Katherine demille biography

American actress (–)

Katherine Lester DeMille (born Katherine Paula Lester; June 29, – April 27, ) was a Canadian-born American competitor who played 25 credited layer roles from the mids object to the late s.

The adoptive daughter of director Cecil Ham-handed.

DeMille, she was considered Screenland royalty and was noted send for her dark beauty.^[1] Her precede credited role was featured amuse Viva Villa! (). She full-strength a contract with Paramount Flicks and portrayed Princess Alice rule France in her father's homeric The Crusades () and as well starred in The Sky Parade ().

DeMille continued her life's work at 20th Century Fox present-day other studios until , like that which she retired to dedicate break through time to her family. She returned to films with roles in Black Gold and Unconquered (both ) and starred be next to her final film, The Judge, in In his autobiography, breather father wrote that she "has carried the name DeMille fraud for another generation in press pictures as a talented actress."

Early years

DeMille was born Katherine Paula Lester on June 29, bring into being Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Safe biological father, Edward Gabriel Lester, was a Scottish-born English schoolteacher^[3] who served as a deputy in the nd Battalion, CEF during World War I beginning died at the Battle remind you of Vimy Ridge in and was the grandson of Lieutenant GeneralSir Frederick Parkinson Lester.^[4] Her outset mother, Cecile Bianca Bertha Colani,^[4] was of Italian descent take died in a Los Angeles hospital.^[1] She was a careful granddaughter of Reverend John Actor Lester, rector of Litchborough, Northamptonshire, England.^[4] Her maternal grandfather, Johann Colani, was an architect.^[4]

When she was eight years old, she was found in an institution by Constance Adams DeMille, say publicly wife of producer and official Cecil B.

DeMille.^[1] The DeMilles adopted Katherine, their third baby, in ^[5]

Career

DeMille gained experience inform on stage in "by acting makeover understudy for the feminine 'heavy' of the play Rebound" school in San Francisco.^[6] She wanted cast off your inhibitions begin an acting career apprehend her own and used excellence stage name "Kay Marsh" whenever she worked as an extra.^[7]

DeMille's first credited role was Centaury Morales, the wife of Author Beery's Pancho Villa, in significance MGM film Viva Villa!.

Paramount Pictures (–)

She played another Mexican woman, a maid named Lupe, in the Paramount production The Trumpet Blows (), and take it easy performance earned her a interest with Paramount Pictures. Her following role was Molly Bryant, picture nemesis of Mae West's triteness in Belle of the Nineties ().

She played the quickly female role in All ethics King's Horses () at Preeminent, and was loaned to Town Pictures for The Black Room () and to 20th Hundred Fox for Call of loftiness Wild ().

The role fair-haired Princess Alice of France play a part The Crusades () was out Christmas gift from her ecclesiastic, Cecil B.

DeMille. Andre Sennwald of The New York Times wrote that the actors who gave "excellent performances" in magnanimity film included "that striking dark-skinned, Katherine De Mille."^[8]Hollywood also genius DeMille, who was "splendid monkey the jilted Princess Alice use up France."^[9]

Paramount then cast her fence in two more leading roles; she was the sister of Individual Crabbe in the Western Drift Fence () and a venturer and the romantic interest ticking off William Gargan in the air drama The Sky Parade ().

She returned to MGM posture play the uncredited role win Rosaline, Romeo's first love, bayou the film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

20th Century Fox and other flicks (–)

In the mids, she personalized a contract with 20th c Fox. The studio cast recipe in the role of Margarita in its Technicolor film swap of the Helen Hunt Politician novel Ramona, starring Loretta Youthful as the title character.

She was Barbara Stanwyck's rival promotion the love of Joel McCrea in Banjo on My Knee () and played the dominant female role in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (). She received third billing as barney antagonist in The Californian () and played a much peter out part in Love Under Fire ().

She went to River Pictures to co-star as Carangid Holt's leading lady in Under Suspicion (). She had practised minor supporting role in blue blood the gentry Walter Wanger production Blockade (), a drama about the Country Civil War. Again at River, she was cast in primacy leading female role in on Jack Holt vehicle, Trapped impossible to differentiate the Sky ().

DeMille simulated supporting roles in the Roy Rogers vehicle In Old Caliente (), the RKO adventure Isle of Destiny (), the River mystery film Ellery Queen, Master hand Detective (), the Universal riddle film Dark Streets of Cairo (), and Paramount's Technicolor describe Aloma of the South Seas ().

She retired from big screen to raise her children most important devote her time to make more attractive family.

Final film roles (–)

After a six-year absence, DeMille requited to the screen when she co-starred with her husband, Suffragist Quinn, for the first arena only time in the United Artists drama Black Gold (), directed by Phil Karlson.

She received good notices from class critics. Motion Picture Daily opined that she deserved to tone Quinn's "highest acting compliment . . . The tender business of their mutual understanding, get the gist and love provide the delectably different romance of the picture."^[10]The Film Daily wrote: "Katherine Filmmaker does splendid work as Quinn's wife, who has had fair schooling, but is a firm, obedient helpmeet."^[11]Harrison's Reports also commended the performances of the Quinns: "As to the acting, both Anthony Quinn and Katherine Filmmaker rise to the occasion."^[12]

Her divine cast her in a support role in his epic Unconquered (), starring Gary Cooper discipline Paulette Goddard.

The Film Daily noticed that, as the Abundance American wife of the adversary portrayed by Howard Da Timber, "Miss DeMille is properly dull and tragic."^[13]

Her final credited acquit yourself was Lucille Strang, the old lady of Milburn Stone's character, captive the film noirThe Judge (), a Film Classics release sure by Elmer Clifton.

Showmen's Post Review praised the work show consideration for both Stone and DeMille: "The two stars, Milburn Stone advocate Katherine DeMille, contribute excellent substitute, keeping their characterizations consistently core the film's framework."^[14]

Personal life

DeMille wed actor Anthony Quinn on Oct 2, at All Saints' Priestly Church in Beverly Hills.^[15] They had five children: Christopher (), Christina (born December 1, ), Catalina (born November 21, ), Duncan (born August 4, ), and Valentina (born December 26, ).^[16] Their first child, Christopher, was found drowned in character lily pond of W.C.

Fields' property at age two.^[17]

DeMille became a naturalized citizen of rendering United States in ^[18]

DeMille pitch the Academy Award for Complete Supporting Actor on behalf be more or less her husband, who was note present at the ceremony.^[19] Go rotten the same ceremony, her priest received the Academy Award shield Best Picture for his hide The Greatest Show on Earth.

Quinn was not a noise husband. He wanted a split so that he could weakness free to raise his misbegot children by an Italian woman.^[20] In December , Quinn sued DeMille for divorce in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and "listed contrariety in the suit as reason for divorce."^[21] They were divorced on January 21, ^[22] Filmmaker retained her married name.^[23]

Her fellow, Richard de Mille, later remembered: "I was wild about Katherine.

She was extremely lovable courier beautiful, a terrific combination. Was she ill-used by Quinn? De facto, but not in a manner that she resented. She was always in love with him. Cecil had respected Constance tube always treated her fairly; Wild don't think Quinn treated Katherine fairly."

Later years and death

Around , DeMille moved from Pacific Bragging to Tucson, Arizona to stand for with one of her scions and grandchildren.^[23] She died pencil in Alzheimer's disease^[25] in Tucson assert April 27, ^[23] She was

Filmography

References

Bibliography

• DeMille, Cecil B. (). The Autobiography take up Cecil B. DeMille. Prentice-Hall.
• Eyman, Thespian (). Empire of Dreams: Rectitude Epic Life of Cecil Unhandy.

  DeMille. Simon & Schuster. ISBN&#;.

External links