biography

Gale Storm Born Josephine Cottle in Bloomington, Texas, on April 5, 1922, Gale Storm's early life was marred by the death of her father and her family's ensuing financial struggles. As a pretty and enthusiastic drama student in high school, Storm won a "Gateway to Hollywood" contest sponsored by one-time Paramount head Jesse Lasky. She landed a contract with RKO, appearing in dramas for her first two films Tom Brown's School Days (1940; with Freddie Bartholomew) and One Crowded Night (1940) before the studio dropped her option. Storm moved on to Republic, which cast her in a number of westerns, including Saddlemates (1941; with Robert Livingston and Bob Steele), Red River Valley (1941; with Roy Rogers), and Jesse James at Bay (1941; with Roy Rogers). She then moved to Monogram, where she was often cast in comedies and musicals such as Smart Alecks (1942; with Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall) and Rhythm Parade (1942; with Robert Lowery). In 1941, Storm wed her fellow "Gateway to Hollywood" winner, Lee Bonnell, who sustained an acting career for a few years before leaving show business for the business world.

Gale StormGale StormGale StormGale Storm, Lee Bonnell, and sons

LEFT and CENTER A: Pretty 1940s poses. CENTER B: Storm in the 1950s, RIGHT: A 1954 photo of Storm wiht her husband, Lee Bonnell, and her sons

Despite marriage and motherhood, Storm kept her career going. In the post-war years, she made a number of films for Monogram's upscale subsidiary, Allied Artists. Some of these include the comedies It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947; with Don DeFore) and The Dude Goes West (1948; with Eddie Albert and Gilbert Roland) and the western Stampede (1949; with Rod Cameron and Johnny Mack Brown). Storm left Monogram in 1949 for the greener pastures at Columbia and Universal-International. She appeared in a few film noir thrillers after leaving Monogram, such as Abandoned (1949; with Dennis O'Keefe and Raymond Burr) and Between Midnight and Dawn (1950; with Mark Stevens and Edmond O'Brien), in addition to more westerns and comedies. In 1952, with a growing family that eventually included three sons and a daughter, she left films for television when she was cast in the title role in the CBS series My Little Margie (1952-1955; with Charles Farrell), which began as the summer replacement series for the wildly popular I Love Lucy series. Margie moved to NBC in 1953 for the remainder of its run. At the end of the series, Storm launched a pop singing career, signing with Dot Records in 1955 and enjoying a string of hits. The following year, following the birth of her daughter, she returned to series television with The Gale Storm Show (1956-1960; with Zasu Pitts).

the films of gale storm

Tom Brown's School Days (1940)

Freddie Bartholomew, Cedric Hardwicke, Gale Storm, and Jimmy Lydon

With Freddie Bartholomew, Cedric Hardwicke, and Jimmy Lydon in the RKO drama Tom Brown's School Days, Storm's first film

Nearly Eighteen (1943)

Gale Storm

From the Monogram comedy Nearly Eighteen

G.I. Honeymoon (1945)

Peter Cookson and Gale Storm

From the Monogram wartime comedy G.I. Honeymoon with Peter Cookson

The Dude Goes West (1948)

Gale StormEddie Albert and Gale StormEddie Albert and Gale Storm

From the Allied Artists western comedy The Dude Goes West. LEFT: Storm as Liza Crockett. CENTER and RIGHT: With Eddie Albert

The Kid from Texas (1950)

Gale Storm and Audie MurphyGale Storm, Audie Murphy, and Albert Dekker

From the Universal-International western The Kid from Texas. LEFT: With Audie Murphy. RIGHT: With Audie Murphy and Albert Dekker

The Underworld Story (1950)

Dan Duryea and Gale StormDan Duryea and Gale Storm

From the film noir release The Underworld Story with Dan Duryea

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950)

Eve Arden, Chick Chandler, and Gale Storm

From the Universal-International comedy Curtain Call at Cactus Creek with Eve Arden and Chick Chandler

The Texas Rangers (1951)

George Montgomery and Gale Storm

With George Montgomery in the Columbia western The Texas Rangers. This was one of Storm's final films

My Little Margie (1952-1955 CBS/NBC Television Series)

Gale Storm and Charles FarrellEd Fury and Gale Storm

LEFT: From Storm's hilarious comedy series My Little Margie with Charles Farrell. RIGHT: With Ed Fury in a 1955 episode titled Miss Whoozis

The Gale Storm Show, aka Oh! Susanna (1956-1960 CBS/ABC Television Series)

Gale Storm

TV Guide cover from 1959 featuring Storm and her series

later years

With the end of The Gale Storm Show in 1960, Storm went into semi-retirement, making occasional TV appearances, along with nightclub engagements and stage work. In 1981, she published her autobiography I Ain't Down Yet, in which she candidly discussed her struggle with alcoholism, along with her career as an actress and singer. In 1986, Storm's husband Lee Bonnell passed away. She remarried in 1988 to husband Paul, and he passed in 1996. Sadly, Gale Storm passed away from natural causes on June 28, 2009, at the age of 87. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. For more information on Gale Storm's life and career, visit Gale Storm's Official Site.

filmography

FILM
Woman of the North Country (1952) with Rod Cameron, Ruth Hussey, John Agar, J. Carrol Naish, Jim Davis, Jay C. Flippen, and Grant Withers
The Texas Rangers (1951) with George Montgomery, Jerome Courtland, Noah Beery Jr., and Jock Mahoney
Al Jennings of Oklahoma (1951) with Dan Duryea, Dick Foran, and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams
Between Midnight and Dawn (1950) with Mark Stevens and Edmond O'Brien
The Underworld Story (1950) with Dan Duryea, Herbert Marshall, Michael O'Shea, Melville Cooper, and Alan Hale Jr.
The Kid from Texas (1950) with Audie Murphy, Albert Dekker, Will Geer, and William Talman
Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950) with Donald O'Connor, Walter Brennan, Vincent Price, Eve Arden, and Chick Chandler
Abandoned (1949) with Dennis O'Keefe, Raymond Burr, Jeff Chandler, Meg Randall, and Jeanette Nolan
Stampede (1949) with Rod Cameron, Johnny Mack Brown, and Donald Curtis
The Dude Goes West (1948) with Eddie Albert, Gilbert Roland, and Tom Tyler
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) with Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Grant Mitchell, and Alan Hale Jr.
Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) with Phil Regan and the Three Stooges
Sunbonnet Sue (1945) with Phil Regan, Minna Gombell, Raymond Hatton, and Alan Mowbray
G.I. Honeymoon (1945) with Arline Judge and Jerome Cowan
Forever Yours (1945) with C. Aubrey Smith, Johnny Mack Brown, Conrad Nagel, Mary Boland, and Johnny Downs
Where Are Your Children? (1943) with Jackie Cooper and Patricia Morison
Campus Rhythm (1943) with Johnny Downs and Robert Lowery
Nearly Eighteen (1943) with George O'Hanlon
Revenge of the Zombies (1943) with John Carradine, Robert Lowery, Bob Steele, Mantan Moreland, and Veda Ann Borg
Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher (1943) with Edgar Kennedy, Richard Cromwell, Herbert Rawlinson, and Mantan Moreland
Rhythm Parade (1942) with Robert Lowery, Margaret Dumont, the Mills Brothers, and Chick Chandler
Foreign Agent (1942) with Herbert Rawlinson
Smart Alecks (1942) with Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Maxie Rosenbloom, Roger Pryor, and Herbert Rawlinson
Lure of the Islands (1942) with Robert Lowery and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams
Man From Cheyenne (1942) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes
Freckles Comes Home (1942) with Johnny Downs and Mantan Moreland
Uncle Joe (1941) with Slim Summerville and Zasu Pitts
Red River Valley (1941) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes
Jesse James at Bay (1941) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes
Let's Go Collegiate (1941) with Frankie Darro, Marcia Mae Jones, Jackie Moran, Keye Luke, Mantan Moreland, and Frank Faylen
Gambling Daughters (1941) with Roger Pryor
Saddlemates (1941) with Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, Glenn Strange, and Rufe Davis
City of Missing Girls (1941) with H.B. Warner and John Archer
One Crowded Night (1940) with Anne Revere
Tom Brown's School Days (1940) with Cedric Hardwicke, Freddie Bartholomew, Billy Halop, and Polly Moran

TELEVISION SERIES
The Gale Storm Show, aka Oh! Susanna, 1956-1960 CBS (and later ABC) TV series. Storm portrayed Susanna Pomeroy. Also in the cast was Zasu Pitts
My Little Margie, 1952-1955 CBS (and later NBC) TV series. Storm portrayed Margie Albright. Also in the cast were Charles Farrell, Willie Best, and Hillary Brooke

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Murder, She Wrote, episode Something Borrowed, Someone Blue, originally aired January 8, 1989
The Love Boat, episode Who Killed Maxwell Thorn?, originally aired February 27, 1987
The Love Boat, episode Never Say Goodbye/A New Woman/Trial Romance, originally aired November 3, 1979
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed Wimbledon Hastings?, originally aired February 3, 1965
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed His Royal Highness?, originally aired February 21, 1964
Shower of Stars, episode Cloak and Dagger, originally aired March 14, 1957
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Johnny, Where Are You?, originally aired November 3, 1955
Celebrity Playhouse, episode Mink Does Something for You, originally aired October 18, 1955
Robert Montgomery Presents, episode Tomorrow Is Forever, originally aired October 17, 1955
The Unexpected, episode The Puppeteers, originally aired September 17, 1952
The Bigelow Theatre, episode The Hot Welcome, originally aired November 12, 1951
The Bigelow Theatre, episode Mechanic on Duty, originally aired September 17, 1951

gale storm links

Gale Storm's Official Site

gale storm television appearances

Watch a 1952 episode of Gale Storm's series My Little Margie titled A Friend for Roberta

gale storm film now showing

Watch Gale Storm in the 1943 Monogram mystery Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher

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This page premiered February 10, 2005.
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