Andrea King
Encyclopedia
Andrea King was an American film and stage actress. She was sometimes billed as Georgette McKee.
in New York City
, and Palm Beach, Florida
.
plays and other theater work before appearing in The March of Time
's first feature-length film entitled The Ramparts We Watch (1940). In 1944, she signed with Warner Bros.
and changed her stage name to King (some of her early movies have her credited as Georgette McKee - her stepfather's name). King appeared uncredited in the Bette Davis
film, Mr. Skeffington
(1944) and went on to do another ten movies in the next three years. King was originally cast to play Dr. Lilith Ritter in Edmund Goulding
's film noir
classic Nightmare Alley
, but she choose instead a memorable role as sophisticated Marjorie Lundeen in Ride the Pink Horse
(1947).
Early life
Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry in Paris, France. At two months old, she moved with her mother to the United States and was raised in Forest Hills, QueensForest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
.
Career
Andrea King appeared in BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
plays and other theater work before appearing in The March of Time
The March of Time
The March of Time is a radio series, and companion newsreel series, that was broadcast on CBS from 1931 to 1945 and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was created by Time, Inc. executive Roy Edward Larsen, and was produced and written by Louis de Rochemont and his brother Richard de...
's first feature-length film entitled The Ramparts We Watch (1940). In 1944, she signed with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and changed her stage name to King (some of her early movies have her credited as Georgette McKee - her stepfather's name). King appeared uncredited in the Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
film, Mr. Skeffington
Mr. Skeffington
Mr. Skeffington is a 1944 American drama film directed by Vincent Sherman, based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth von Arnim.The film stars Bette Davis as a beautiful woman whose many suitors, and self-love, distract her from returning the affections of her husband, Job Skeffington...
(1944) and went on to do another ten movies in the next three years. King was originally cast to play Dr. Lilith Ritter in Edmund Goulding
Edmund Goulding
Edmund Goulding was a British film writer and director. As an actor early in his career he was one of the 'Ghosts' in the 1922 British made Paramount silent Three Live Ghosts alongside Norman Kerry and Cyril Chadwick. Also in the early 20s he wrote several screenplays for star Mae Murray and...
's film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
classic Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley (1947 film)
Nightmare Alley is a 20th Century Fox film noir starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell, and directed by Edmund Goulding. The movie rights for the 1946 novel of the same name, written by William Lindsay Gresham, were bought by Power, who planned on starring in the film...
, but she choose instead a memorable role as sophisticated Marjorie Lundeen in Ride the Pink Horse
Ride the Pink Horse
Ride the Pink Horse is a 1947 American crime film noir produced by Universal Studios. It was directed by the actor Robert Montgomery from a screenplay by Ben Hecht, which was based on a novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. The drama features Robert Montgomery, Wanda Hendrix, Andrea King,...
(1947).
Awards
The Warner Bros. studio photographers voted Andrea the most photogenic actress for the year 1945.Notable films
- The Very Thought of YouThe Very Thought of You"The Very Thought of You" is a pop standard published in 1934, with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. In addition to Noble's own hit recording of the song with his orchestra, featuring the vocals of Al Bowlly, there was also a popular version recorded that same year by Bing Crosby. A decade later, the...
(1944) - God Is My Co-PilotGod is My Co-Pilot (film)God is My Co-Pilot is a 1945 American propaganda film based on the autobiography of the same name by Robert Lee Scott, Jr. The film tells the story of Scott's association with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma during World War II.-Plot:God Is My Co-Pilot was...
(1945) - The Beast with Five FingersThe Beast with Five FingersThe Beast with Five Fingers is a horror film directed by Robert Florey and with a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story by W. F. Harvey first published in the New Decameron. The original music score was composed by Max Steiner...
(1946) - Ride the Pink HorseRide the Pink HorseRide the Pink Horse is a 1947 American crime film noir produced by Universal Studios. It was directed by the actor Robert Montgomery from a screenplay by Ben Hecht, which was based on a novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. The drama features Robert Montgomery, Wanda Hendrix, Andrea King,...
(1947) - Dial 1119Dial 1119Dial 1119 is a 1950 film noir starring Marshall Thompson as a deranged escaped killer holding the customers of a bar hostage. It was directed by Gerald Mayer, nephew of Louis B. Mayer.-Cast:*Marshall Thompson as Gunther Wyckoff*Virginia Field as Freddy...
(1950) - The Lemon Drop KidThe Lemon Drop KidThe Lemon Drop Kid is a 1951 comedy film based on the short story of the same name by Damon Runyon, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, and directed by Sidney Lanfield.The song "Silver Bells," sung by Hope and Maxwell, was introduced in the film...
(1951) - Prescription: Murder (1968) (The first Columbo TV movie pilot)
External links
- Official web site (as Georgette McKee)