Gladys George


Gladys George was an American actress of stage and screen. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1936 for her role in Valiant is the Name for Carrie. Most of her performances were in secondary parts, appearing in films such as The Maltese Falcon and The Best Years of Our Lives.

Early life

She was born as Gladys Clare Evans on September 13, 1904 in Patten, Maine to British parents, Sir Arthur Evans Clare, a "noted Shakespearean actor", and his wife, Lady Alice. Another source indicated "Gladys was born in a little town in Missouri, where the troupe her parents belonged to happened to be stranded at the time."

Career

George went on the stage at the age of 3 and toured the United States, appearing with her parents, who were British actors. She starred onstage in the 1920s, although she had made several films during the early part of that decade. She starred in Personal Appearance, a comedy by Lawrence Riley. This role was reprised by Mae West in the classic film, Go West, Young Man, which West adapted from the play. In 1936, George was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for Valiant Is the Word for Carrie.
Other first billed roles were in Madame X, Marie Antoinette, The Roaring Twenties, The Way of All Flesh, The Maltese Falcon, The Best Years of Our Lives, He Ran All the Way, Detective Story, and Lullaby of Broadway.
George's Broadway credits include The Distant City, Lady in Waiting, and The Betrothal.

Personal life

Gladys George was married and divorced four times. All of the unions were childless.
George was afflicted with numerous ailments, including throat cancer, heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. She died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1954 in Los Angeles, California, aged 50, and was interred in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in Burbank, California.

Filmography