Gladys Gillem
Encyclopedia
Gladys Gillem Wall also known as Gladys "Killem" Gillem or Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem, was an American
professional wrestler
.
wrestle. She was trained in Tennessee under Wilma Gordon, and she began wrestling in carnival shows. Besides wrestling men and women, Gillem wrestled bear
s and alligator
s as part of her act. Gillem eventually found work touring with promoter Billy Wolfe
's, the husband of Mildred Burke, troop of women wrestlers in 1942. She was often an opponent of Burke's, wrestling her for the World Women's Championship. She acted in this capacity until her retirement in 1962. During her time with the promotion, she developed a sexual relationship with Wolfe.
During one professional wrestling match, one of Gillem's eyes was knocked out of the socket. Also, she developed a cauliflower
like sore on the back of her head due to taking bumps in the ring. Gillem, however, gained additional notability when she was one of the focal interviewees for Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling
, a documentary about the early days of women's wrestling in North America.
to Fred and Clara Gillem. In high school, Gillem won the Alabama State softball championship with her team. After her father died when she was 19, Gillem had to take care of her mother, who was an invalid.
After leaving wrestling, she rode horses and worked as a trapeze artist. Gillem then became a lion tamer
and wrestled alligators. She met her husband John Aloysious Wall while working for the Bailey Brothers' circus. The couple had three children together: Kathleen Ann Wall, John Aloysious Wall Jr., and Claire Fredrica Wall. Her husband was killed while working as a Broadway
stagehand in New York when a 500-pound box fell on his head. After his death, Gillem ran her mother's boarding house. In 1973, she began running her own motel in Birmingham.
Gillem underwent heart bypass surgery in 2003. On August 12, 2009, she died of Alzheimer's disease
at her home.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
.
Professional wrestling career
Gillem was inspired to begin a career as a professional wrestling after seeing Mildred BurkeMildred Burke
Mildred Bliss was an American professional wrestler, who wrestled under the name Mildred Burke. She is a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Her heyday lasted from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, when she held the World Women's...
wrestle. She was trained in Tennessee under Wilma Gordon, and she began wrestling in carnival shows. Besides wrestling men and women, Gillem wrestled bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s and alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s as part of her act. Gillem eventually found work touring with promoter Billy Wolfe
Billy Wolfe
William Harrison “Billy” Wolfe was a professional wrestling promoter who was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Wolfe was the husband and manager of Mildred Burke and ran a traveling troupe of women wrestlers alongside her.-Early life:...
's, the husband of Mildred Burke, troop of women wrestlers in 1942. She was often an opponent of Burke's, wrestling her for the World Women's Championship. She acted in this capacity until her retirement in 1962. During her time with the promotion, she developed a sexual relationship with Wolfe.
During one professional wrestling match, one of Gillem's eyes was knocked out of the socket. Also, she developed a cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
like sore on the back of her head due to taking bumps in the ring. Gillem, however, gained additional notability when she was one of the focal interviewees for Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling
Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling
Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling is a 2005 documentary film about the early days of women's professional wrestling in North America...
, a documentary about the early days of women's wrestling in North America.
Personal life
She was born in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
to Fred and Clara Gillem. In high school, Gillem won the Alabama State softball championship with her team. After her father died when she was 19, Gillem had to take care of her mother, who was an invalid.
After leaving wrestling, she rode horses and worked as a trapeze artist. Gillem then became a lion tamer
Lion taming
Lion taming is the practice of taming lions, either for protection, whereby the practice was probably created, or, more commonly, entertainment, particularly in the circus. The term is also often used for the taming and display of other big cats such as tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and pumas...
and wrestled alligators. She met her husband John Aloysious Wall while working for the Bailey Brothers' circus. The couple had three children together: Kathleen Ann Wall, John Aloysious Wall Jr., and Claire Fredrica Wall. Her husband was killed while working as a Broadway
Broadway 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...
stagehand in New York when a 500-pound box fell on his head. After his death, Gillem ran her mother's boarding house. In 1973, she began running her own motel in Birmingham.
Gillem underwent heart bypass surgery in 2003. On August 12, 2009, she died of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
at her home.
In wrestling
- Signature moves
- Belly to back suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
- Belly to back suplex
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- Kill'em