never had a relationship and she never saw him again.[14] Several years later, after becoming a mother herself, Lewis finally confronted her mother, who privately admitted the truth, stating that Judy was "a walking mortal sin".[15]

Politics

Young was a lifelong Republican.[16] In 1952, she appeared in radio, print, and magazine ads in support of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was in attendance at his inauguration along with Anita Louise, Louella Parsons, Jane Russell, Dick Powell, June Allyson, and Lou Costello, among others. In both 1968 and 1980 she was a vocal supporter of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.[17] She was also an active member of the Hollywood Republican Committee with close friend Irene Dunne as well as Ginger Rogers, William Holden, George Murphy, Fred Astaire, and John Wayne.[18]

Later life

From the time of Young's retirement in the 1960s, until not long before her death, she devoted herself to volunteer work for charities and churches with her friends of many years: Jane Wyman, Irene Dunne, and Rosalind Russell.[19] She was a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California.[20] Young did, however, briefly come out of retirement to star in two television films, Christmas Eve (1986), and Lady in the Corner (1989). Young won a Golden Globe Award for the former, and was nominated again for the latter.[21]

In 1972, a jury in Los Angeles awarded Young $550,000 in her breach of contract suit against NBC. Filed in 1966, the suit contended that NBC had allowed foreign television outlets to rerun old episodes of The Loretta Young Show without excluding, as agreed by the parties, the opening segment where Young would make her entrance. Young testified that her image had been damaged by portraying her in "outdated gowns," and a jury agreed to less than the $1.9 million sought.[22]

Death

Young died on August 12, 2000, from ovarian cancer, at the Santa Monica, California, home of her half-sister, Georgiana Montalbán[23] (the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban), and was interred in the family plot in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Her ashes were buried in the grave of her mother, Gladys Belzer.[24] Her daughter, Judy Lewis, also died of cancer, on November 25, 2011, at age 76.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1917 The Primrose Ring Fairy Lost; uncredited
1917 Sirens of the Sea Child as Gretchen Young
1919 The Only Way Child on the operating table
1921 White and Unmarried Child uncredited
1921 The Sheik Arab child Extant; uncredited
1927 Naughty but Nice Bit Part uncredited; lost
1927 Her Wild Oat Bit by Ping Pong Table uncredited, extant
1928 The Whip Woman The Girl lost
1928 Laugh, Clown, Laugh Simonetta extant made at MGM
1928 The Magnificent Flirt Denise Laverne lost; (made at Paramount Pictures)
1928 The Head Man Carol Watts lost
1928 Scarlet Seas Margaret Barbour lost; Vitaphone track of music and effects survives
1929 Seven Footprints to Satan One of Satan's victims uncredited, extant
1929 The Squall Irma extant Library of Congress
1929 The Girl in the Glass Cage Gladys Cosgrove lost
1929 Fast Life Patricia Mason Stratton lost; Vitaphone soundtrack discs at UCLA Film and Television
1929 The Careless Age Muriel lost
1929 The Forward Pass Patricia Carlyle lost
1929 The Show of Shows "Meet My Sister" number; extant Library of Congress
1930 Loose Ankles Ann Harper Berry extant Library of Congress
1930 The Man from Blankley's Margery Seaton lost; Vitaphone soundtrack discs at UCLA Film & Television
1930 Show Girl in Hollywood uncredited, extant Library of Congress
1930 The Second Floor Mystery Marion Ferguson extant Library of Congress
1930 Road to Paradise Mary Brennan/Margaret Waring extant Library of Congress
1930 Warner Bros. Jubilee Dinner Herself short subject
1930 Kismet Marsinah lost; Vitaphone soundtrack discs at UCLA Film & Television
1930 War Nurse Nurse uncredited(Young's scenes deleted), extant made at MGM
1930 The Truth About Youth Phyllis Ericson extant Library of Congress
1930 The Devil to Pay! Dorothy Hope extant, produced by Samuel Goldwyn released by United Artists
1931 How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 8: 'The Brassie' Herself short subject
1931 Beau Ideal Isobel Brandon extant(made at RKO)
1931 The Right of Way Rosalie Evantural extant Library of Congress
1931 The Stolen Jools Herself short subject
1931 Three Girls Lost Norene McMann extant
1931 Too Young to Marry Elaine Bumpstead extant Library of Congress
1931 Big Business Girl Claie 'Mac' McIntyre extant Library of Congress
1931 I Like Your Nerve Diane Forsythe extant Library of Congress
1931 The Ruling Voice Gloria Bannister extant Library of Congress
1931 Platinum Blonde Gallagher
1932 Taxi! Sue Riley Nolan extant Library of Congress
1932 The Hatchet Man Sun Toya San original title The Honorable Mr. Wong; ... extant Library of Congress
1932 Play-Girl Buster 'Bus' Green Dennis extant Library of Congress
1932 Week-End Marriage Lola Davis Hayes extant Library of Congress
1932 Life Begins Grace Sutton extant Library of Congress
1932 They Call It Sin Marion Cullen [25] extant Library of Congress
1933 Employees' Entrance Madeleine Walters West extant Library of Congress
1933 Grand Slam Marcia Stanislavsky extant Library of Congress
1933 Zoo in Budapest Eve extant
1933 The Life of Jimmy Dolan Peggy extant Library of Congress
1933 Heroes for Sale Ruth Loring Holmes extant Library of Congress
1933 Midnight Mary Mary Martin
1933 She Had to Say Yes Florence 'Flo' Denny extant Library of Congress
1933 The Devil's in Love Margot Lesesne extant
1933 Man's Castle Trina extant
1934 The House of Rothschild Julie Rothschild
1934 Born to Be Bad Letty Strong
1934 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Lola Field
1934 Caravan Countess Wilma
1934 The White Parade June Arden
1935 Clive of India Margaret Maskelyne Clive
1935 Shanghai Barbara Howard
1935 The Call of the Wild Claire Blake
1935 The Crusades Berengaria, Princess of Navarre
1935 Hollywood Extra Girl Herself short subject
1936 The Unguarded Hour Lady Helen Dudley Dearden
1936 Private Number Ellen Neal
1936 Ramona Ramona
1936 Ladies in Love Susie Schmidt
1937 Love Is News Toni Gateson
1937 Café Metropole Laura Ridgeway
1937 Love Under Fire Myra Cooper
1937 Wife, Doctor and Nurse Ina Heath Lewis
1937 Second Honeymoon Vicky
1938 Four Men and a Prayer Miss Lynn Cherrington
1938 Three Blind Mice Pamela Charters
1938 Suez Countess Eugenie de Montijo
1938 Kentucky Sally Goodwin
1939 Wife, Husband and Friend Doris Borland
1939 The Story of Alexander Graham Bell Mrs. Mabel Hubbard Bell
1939 Eternally Yours Anita
1940 The Doctor Takes a Wife June Cameron
1940 He Stayed for Breakfast Marianna Duval
1941 The Lady from Cheyenne Annie Morgan
1941 The Men in Her Life Lina Varsavina
1941 Bedtime Story Jane Drake
1943 A Night to Remember Nancy Troy
1943 China Carolyn Grant
1943 Show Business at War Herself short subject
1944 Ladies Courageous Roberta Harper
1944 And Now Tomorrow Emily Blair
1945 Along Came Jones Cherry de Longpre
1946 The Stranger Mary Longstreet
1947 The Perfect Marriage Maggie Williams
1947 The Farmer's Daughter Katrin 'Katy' Holstrum Academy Award for Best Actress
1947 The Bishop's Wife Julia Brougham
1948 Rachel and the Stranger Rachel Harvey
1949 The Accused Dr. Wilma Tuttle
1949 Mother Is a Freshman Abigail Fortitude Abbott
1949 Come to the Stable Sister Margaret Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
1950 Key to the City Clarissa Standish
1951 You Can Change the World Herself short subject
1951 Cause for Alarm! Ellen Jones
1951 Half Angel Nora Gilpin
1951 Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Awards Herself short subject
1952 Paula Paula Rogers
1952 Because of You Christine Carroll Kimberly
1953 It Happens Every Thursday Jane MacAvoy
1986 "Christmas Eve (tv movie)" Amanda Kingsley
1989 "Lady In The Corner (tv movie)" Grace Guthrie
1994 "Life Along the Mississippi (tv movie)" Narrator (voice)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Laufenberg, Norbert B. (2005). Entertainment Celebrities. Trafford Publishing. p. 863. ISBN 1-4120-5335-8.
  2. ↑ Davis, Ronald L. (2001). Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-8061-3329-5.
  3. ↑ Lowe, Denise (2005). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women In Early American Films, 1895-1930. Psychology Press. p. 585. ISBN 0-7890-1843-8.
  4. ↑ Leading Ladies The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era. New York: Chronicle, 2006
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ http://www.loretta-young.com/FY-leaving-gretch-behind.html
  7. ↑ Origin of stage name "Loretta"
  8. ↑ Lowe, Denise (2005). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women In Early American films, 1895-1930. Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 0-7890-1843-8.
  9. ↑ http://wif.org/past-recipients
  10. ↑ Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
  11. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/570103/Loretta-Young-Movie-Promo-by-Marlo-Thomas.html
  12. ↑ Joan Wester Anderson (November 2000). Forever Young : The Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend ; The Authorized Biography of Loretta Young. Thomas More Publishing. ISBN 978-0883474679.
  13. ↑ Official Site of Judy Lewis
  14. ↑ Judy Lewis (May 1994). Uncommon Knowledge. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0671700195.
  15. ↑ Interview with Judy Lewis. Girl 27 (documentary), 2007.
  16. ↑ Dick, Bernard Hollywood Madonna: Loretta Young pages 197- 201
  17. ↑ Dick, Bernard Hollywood Madonna: Loretta Young, p. 202
  18. ↑ Epstein, Edward Loretta Young: An Extraordinary Life (1986), pp. 215-16
  19. ↑ http://classichollywood101.blogspot.com/2010/07/bffs-of-classic-hollywood.html
  20. ↑ Church of the Good Shepherd: Our History
  21. ↑ Awards for Loretta Young
  22. ↑ "Loretta Young Wins $559,000 Damages", Oakland Tribune, January 18, 1972, p12
  23. ↑ "Elegant beauty Loretta Young dies". bbc.co.uk. 2000-08-12. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ They Call It Sin at the American Film Institute Catalog

Further reading

External links

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