Josephine Whittell Explained

Josephine Whittell
Birth Name:Josephine Cunningham
Birth Date:30 November 1883
Birth Place:San Francisco, California, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting Place:Chapel of the Pines Crematory, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1916–1959
Spouse:George Whittell Jr. (1904-1906; div.)
Robert Warwick
(1910; 19??)

Josephine Whittell (born Josephine Cunningham; November 30, 1883 – June 1, 1961) was an American character actress of silent and sound films.

Early years

Whittell was born on November 30, 1883, in San Francisco, California[1] to Charles and Susan Cunningham.[2]

Career

Early in her career, Whittell performed as a chorus girl in Anna Held's theatrical company.[3]

Whittell began her film career during the silent era, debuting in a featured role in 1917's Alimony.[4] She appeared in four silent films between 1917 and 1921, before taking a hiatus from the film industry.[5] In 1931 Whittell returned to films, with supporting roles in two Wheeler and Woolsey comedies, Caught Plastered and Peach O'Reno.[6] [7] During her 43-year career, she appeared in more than 70 films. In the early 1930s, she appeared frequently as the older seductress in films before the enactment of the film code in the mid-1930s.[8]

Whittell appeared in many notable films, either in supporting or small roles. Some of those films include: Stage Door (1938), starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Adolphe Menjou;[9] 1939's The Women, with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell;[10] the 1945 version of State Fair, starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews;[11] King Vidor's The Fountainhead, the film version of the Ayn Rand novel of the same name, starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal;[12] the musical, In the Good Old Summertime, with Judy Garland and Van Johnson;[13] George Stevens' A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters;[14] the Cecil B. De Mille epic, The Greatest Show on Earth;[15] and the 1954 version of A Star is Born, directed by George Cukor, and starring Garland and James Mason.[16]

She remained active in films until late in life, making her last appearance in 1959's The Buccaneer, directed by Anthony Quinn (his only directing credit).[17]

Personal life

In May 1904, Josephine Cunningham's purported engagement to George Whittell Jr. was a subject of dispute. She and her mother said that a diamond ring was evidence of the engagement. Meanwhile, George Whittell Sr. denied any engagement. On June 2, 1904, they were married in Jersey City, New Jersey. She filed for divorce two years later.[18] Whittell married, secondly, to actor Robert Warwick in 1910. When she acted on stage and he worked in films, they lived in New York and California, respectively, and visited each other occasionally.[19]

Death

On June 1, 1961, Whittell died in Hollywood, California, at age 77.

Filmography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ellenberger. Allan R.. Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. 2001. McFarland. 978-0-7864-0983-9. 30. en. April 28, 2020.
  2. News: Daughter here for death quiz . April 29, 2020 . The San Francisco Examiner . March 4, 1934 . California, San Francisco . 9. Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Mrs. Cunningham Declares Her Daughter Will Marry George Whittell, Jr.; His Father Denies It . April 29, 2020 . The San Francisco Examiner . May 12, 1904 . California, San Francisco . 4. Newspapers.com.
  4. Josephine Whittell Is Screen Player . Motography . December 29, 1917 . XVIII . 26 . 1354 . April 28, 2020.
  5. Web site: Josephine Whittell . American Film Institute . January 16, 2015.
  6. Web site: Caught Plastered . American Film Institute . January 16, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140329110325/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5985 . March 29, 2014.
  7. Web site: Peach-O-Reno . American Film Institute . January 16, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150116224244/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6345 . January 16, 2015.
  8. News: Josephine Whittell, About This Person . January 16, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150411010822/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/76060/Josephine-Whittell/biography . Movies & TV Dept. . . Hal Erickson . Hal Erickson (author) . 2015 . April 11, 2015.
  9. Web site: Stage Door . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150117183038/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=6574 . January 17, 2015.
  10. Web site: The Women . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328182757/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5135 . March 28, 2014.
  11. Web site: State Fair . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140911023932/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=24599 . September 11, 2014.
  12. Web site: The Fountainhead . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328174502/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=25929 . March 28, 2014.
  13. Web site: In the Good Old Summertime . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140422110146/http://afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=25969 . April 22, 2014.
  14. Web site: A Place in the Sun . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140422170704/http://afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=50249 . April 22, 2014.
  15. Web site: The Greatest Show on Earth . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150111004204/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=50496 . January 11, 2015.
  16. Web site: A Star is Born . American Film Institute . January 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328095547/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=51362 . March 28, 2014.
  17. Web site: The Buccaneer . American Film Institute . January 16, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140402231941/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=52491 . April 2, 2014.
  18. News: Actress asks divorce from capitalist's son . April 29, 2020 . San Francisco Call . March 18, 1906 . California, San Francisco . 43. Newspapers.com.
  19. News: Josephine Whittell has a great love for dogs . April 28, 2020 . The Boston Globe . December 21, 1919 . Massachusetts, Boston . 38. Newspapers.com.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Josephine Whittell".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.