Nan Grey
Nan Grey | |
|---|---|
Grey in 1942 | |
| Born | Eschal Loleet Grey Miller July 25, 1918 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | July 25, 1993 (aged 75) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1934–1941 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Nan Grey (born Eschal Loleet Grey Miller;[1] July 25, 1918 – July 25, 1993) was an American film actress.
Early years
Grey was born in Houston, Texas. In 1934, at age 16, she went to Hollywood with her mother for a holiday. She was persuaded by a friend to take a screen test and ended up in pictures.
Grey attended the school that Universal Studios operated for children who had film contracts.[2]
Career
Film
Grey's screen debut was in 1934 in Warner Bros.'s The Firebird.[3] She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1936 film Sea Spoilers. Grey appeared in the Universal Monsters films Dracula's Daughter (1936) and The Invisible Man Returns (1940). She also appeared in the popular 1936 musical comedy Three Smart Girls, as well as the 1939 sequel Three Smart Girls Grow Up.
Radio
Grey played Kathy Marshall in the NBC radio soap opera Those We Love[4] 1938-1945.[3] Grey played in The Lux Radio Theatre, November 8, 1937 episode, "She Loves Me Not" with Bing Crosby, Joan Blondell, and Sterling Holloway[5][6][7]
Invention
In the 1960s, Grey invented and marketed a cosmetic mirror especially suited to nearsighted women. An obituary noted, "Among its users was Princess Grace of Monaco."[3]
Personal life
On May 4, 1939, Grey married U. S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Jack Westrope in Phoenix, Arizona.[8]
She married singer Frankie Laine in June 1950, and Laine adopted Grey's daughters (Pam and Jan) from her marriage to Westrope.
Death
The Laines' 43-year union lasted until her death from heart failure on July 25, 1993, her 75th birthday.[9]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | The St. Louis Kid | First Girl | (scenes deleted) |
| 1934 | The Firebird | Alice von Attem | |
| 1934 | Babbitt | Eunice Littlefield | |
| 1935 | The Woman in Red | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1935 | Mary Jane's Pa | Lucille Preston | |
| 1935 | The Affair of Susan | Miss Skelly | |
| 1935 | His Night Out | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1935 | The Great Impersonation | Middleton's Daughter | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Next Time We Love | Ingenue | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Sutter's Gold | Ann Eliza Sutter | |
| 1936 | Love Before Breakfast | Telephone Girl | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Dracula's Daughter | Lili | |
| 1936 | Nobody's Fool | Young Girl | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Crash Donovan | Doris Tennyson | |
| 1936 | Sea Spoilers | Connie Dawson | |
| 1936 | Three Smart Girls | Joan | |
| 1937 | Let Them Live | Judith Marshall | |
| 1937 | The Man in Blue | June Hanson | |
| 1937 | Love in a Bungalow | Mary Callahan | |
| 1937 | Some Blondes Are Dangerous | Judy Williams | |
| 1938 | The Jury's Secret | Mary Norris | |
| 1938 | The Black Doll | Marian Rood | |
| 1938 | Reckless Living | Laurie Andrews | |
| 1938 | Danger on the Air | Christina 'Steenie' MacCorkle | |
| 1938 | Girls' School | Linda Simpson | |
| 1938 | The Storm | Peggy Phillips | |
| 1939 | Three Smart Girls Grow Up | Joan Craig | |
| 1939 | Ex-Champ | Joan Grey | |
| 1939 | The Under-Pup | Priscilla Adams | |
| 1939 | Tower of London | Lady Alice Barton | |
| 1940 | The Invisible Man Returns | Helen Manson | |
| 1940 | The House of the Seven Gables | Phoebe Pyncheon | |
| 1940 | Sandy Is a Lady | Mary Phillips | |
| 1940 | You're Not So Tough | Millie | |
| 1940 | Margie | Margie | |
| 1940 | A Little Bit of Heaven | Janet Loring | |
| 1941 | Under Age | Jane Baird |
References
- ^ Room, Adrian (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 209. ISBN 9780786457632. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Shaffer, George (June 26, 1936). "Studio School Passes Three Film Players". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. Chicago Tribune Press Service. p. 23. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Nan Grey, Actress In Films of 1930's And Inventor, 75". New York Times. July 27, 1993. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ Proctor, Kay (April 1940). "Enchanted Love" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 13 (6): 6–7, 58–59. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ "Copyright 2018, J. David Goldin". radiogoldindex.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
- ^ Wright, Stewart; Passage, Frank. "The Lux Radio Theater". Old Time Radio Program Logs. The Original Old Time Radio (OTR) WWW Pages. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ "lux radio theatre". www.botar.us.
- ^ "Jockey Westrope Weds Film Actress Nan Grey". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. United Press. May 5, 1939. p. 17. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (July 17, 1993). "Nan Grey; Left Acting Career After Marriage". Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. Retrieved February 8, 2017.