biography
Born Gloria Hallward in Los Angeles on November 28, 1923, Gloria Grahame aspired to be an actress while still a child. Her ambition
was encouraged by her mother, who worked as an acting coach. Leaving school for the stage, Grahame's talent and beauty took her all
the way to Broadway. While acting onstage, she was spotted by an MGM talent scout, and soon she signed a long-term contract with the
studio, leaving New York to return to Los Angeles. From the late 1940s through the 1950s, Grahame was a familiar fixture in film noir,
including Sudden Fear (1952; with Joan Crawford and Jack Palance), Naked
Alibi (1954; with Sterling Hayden), and Not as a Stranger (1955; with Olivia de Havilland
and Frank Sinatra).  
LEFT: RKO still. CENTER: Mid 1940s MGM photo. RIGHT: Late 1940s RKO stillsAlthough Gloria Grahame was a talented and accomplished stage and screen actress, her acting career was often overshadowed by her somewhat scandalous private life. Married four times, her husbands included actor Stanley Clements, director Nicholas Ray, and writer Cy Howard; she had a daughter with Howard and a son with Ray. In 1960, Grahame's fourth marriage made headlines; she married her former stepson, producer/director Anthony Ray. This union produced two sons, born in the early 1960s. |
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the films of gloria grahameA Woman's Secret (1949) 
From the RKO film noir release A Woman's Secret, directed by Nicholas Ray. LEFT: Grahame as singer Susan Caldwell. RIGHT: With Melvyn Douglas and Maureen O'HaraMacao (1952)
With Robert Mitchum in RKO's film noir adventure MacaoSudden Fear (1952)
With Jack Palance in the Joan Crawford noir vehicle Sudden Fear, released by RKOThe Big Heat (1953)
With Glenn Ford in Fritz Lang's The Big Heat, released by ColumbiaPrisoners of the Casbah (1953)  
From Columbia's low-budget adventure flick Prisoners of the Casbah. The right photo includes Turhan Bey and Cesar RomeroThe Good Die Young (1954)
With John Ireland in the film noir thriller The Good Die YoungHuman Desire (1954)
With Broderick Crawford and Glenn Ford in Columbia's Human DesireNaked Alibi (1954)
From Universal-International's terrific film noir thriller Naked Alibi with Sterling HaydenThe Cobweb (1955)
With Richard Widmark in the offbeat MGM drama The CobwebOklahoma! (1955)
With Shirley Jones in the RKO musical Oklahoma!The Man Who Never Was (1956)
With William Russell in the 20th Century Fox war drama The Man Who Never WasBlood and Lace (1971)
Grahame as Mrs. Deere in the low-budget American International shocker Blood and Lacelater yearsAlong with the demise of film noir as a film genre in the late 1950s, the early 1960s scandal surrounding her fourth marriage damaged Grahame's acting career. Retreating to the stage and doing TV guest appearances, she waited until the early 1970s to make her comeback in a series of mostly low-budget films. In 1975, Grahame was diagnosed with breast cancer but responded well to treatment. In 1980, Grahame relocated to the UK, where she acted on stage and in the feature film A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1980; with David Niven and Elke Sommer). Later that year, she collapsed during a stage performance and was dianosed with terminal stomach cancer. Despite her diagnosis, Grahame kept working until the fall of 1981, at which time her children insisted that she return to the U.S. for treatment. Sadly, Gloria Grahame passed away on October 5, 1981, at the age of 57. She was survived by her parents, a sister, and her four children. |
filmographyFILM
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This page premiered June 5, 2003.
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