Gloria Holden

Gloria Holden
Holden in Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Born
Gloria Anna Holden

(1903-09-05)September 5, 1903
London, UK
DiedMarch 22, 1991(1991-03-22) (aged 87)
Redlands, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1934–1958
Spouse(s)Harry Dawson Reynolds (m. 1921–19??; divorced); 1 son
Harold A. Winston (1932–1937; divorced)
William Hoyt (1944–1991; her death); 1 son
Children2

Gloria Anna Holden (September 5, 1903 – March 22, 1991) was an American film actress, best known for her role as Dracula's Daughter. She often portrayed cold society women.[1]

Early life

Holden was born in London, England.[2] She emigrated to the United States as a child with her parents, Charles Laurence Sutherland and Eska (née Bergmann). Her mother was German.[3] She attended school in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and later studied at New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Before she became an actress, she modeled for artists, was a shopper for a store, and worked in a beauty salon.[4] In her early teens, living in suburban Philadelphia (Gladwyne), she took voice lessons from Philip Warren Cook and was a church chorister in Ardmore and, later, Overbrook.[5]

Theatre

Holden's early stage work included replacing in the role of Della in the 1927 original Broadway production of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s The Royal Family. Holden also served as understudy for the roles of Julie Cavendish, Gwen Cavendish, and Kitty Dean. From January to March of 1929, Holden appeared in That Ferguson Family, succeeding Rita Paige in the role of Laura Connelly. The following year, Holden served as understudy to Mary Ellis in Children of Darkness. In May 1931, Holden replaced Lilly Cahill in As Husbands Go.[6]

In 1932, Holden was originally announced to be a part of the Lawrence Hazard play Manhattan Melody (adapted by L. Lawrence Weber),[7] which was set to play the Majestic Theatre in Brooklyn then possibly transfer to Broadway's Longacre Theatre, however the production never materialized.

Holden was originally announced for the world premiere of Myron Fagan’s play Memory, which was set to bow in New York in 1933, however the play ended up playing at Los Angeles’ Biltmore Theatre (opening on May 7. 1934), and Holden was not part of the company.[8]

Holden was active in stock theater in Cincinnati, Ohio; Princeton, New Jersey; and Scarborough, New York.[4]

Films

Her first credited film role is Wife vs. Secretary (1936), starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy. She may be best remembered for two roles in her long career, that of Mme. Zola (Alexandrine Zola) in the Outstanding Production-winner biopic The Life of Emile Zola (1937), as well as her "exotic" depiction of the title role in Dracula's Daughter (1936).[9] Her performance in the latter influenced the writings of horror novelist Anne Rice, and Dracula's Daughter is directly mentioned in Rice's novel The Queen of the Damned. In July 1937, Holden was assigned to play the character of Marian Morgan in The Man Without a Country (1937). The Technicolor short co-starred John Litel and was nominated for a Short Subject (Color) Academy Award.[10] Her film career ended with This Happy Feeling (1958).[1]

Radio

Holden performed on Eddie Cantor's radio program for 26 weeks[4]: 352  and played a non-singing Julie La Verne on the 1940 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of Show Boat, based on the 1936 film version.[11]

Personal life

Holden married Harry Dawson Reynolds in 1921. The following year, she gave birth to a son, Lawrence Reynolds. She married, secondly, to Harold A. Winston on December 17, 1932. This union also ended in divorce, on December 2, 1937.

In 1944, she married her third husband, William Hoyt, to whom she remained married until her death. They had one son, William Christopher Hoyt, who was born in 1948 and killed by a boulder rolled onto his car in 1970, listed as a homicide.[12]

Holden died at Redlands hospital[4]: 361  of a myocardial infarction in 1991, aged 87.[13]

Legacy

Harold Winston, Gloria Holden's second husband, was credited with helping discover actor William Holden. An account of how William Holden obtained his stage name is based on a statement by George Ross of Billboard magazine: "William Holden, the lad just signed for the coveted lead in 'Golden Boy', used to be Bill Beadle. And here is how he obtained his new movie tag. On the Columbia lot is an assistant director and scout named Harold Winston. Not long ago he was divorced from the actress, Gloria Holden, but carried the torch after the marital rift. Winston was one of those who discovered the "Golden Boy" newcomer and who renamed him — in honor of his former spouse!..."[14]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Erickson, Hal. "Gloria Holden". AllMovie. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  2. ^ Wagner, Laura (November 2019). "Gloria Holden". Classic Images (533): 6, 8–9.
  3. ^ "Genealogy". Familysearch.org. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Mank, Gregory William (2015). Women in Horror Films, 1930s. McFarland. pp. 349–361. ISBN 978-1-4766-0954-6. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "Began as Chorister." Buffalo (NY) Evening News, 12 March 1932.
  6. ^ "Gloria Holden – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  7. ^ "Aug 28, 1932, page 15 - Times Union at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  8. ^ "May 08, 1934, page 6 - Los Angeles Evening Citizen News at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  9. ^ "Gloria Holden - Biographical Summaries of Notable People". MyHeritage.com. 1903-09-05. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  10. ^ "The 10th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  11. ^ "Lux Radio Theater at OTR.Network (Old Time Radio)". Otr.net. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  12. ^ "Boulder dropped on his car - Chris Hoyt, 22, dies from head injuries". Redlands Daily Facts: 3. October 23, 1970.
  13. ^ "Gloria Holden obituary". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 27, 1991.
  14. ^ Ross, George (April 12, 1939). "Broadway: 'Golden Boy'". The Pittsburgh Press: 23.

Sources

  • The New York Times, "In The Summer Spotlight", June 14, 1931, p. X3.
  • New York Times, "Theatrical Notes", August 27, 1932, p. 13.
  • New York Times, "16 New Plays Open In Byways Tonight", August 14, 1933, p. 18.
  • New York Times, "Theatrical Notes", January 27, 1934, p. 8.
  • New York Times, "Listing The Week's New Shows", July 21, 1935, p. X1.
  • Zanesville Signal, "Liberty Horror Film", June 23, 1936, p. 11.
  • Los Angeles Times, "New Film Productions Started In Last Week". February 2, 1936, p. C1.
  • Los Angeles Times, "The Pageant of The Film World", July 14, 1937, p. 13.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Around And About In Hollywood", October 4, 1937, p. A9
  • Los Angeles Times, "Town Called Hollywood", August 21, 1938, p. C1.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Troupe Treks To Modesto Location", November 11, 1938, p. 10.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Jap Treachery Background of Screen Drama", September 11, 1943, p. 7.
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