| Charlotte Henry | |
| Birth Name: | Charlotte Virginia Henry |
| Birth Date: | March 3, 1914 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Holy Cross Cemetery, San Diego, California |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1930–1942 |
| Spouse: | Dr. James J. Dempsey |
Charlotte Virginia Henry (March 3, 1914 - April 11, 1980) was an American actress who is best remembered for her roles in Alice in Wonderland (1933) and Babes in Toyland (1934). She also starred in the Frank Buck serial Jungle Menace (1937).[1]
Henry was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Robert Emmett Henry and Charlotte Ann Sayers Henry. She began modelling at a very young age, and was always fascinated by the theatre. At age 14, she was cast in an important role in Courage, a hit Broadway play, in 1928.[2]
The following year, Henry's mother brought her to Hollywood. She repeated her part in the movie version of Courage (1930) and enrolled at Lawlors, the school for professional children. Some of her classmates were Jackie Cooper, Frankie Darro, Mickey Rooney, Anita Louise, and Betty Grable. Junior Durkin, who had worked with her in Courage, suggested Henry for a play in which he was appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse. By then, she had appeared in two more feature films: Huckleberry Finn in 1931 and Lena Rivers in 1932.
Alice in Wonderland garnered unanimous praise for Henry. In 1933, she appeared in the film Man Hunt as Josie Woodward.
In his autobiography, director Harry L. Fraser described filming the scene in Jungle Menace during which a boa constrictor attacks the heroine Dorothy (Henry). The villain has tied Dorothy hand and foot and she thrashes about wildly, terrified when she suddenly sees the huge snake:
Henry said that her success as a child actress left her "typed, definitely typed" and cited the difficulty of proving "that I am quite capable of playing serious adult parts."[3] The resulting lack of work in films led her to act on stage in production of the Federal Theatre Project.[3]
Henry retired from the movies and moved from Hollywood to San Diego, where she ran an employment agency with her mother. She then became executive secretary for 15 years to the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego, Charles F. Buddy. She was married to Dr. James Dempsey and continued with her acting, appearing in several stage productions at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre.
Henry died of cancer at age 66 in 1980. The San Diego Union newspaper carried the obituary and noted that she was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmony at Home | ||||
| Courage | ||||
| On Your Back | Belle | |||
| Huckleberry Finn | Mary Jane | |||
| Arrowsmith | Uncredited | |||
| Forbidden | Roberta - Age 18 | |||
| Murders in the Rue Morgue | Blonde Girl in Sideshow Audience | Uncredited | ||
| Lena Rivers | ||||
| Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Emma Jane | Uncredited | ||
| Rasputin and the Empress | Minor Role | Uncredited | ||
| Man Hunt | ||||
| Alice in Wonderland | ||||
| Babes in Toyland | ||||
| Laddie | ||||
| Hannah | ||||
| Forbidden Heaven | Ann, The Girl | |||
| Three Kids and a Queen | ||||
| Hearts in Bondage | ||||
| Charlie Chan at the Opera | ||||
| Jungle Menace | Serial | |||
| God's Country and the Man | ||||
| Young Dynamite | ||||
| Bowery Blitzkrieg | ||||
| Flying Blind | Corenson's Secretary | |||
| She's in the Army | ||||
| I Live on Danger | Nurse | (final film role) |