Gertrude Michael
Encyclopedia
Gertrude Michael was an American film, stage and television actress.
Born as Lillian Gertrude Michael in Talladega, Alabama
, she reportedly graduated from high school at the age of 14. She became a radio singer on the radio. She attended the University of Alabama
and Converse College, Cincinnati
. Her childhood home in Talladega, Alabama
was destroyed by fire in 2007.
In 1929 in Cincinnati she made her stage debut in a stock company. She subsequently appeared on Broadway in Rachel Crothers
' Caught Wet (1931). She entered the movies playing Richard Arlen
's finaceé in Wayward (1932), but her best-remembered role is probably as Rita Ross in Murder at the Vanities
(1934), one of the last pre-Code films, in which she sang an ode to marijuana (Sweet Marijuana).
She had an affair with writer Paul Cain (aka Peter Ruric). After they broke up, Cain wrote the role of the alcoholic lover (based on Michael) in his only novel published during his lifetime, Fast One.
Gertrude Michael died, aged 53, from undisclosed causes, in Beverly Hills, California
.
Born as Lillian Gertrude Michael in Talladega, Alabama
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
, she reportedly graduated from high school at the age of 14. She became a radio singer on the radio. She attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and Converse College, Cincinnati
Converse College
Converse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.-History:...
. Her childhood home in Talladega, Alabama
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
was destroyed by fire in 2007.
In 1929 in Cincinnati she made her stage debut in a stock company. She subsequently appeared on Broadway in Rachel Crothers
Rachel Crothers
Rachel Crothers was a prolific and successful American playwright and theater director, known for her well-crafted plays. One of the most famous was Susan and God , which was made into a film by MGM in 1940 starring Joan Crawford and Frederic March.Crothers was born in Bloomington, Illinois, USA...
' Caught Wet (1931). She entered the movies playing Richard Arlen
Richard Arlen
-Biography:Born Sylvanus Richard Van Mattimore in St. Paul, Minnesota, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. His first job after the war was with St. Paul's Athletic Club...
's finaceé in Wayward (1932), but her best-remembered role is probably as Rita Ross in Murder at the Vanities
Murder at the Vanities
Murder at the Vanities is a musical film based on the 1933 Broadway musical with music by Victor Young, made in the pre-Code era, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, stars Carl Brisson, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle, Gertrude Michael, Toby Wing, and Jessie Ralph...
(1934), one of the last pre-Code films, in which she sang an ode to marijuana (Sweet Marijuana).
She had an affair with writer Paul Cain (aka Peter Ruric). After they broke up, Cain wrote the role of the alcoholic lover (based on Michael) in his only novel published during his lifetime, Fast One.
Gertrude Michael died, aged 53, from undisclosed causes, in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
.
Filmography
- Allotment WivesAllotment WivesAllotment Wives is a film noir starring Kay Francis in her final screen appearance. An army investigator tries to shut down a scam that preys on soldiers and unknowingly falls in love with the woman behind it.-Cast:*Kay Francis as Sheila Seymour...
(1945) - Parole Fixer (1940) .... Colette Menthe
- Just Like a Woman (1939) .... Ann Heston
- Hidden Power (1939) .... Virginia
- Star of the Circus (1938) .... Yester
- Sophie Lang Goes West (1937) .... Sophie Lang
- Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (1937) .... Jessica Stafford
- Make Way for a Lady (1936) .... Eleanor Emerson
- Second Wife (1936) .... Virginia Howard
- The Return of Sophie Lang (1936) .... Sophie Lang
- Forgotten Faces (1936) .... Cleo Ashton
- Till We Meet Again (1936) .... Elsa Duranyl
- Woman Trap (1936) .... Barbara 'Buff' Andrews
- The Last OutpostThe Last Outpost (1935 film)The Last Outpost is a 1935 film directed by Charles Barton and produced by E. Lloyd Sheldon. It starred Cary Grant and Claude Rains. Both Grant's and Rains' character find an interest in a woman played by Gertrude Michael, creating tension between the two close friends, who are both British...
(1935) .... Rosemary Haydon - Four Hours to Kill! (1935) .... Mrs. Sylvia Temple
- It Happened in New York (1935) .... Vania Nardi
- Father Brown, Detective (1934) .... Evelyn Fischer
- CleopatraCleopatra (1934 film)Cleopatra is a 1934 epic film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Paramount Pictures, which retells the story of Cleopatra VII of Egypt....
(1934) .... Calpurnia - The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934) .... Sophie Lang
- Murder on the BlackboardMurder on the BlackboardMurder on the Blackboard is a mystery film starring Edna May Oliver as schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers and James Gleason as Police Inspector Oscar Piper. Together, they investigate a murder at Withers' school...
(1934) .... Jane Davis - Murder at the VanitiesMurder at the VanitiesMurder at the Vanities is a musical film based on the 1933 Broadway musical with music by Victor Young, made in the pre-Code era, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, stars Carl Brisson, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle, Gertrude Michael, Toby Wing, and Jessie Ralph...
(1934) .... Rita Ross - The Witching Hour (1934) .... Margaret Price
- I Believed in You (1934) .... Pamela Banks
- Hold That Girl (1934) .... Dorothy Lamont
- George White's ScandalsGeorge White's ScandalsGeorge White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, ...
(1934) (uncredited) .... Miss Lee - BoleroBolero (1934 film)Bolero is a musical drama film starring George Raft and Carole Lombard. The movie was a rare chance for Raft to star and to play a dancer, which had been his profession in New York City, rather than a gangster. The film takes its title from the Maurice Ravel composition Boléro .-Plot:The film...
(1934) .... Lady D'Argon - Search for Beauty (1934) .... Jean Strange
- Cradle Song (1933) .... Marcella
- I'm No AngelI'm No AngelI'm No Angel is Mae West's third motion picture. West received sole story and screenplay credit. A young Cary Grant plays her leading man for the second time. Being Pre-Code, this was one of the few Mae West movies that was not subjected to heavy censorship...
(1933) .... Alicia Hatton - Ann VickersAnn VickersAnn Vickers is a 1933 novel by Sinclair Lewis.It is also a 1933 drama film directed by John Cromwell, adapted by Jane Murfin from Lewis's novel, and starring Irene Dunne, Bruce Cabot, Walter Huston, and Conrad Nagel...
(1933) .... Mona Dolphin - Night of Terror (1933) .... Sarah Rinehart
- A Bedtime Story (1933) .... Louise
- Sailor Be Good (1933) .... Kay Whitney
- Unashamed (1932) .... Marjorie
- Wayward (1932) .... Mary Morton
Television appearances
- Sea HuntSea HuntSea Hunt was an American adventure television series that was aired in syndication by Ziv Television Programs from 1958 to 1961 and was popular in syndication for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced...
.... Mrs. Friedrich (1 episode, 1961) - Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
.... Helen Rucker (1 episode, 1958) - Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of Stars, is a weekly CBS anthology television series, was telecast on Friday nights from 1951 until 1959. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by Schlitz beer...
(3 episodes, 1952–1957) - The 20th Century-Fox Hour .... Kate (1 episode, 1957)
- The New Adventures of Charlie Chan .... Joyce Fenton (1 episode, 1957)
- Cameo Theatre (1 episode, 1955)
- Four Star Playhouse .... Fanny (1 episode, 1955)
- The Ford Television Theatre .... Belle (1 episode, 1954)
- Private Secretary .... Hollywood Star (1 episode, 1954)
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse .... Coralee (1 episode, 1954)
- Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson (1 episode, 1954)
- Meet Corliss Archer ... Mrs. Wilson (1 episode)
- Cavalcade of AmericaCavalcade of AmericaCavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on...
.... Major Pauline Cushman (1 episode)