Gloria Stuart, an actress who appeared in such classics as
The Old Dark House (1932) and
The Invisible Man, passed Sunday, September 26. She was 100 years old.
Gloria Stewart was born in Santa Monica, California on July 4, 1910. She attended Santa Monica High School and the University of California, Berkeley, but dropped out in her junior year to marry. She acted in the Golden Bough Theatre and wrote for a weekly newspaper in Carmel, California, where she and her husband settled. She was appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1932 when she signed a seven year contract with Universal Pictures.
Miss Stuart made her film debut in
Street of Women in 1932. She would appear in the films
Back Street (1932)and
The All-American (1932) before appearing in one of her best known roles. In
The Old Dark House Gloria Stuart played Margaret Waverton, one half of a married couple who finds themselves who find themselves stranded in an old mansion with some rather bizarre occupants. She went onto appear in the films
Air Mail (1932),
Laughter in Hell (1933),
Private Jones (1933), and
The Kiss Before the Mirro (1933). In
The Girl in 419 (1933) Miss Stuart played another role, that of Mary Dolan, a mysterious woman who is a witness to murder. In 1933 that she played another notable role, that of the daughter of the sinister Robert Von Helldorf (Lionel Atwill) in
Secret of the Blue Room. It would be in 1934 that Gloria Stuart would play another one of her signature roles, that of Flora Cranley. the fiancée of the title character (Claude Rains) in
The Invisible Man. She then appeared in such films as
Roman Scandals (1934),
Beloved (1934), and
The Gift of Gab (1935).
Disappointed in the roles in which she was cast at Universal, Gloria Stuart left the studio for 20th Century Fox. There she appeared in such films as
Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935),
The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936),
Poor Little Rich Girl (1936),
The Girl on the Front Page (1936),
Girl Overboard (1937),
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938),
Time for Murder (1938),
The Three Musketeers (1939), and
It Could Happen to You (1939). Miss Stuart took a break from acting in 1939, returning in 1943 in the film
Hre Comes Elmer (1943). She appeared in the films
The Whistler (1944),
Enemy of Women (1944), and
She Wrote the Book (1945) before retiring from acting. In her own words, she had wearied of playing a "girl reporter, girl detective, girl overboard."
In 1975 Gloria Stuart retuned to acting with a bit part in the television movie
The Legend of Lizzie Borden. She made a small guest appearance on the TV show
The Waltons and had a cameo in the film
In the Glitter Palace (1977). By 1980 Miss Stuart was receiving more substantial roles. She guest starred on such shows as
Enos,
Mannimal, and
Murder She Wrote. She appeared in such television movies as
The Violation of Sarah McDavid,
There Were Times, and
She Knows Too Much. She appeared in the movies
My Favourite Year (1982),
Mass Appeal (1984), and
Wildcats (1986). In 1997 she appeared as Rose in
Titanic, a role which garnered her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She went onto appear in the films
The Love Letter (1999),
The Million Dollar Hotel (2000), and
Land of Plenty (2004 her last appearance on screen). She guest starred on
The Invisible Man,
Touched by An Angel, and
Miracles.
Most obituaries of Gloria Stuart have opened with words to the effect that she was largely forgotten until her appearance in
Titanic. I must state this is, quite simply, wrong. While the general public may not have remembered Gloria Stuart, there were many film buffs who remembered her quite well. Indeed, it must be pointed out that
Titanic was not her comeback, as Miss Stuart had already made a comeback with her cameo in the film
In the Glitter Palace, released a full sixteen years before
Titanic. And while Miss Stuart did an impressive turn in
Titanic (she was far superior in the film than Kate Winslet, whom I usually like, playing what was allegedly the same character), it must be pointed out that Rose was hardly Miss Stuart's most notable role.
Indeed, Miss Stuart had displayed considerable talent throughout her career, often in roles that when played by another actress might be forgettable. She was impressive in
The Old Dark House, as a young and understandably rattled young wife in circumstances no one would want to find himself or herself. Miss Stuart was also impressive in
The Invisible Man, adding poignancy to the movie as the tragic lead character's beloved. And while Gloria Stuart made have not cared to be typecast as girl reporters, girl detectives, and girl murder suspects, she did the role well. Indeed, she made the film
Girl Overboard, in which she plays a young woman suspected of murder aboard a passenger ship, enjoyable. For much of her career Gloria Stuart played thankless roles in sometimes forgettable movies, but she also did them well. While some of the films Miss Stuart may have starred in may have been forgettable, she was always memorable.
Tony Curtis, the star of such films as The Defiant Ones, Some Like It Hot, Spartacus, and Boeing Boeing, passed yesterday at the age of 85. The cause was a heart attack.
Gloria Stuart, an actress who appeared in such classics as The Old Dark House (1932) and The Invisible Man, passed Sunday, September 26. She was 100 years old.
A rainy Saturday did not deter my friend, Candice, and me from our trek to Granbury. The historic Gordon home (Tarleton University's Langford Center) hosted a superb photo exhibit by JB and Susan Harlin. This was the perfect jumping off spot for a day of arts, laughs, good food, and window shopping. Fran Leibowitz once said that, "Teaching someone how to be a writer is like teaching someone how to be an adventurer." To some extent, that's true. I'm going to add that to be a writer, you need a sense of adventure - a willingness to explore and also observe a variety of people, things, and locations.
Author Scott Spencer said, "The initial spark that starts a novel can come anywhere, though I don't know when it has ever come when I'm sitting at my desk. Behind the wheel of a car has been a lucky place for me." (WSJ 9/10/10 p. W5)
Or the old jail could prompt historical fiction. I bet there were some cattle rustlers and other hustlers corraled in this small stone fortress.
From Steve Hely's fiction, How I Became a Famous Novelist, "Writing a novel - actually picking the words and filling in paragraphs - is a tremendous pain in the ass." (p. 73) His fictional character studies popular books and then bangs out one based on his observed formula. " If you tried to fit in actual emotion, or stuff you cared about, you'd just bog your novel down. Writing was like a magic trick." (p. 70) His system proves successful and the ultimate marketing, too, snowballs into success. But he feels hollow, a charlatan. "To fail to tell a story honestly was sacrilege." (p. 231)
Fans of horror films, at least those who worth their salt, know that from 1958 to 1976 Hammer Films produced the greatest run of horror movies outside of Universal Pictures in the Thirties and Forties. Although shot on low budgets, the Hammer horror movies had a lavish look with striking colour. They also had the perfect balance of suspense, horror, violence, and even sexual tension (something the Universal classics could never capitalise upon).
Eddie Fisher, the singer who was extremely popular in the Fifties, passed on Wednesday at the age of 82. The cause was complications from hip surgery.
Road trip novels can be really good or prove ponderous, however, The English Major is witty insight into a sixty-year old man who's "lost" his wife, his farm, and his purpose. Spurred by a childhood jigsaw puzzle of the United States, Cliff roams the West, rediscovers himself, and reflects on his past loves and life.
