Katherine DeMille
| Katherine DeMille | |
|---|---|
 1935 | |
| Born |
Katherine Paula Lester June 29, 1911 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died |
April 27, 1995 (aged 83) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1930-56 |
| Spouse(s) | Anthony Quinn (m. October 3, 1937 - 1965; divorced); 5 children |
Katherine DeMille (born Katherine Paula Lester; June 29, 1911 – April 27, 1995) was a Canadian-born American film actress.
Early years
DeMille was born Katherine Paula Lester in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was orphaned as a child by the death of her father, an officer in the Canadian Army who died in World War I combat in the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the loss of her mother to tuberculosis in 1920. When she was nine years old, she was found in an orphanage and legally adopted by film director Cecil B. DeMille and his wife Constance when she was 11.[1]
Acting
DeMille gained experience on stage in 1930 "by acting as understudy for the feminine 'heavy' of the play Rebound" in San Francisco.[2] DeMille first appeared on screen as an uncredited "Zeppelin Reveler" in Madame Satan (1930), and made thirty film appearances until retiring in 1956.
Personal life
DeMille married actor Anthony Quinn on October 3, 1937. They had five children: Christopher (1939-1941), Christina (born December 1, 1941), Catalina (born November 21, 1942), Duncan (born August 4, 1945), and Valentina (born December 26, 1952).[3] Their first child, Christopher, was found drowned in the lily pond of W.C. Fields at age two.[4]
DeMille accepted the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on behalf of her husband, who was not present at the ceremony. They divorced in 1965 due to his extramarital relationships. (A December 8, 1964, newspaper article says that Quinn sued DeMille for divorce in Juarez, Mexico, and "listed incompatibility in the suit as grounds for divorce.")[5]
Death
Katherine DeMille died of Alzheimer's disease in Tucson, Arizona in 1995, at age 83. The disposition of her remains is unknown.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Madame Satan | Zeppelin Reveler (uncredited) |
| 1931 | Son of India | Amah - Karim's Servant (uncredited) |
| Girls About Town | Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Viva Villa! | Rosita Morales |
| The Trumpet Blows | Lupe the Maid | |
| Belle of the Nineties | Molly Brant | |
| 1935 | All the King's Horses | Fraulein Mimi |
| The Black Room | Mashka | |
| The Call of the Wild | Marie | |
| The Crusades | Alice, Princess of France | |
| 1936 | Drift Fence | Molly Dunn |
| The Sky Parade | Geraldine Croft | |
| Romeo and Juliet | Rosaline (uncredited) | |
| Ramona | Margarita | |
| Banjo on My Knee | Leota Long | |
| 1937 | Charlie Chan at the Olympics | Yvonne Roland |
| The Californian | Chata | |
| Love Under Fire | Rosa | |
| Under Suspicion | Mary Brookhart | |
| 1938 | Blockade | Cabaret Girl |
| 1939 | Trapped in the Sky | Carol Rayder |
| In Old Caliente | Rita Vargas | |
| 1940 | Isle of Destiny | Inda |
| Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Valerie Norris | |
| Dark Streets of Cairo | Shari Abbadi | |
| 1941 | Aloma of the South Seas | Kari |
| 1947 | Black Gold | Sarah Eagle |
| Unconquered | Hannah | |
| 1949 | The Judge | Lucille Strang |
| 1956 | Man from Del Rio | Woman (uncredited) |
References
- ↑ "Mary Alden "Mother" Again". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. May 8, 1922. p. 14. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Talkie Ticker". Southtown Economist. Illinois, Chicago. August 5, 1930. p. 2. Retrieved June 17, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Quinn Chronology (PDF)
- ↑ Robert Lewis Taylor (1967). W. C. Fields: His Follies and Fortunes. New York: New American Library. p. 235. ISBN 0-451-50653-7.
- ↑ "Anthony Quinn Sues for Divorce". Albuquerque Journal. New Mexico, Albuquerque. Associated Press. December 8, 1964. p. 21. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
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