Gloria Grahame (November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an American film actress.
Born Gloria Hallward in Los Angeles, California, her mother Jean Grahame was a stage actress and acting teacher who taught Gloria acting during her childhood and adolescence. She was signed to a contact with MGM Studios after Louis B. Mayer saw her performing on Broadway. Changing her name to Gloria Grahame, she made her film debut in Blonde Fever (1944) and scored her most widely praised role as the small town girl Violet, who is saved from a life of shame by George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life (1946). MGM was not able to develop her potential as a star and her contract was sold to RKO Studios in 1947.
She received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for Crossfire (1947), and won the same award for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Often regarded as a difficult actress, Grahame's career began to wane after her role in Oklahoma! (1955), although she continued to play supporting roles for the rest of her life in the United States, and also in the United Kingdom, where she resided for many years.
In 1981, Grahame collapsed during a rehearsal for a British stage play, and returned to New York City where she died soon after from cancer. She is interred in Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California.
Gloria Grahame has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures, at 6522 Hollywood Boulevard.
Filmography
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