Gladys McConnell
Encyclopedia
Gladys McConnell was a movie
actress and aviatrix. She was born in Oklahoma City
, Indian Territory
(now Oklahoma
). Some sources list her date of birth as October 22, 1906. She was the daughter of William Marshall McConnell (born April 28, 1876 in McNairy County, Tennessee) and Harriet (aka Hattie) Sharp (born October 10, 1882 in Newbern, Tennessee
). She had a sister, Hazel McConnell (born ca. 1902, Tennessee
). She attended Hollywood High School
.
, a stallion
that was featured in at least fifteen films.
McConnell starred with Harry Langdon
in Three's A Crowd (1927). In The Chaser (1928), she played Langdon's talkative wife in a story about a married man and his tumultuous domestic life. She broke ties with the Fox Film Company over differences over her roles, choosing to freelance instead.
McConnell was a WAMPAS Baby Star
of 1927. WAMPAS (Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers) was a Hollywood promotional campaign that selected thirteen baby stars (slang at the time for starlets) as most likely to gain success. Others in the 1927 group included Iris Stuart
, Natalie Kingston, Sally Phipps
, and Rita Carewe
.
In September 1931, she married Hollywood attorney, A. Ronald Button
, at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California
. William Jennings Bryan Jr., a friend of the bridegroom, was best man at the wedding. McConnell was attended by her sister, Mrs. Harold O. Wright. They had a daughter, Mary Barbara Button (b. 9 Feb. 1937, Los Angeles), now known as Barbara McAllister, a commercial real estate broker at CB Richard Ellis
.
with her mother, father and older sister Hazel. About 1924, McConnell became an aviatrix who began flying in Portland. Aside from Ruth Elder, she logged more air hours than any woman in the film colony. She was once hostess on a Maddux Airlines passenger plane for an aerial breakfast party. McConnell also flew to various location settings to make films with actors like Harry Langdon
and Ken Maynard
.
Gladys McConnell died in Fullerton, California
in 1979, aged 73.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress and aviatrix. She was born in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
(now Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
). Some sources list her date of birth as October 22, 1906. She was the daughter of William Marshall McConnell (born April 28, 1876 in McNairy County, Tennessee) and Harriet (aka Hattie) Sharp (born October 10, 1882 in Newbern, Tennessee
Newbern, Tennessee
Newbern is a town in Dyer County, Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,313.-Natural Disasters:Sixteen people were killed in Newbern when its surrounding communities were directly hit by an F3 tornado April 2, 2006...
). She had a sister, Hazel McConnell (born ca. 1902, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
). She attended Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
.
Actress
Her film career was brief, about four years from the late silent to early sound era (1926 – 1930). She sometimes used the professional name Gladys Morrow. One of her first parts came in The Devil Horse (1926). The film featured Rex the Wonder HorseRex (horse)
Rex, also known as Rex the Wonder Horse and King of the Wild Horses, was a 16 hands Morgan stallion who starred in films and film serials in the 1920s and 30s....
, a stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
that was featured in at least fifteen films.
McConnell starred with Harry Langdon
Harry Langdon
Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
in Three's A Crowd (1927). In The Chaser (1928), she played Langdon's talkative wife in a story about a married man and his tumultuous domestic life. She broke ties with the Fox Film Company over differences over her roles, choosing to freelance instead.
McConnell was a WAMPAS Baby Star
WAMPAS Baby Stars
The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States which honored thirteen young women each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934, and annual...
of 1927. WAMPAS (Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers) was a Hollywood promotional campaign that selected thirteen baby stars (slang at the time for starlets) as most likely to gain success. Others in the 1927 group included Iris Stuart
Iris Stuart
Iris Stuart was a motion picture actress of the silent film era.-Model:Born as Frances McCann, she attended secretarial school before becoming a magazine cover girl who was much favored by artists. Her picture was used as a model for a jewelry advertisement.-Film Actress:She was signed by...
, Natalie Kingston, Sally Phipps
Sally Phipps
Sally Phipps was an American actress.-Early life and career:Born Nellie Bernice Bogdon in Oakland, California, Phipps was a 1927 WAMPAS Baby Star who was discovered by Frank Borzage...
, and Rita Carewe
Rita Carewe
Rita Carewe was a motion picture actress from New York City.-Father:Her father, Edwin Carewe, was a film director/producer for United Artists. Edwin was born Jay Fox in Gainesville, Texas, on...
.
Marriage
McConnell married Arthur Q. Hazerman in 1926. They were divorced in August 1929.In September 1931, she married Hollywood attorney, A. Ronald Button
A. Ronald Button
A. Ronald Button was a U.S. Republican politician and California State Treasurer.Button was born in Plainview, Nebraska and graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School. In 1928, he began to practice in Hollywood, where he had a number of celebrity clients, including Hedy Lamarr and...
, at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
. William Jennings Bryan Jr., a friend of the bridegroom, was best man at the wedding. McConnell was attended by her sister, Mrs. Harold O. Wright. They had a daughter, Mary Barbara Button (b. 9 Feb. 1937, Los Angeles), now known as Barbara McAllister, a commercial real estate broker at CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis
CBRE Group, Inc. , a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm . The Company has approximately 31,000 employees , and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices worldwide...
.
Pilot
A 1920 US Federal Census shows her at about age 15 residing in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
with her mother, father and older sister Hazel. About 1924, McConnell became an aviatrix who began flying in Portland. Aside from Ruth Elder, she logged more air hours than any woman in the film colony. She was once hostess on a Maddux Airlines passenger plane for an aerial breakfast party. McConnell also flew to various location settings to make films with actors like Harry Langdon
Harry Langdon
Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
and Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard
Ken Maynard was an American motion picture stuntman and actor.-Biography:Born Kenneth Olin Maynard in Vevay, Indiana, he was one of five children. His younger brother, Kermit Maynard, also became a stuntman and actor....
.
Gladys McConnell died in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
in 1979, aged 73.
Sources
- Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, New Baby Stars Stud Film Firmament, January 7, 1927, Page A1. - Los Angeles Times, Three Crowd?, Not In Roomy New Roadster, September 11, 1927, Page G11.
- Los Angeles Times, Film Actress Marries Lawyer, September 4, 1931, Page 13.
- Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
The Sun, Go To Hollywood High School If You Would Be A Screen Star, March 3, 1927, Page 26. - Modesto, CaliforniaModesto, CaliforniaModesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
News-Herald, Film Actress, February 19, 1926, Page 2. - Syracuse Herald, Gladys McConnell Granted Divorce, August 8, 1929, Page 10.
- Woodland, CaliforniaWoodland, CaliforniaWoodland is the county seat of Yolo County, California, located approximately northwest of Sacramento, and is a part of the Sacramento - Arden-Arcade - Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 55,468 at the 2010 census.Woodland's origins trace back to 1850 when California...
Daily Democrat, Hollywood Close Ups, October 5, 1928, Page 11.