Katherine DeMille
Encyclopedia
Katherine DeMille was a Canadian-born
American film actress.
She was born Katherine Lester in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
. She was orphaned as a child by the death of her father, an officer in the Canadian Army who died in World War I
combat and loss of her mother to tuberculosis
in 1920. When she was nine years old, she was found in an orphanage and legally adopted by film director Cecil B. DeMille
and his wife Constance.
She first appeared as an uncredited "Zeppelin Reveler" in Madame Satan (1930) and made thirty film appearances until she retired from films in 1956.
on October 3, 1937. they had five children : Christopher (born 1939), Christina (born December 1, 1941), Catalina (born November 21, 1942), Duncan (born August 4, 1945), and Valentina (born December 26, 1952) . Their first child, Christopher, was found drowned in the lily pond of W.C. Fields at age two.
DeMille accepted the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
on behalf of her husband, who was not present at the ceremony. They divorced in 1965, following his affair with costume designer Jolanda Addolori.
in Tucson, Arizona
in 1995, aged 83.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
American film actress.
She was born Katherine Lester in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was orphaned as a child by the death of her father, an officer in the Canadian Army who died in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
combat and loss of her mother to tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1920. When she was nine years old, she was found in an orphanage and legally adopted by film director Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
and his wife Constance.
She first appeared as an uncredited "Zeppelin Reveler" in Madame Satan (1930) and made thirty film appearances until she retired from films in 1956.
Personal life
DeMille married actor Anthony QuinnAnthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
on October 3, 1937. they had five children : Christopher (born 1939), Christina (born December 1, 1941), Catalina (born November 21, 1942), Duncan (born August 4, 1945), and Valentina (born December 26, 1952) . Their first child, Christopher, was found drowned in the lily pond of W.C. Fields at age two.
DeMille accepted the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
on behalf of her husband, who was not present at the ceremony. They divorced in 1965, following his affair with costume designer Jolanda Addolori.
Death
Katherine DeMille died from Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer'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...
in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in 1995, aged 83.
Films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Madame Satan | Zeppelin Reveler (uncredited) |
| 1931 | Son of India | Amah - Karim's Servant (uncredited) |
| Girls About Town Girls About Town (film) Girls About Town is a 1931 comedy film directed by George Cukor and starring Kay Francis.-Cast:*Kay Francis as Wanda Howard*Joel McCrea as Jim Baker*Lilyan Tashman as Marie Bailey*Eugene Pallette as Benjamin Thomas*Alan Dinehart as Jerry Chase... |
Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Viva Villa! Viva Villa! Viva Villa! is a 1934 American film starring Wallace Beery as Pancho Villa and was written by Ben Hecht, adapted from a biography by Edgecumb Pinchon and Odo B. Stade. The picture was directed by Jack Conway. There was special, uncredited help with the script by Howard Hawks, James Kevin... |
Rosita Morales |
| The Trumpet Blows The Trumpet Blows The Trumpet Blows is a film directed by Stephen Roberts, featuring George Raft as a Mexican matador, Adolphe Menjou as a retired bandito clearly based on Pancho Villa, and Frances Drake as Chulita, the woman they both want to marry.... |
Lupe the Maid | |
| Belle of the Nineties Belle of the Nineties Belle of the Nineties is Mae West's fourth motion picture, directed by Leo McCarey and released by Paramount Pictures. The film was based on West's original story It Ain't No Sin which was also to be the film's title until censors objected... |
Molly Brant | |
| 1935 | All the King's Horses All the King's Horses (1935 film) All the Kings Horses is a 1935 American comedy musical film directed by Frank Tuttle, starring Carl Brisson and Mary Ellis. The film tells the story of a film actor who changes places with a Ruritanian prince... |
Fraulein Mimi |
| The Black Room The Black Room (1935 film) The Black Room is a 1935 mystery-horror film, directed by Roy William Neill. The movie stars Boris Karloff in a dual role as twin brothers. The film also starred Marian Marsh and Robert Allen... |
Mashka | |
| The Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild (1935 film) The Call of the Wild is a 1935 American adventure film adaptation of Jack London's novel of the same name. A prospector heading for the Alaska gold rush rescues a sled dog from its cruel master. Stars Clark Gable and Loretta Young had an affair during the film's production, resulting in Young's... |
Marie | |
| The Crusades The Crusades (film) - Plot :Mostly taking elements from the Third Crusade, King Richard is enlisted in a crusade to bring Jerusalem back into Christian hands in order to get out of a betrothal with Alice, the Princess of France. En route, Richard meets Berengaria the Princess of Navarre and marries her in exchange... |
Alice, Princess of France | |
| 1936 | Drift Fence Drift Fence Drift Fence is a 1936 American film directed by Otho Lovering. The film is also known as Texas Desperadoes .-Cast:*Buster Crabbe as "Slinger" Dunn*Katherine DeMille as Molly Dunn*Tom Keene as Jim Travis... |
Molly Dunn |
| Sky Parade | Geraldine Croft | |
| Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet (1936 film) Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings... |
Rosaline (uncredited) | |
| Ramona Ramona (1936 film) Ramona is a 1936 Technicolor drama film directed by Henry King, based on Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel Ramona. This was the third adaptation of the film, and the first one with sound... |
Margarita | |
| Banjo on My Knee Banjo on My Knee (film) Banjo on My Knee is a 1936 American comedy film directed by John Cromwell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording Banjo on My Knee is a 1936 American comedy film directed by John Cromwell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound... |
Leota Long | |
| 1937 | Charlie Chan at the Olympics | Yvonne Roland |
| The Californian | Chata | |
| Love Under Fire | Rosa | |
| Under Suspicion | Mary Brookhart | |
| 1938 | Blockade | Cabaret Girl |
| 1939 | Trapped in the Sky | Carol Rayder |
| In Old Caliente In Old Caliente In Old Caliente is a 1939 American film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.- Cast :*Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers*Lynne Roberts as Jean Marshall*George "Gabby" Hayes as "Gabby" Whittaker*Jack La Rue as Sujarno*Katherine DeMille as Rita Vargas... |
Rita Vargas | |
| 1940 | Isle of Destiny Isle of Destiny Isle of Destiny is a 1940 American film directed by Elmer Clifton. The film is the only feature filmed in the Cosmocolor process. The film was produced by Franklyn Warner originally for Grand National Pictures. However, by the time of the film's production, Grand National and gone bankrupt, and so... |
Inda |
| Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Valerie Norris | |
| Dark Streets of Cairo Dark Streets of Cairo Dark Streets of Cario is a 1940 American mystery film directed by László Kardos and starring Sigrid Gurie, Ralph Byrd, Eddie Quillan, George Zucco and Katherine DeMille.-Cast:* Sigrid Gurie - Ellen Stephens* Ralph Byrd - Dennis Martin... |
Shari Abbadi | |
| 1941 | Aloma of the South Seas | Kari |
| 1947 | Black Gold | Sarah Eagle |
| Unconquered Unconquered Unconquered is a 1947 adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and released by Paramount. The film depicts the violent struggles between American colonists and Native Americans on the western frontier in the mid-18th century during the time of Pontiac's Rebellion, primarily around... |
Hannah | |
| 1949 | The Judge | Lucille Strang |
| 1956 | Man from Del Rio | Woman (uncredited) |