Matinee Classics - Loretta Young Biography & Filmography

Loretta Young ACTOR

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LORETTA YOUNG BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Loretta Young was born on January 6th, 1913 in Salt Lake city, Utah with the birth name Gretchen Michaela Young. She had two older siblings and at the age of three her parents separated and she moved with her mother and two siblings to Southern California.

As a young girl living in California, Young began taking on small roles as a child actress appearing in such films as, "The Only Way" (1919), "The Primrose Ring" (1917) and "The Sheik" (1921) starring Rudolph Valentino.

Along with working as a child actress she attended parochial schools with her siblings and as she grew older, she helped her mother run a boarding house. Continuing appearing in films, Young was seen on the big screen in, "Naughty But Nice" (1927), "The Magnificent Flirt" (1928) and "The Head Man" (1928).

As her career entered into the 1930's she made the transition from child actress to teenage actress with ease appearing in more prominent films such as, "The Truth About Youth" (1930), "Beau Ideal" (1931), "Big Business Girl" (1931), "Taxi!" (1932), "Grand Slam" (1933) and "Kentucky" (1938).

Along with her high profile professional career she was also in the media for having an affair in 1935 with famous actor, Clark Gable who was married at the time. Young became pregnant with his child, but covered up the pregnancy and gave birth to Judith Young who she transferred to an orphanage and later she adopted the little girl hiding for many years that the child was her biological child from her affair with Clark Gable.

Loretta Young was becoming a highly desired actress not just for her talent but also for her exquisite beauty. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1947 for her role on, "The Farmer's Daughter" and followed with more successful roles in, "The Bishop's Wife" (1947), "Mother Is a Freshman" (1949), "Come to the Stable" (1949) and "It Happens Every Thursday" (1953).

In addition to her many film roles, Young then made the transition to television appearing in a variety of series such as her own television series, "The Loretta Young Show" (1953) for which she won three Emmy Awards as Best Actress.

Loretta then took a twenty four year break from the entertainment industry and did not return until 1986. Her final film role was in 1989 on, "Lady in the Corner" and her final television movie role was in 1994 in, "Life Along the Mississippi". For the most part, Young remained retired residing in Palm Springs, California until she passed away on August 12th, 2000 from ovarian cancer. Her remains were cremated and her ashes were buried in the family plot in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Throughout her lifetime she married three times, first to actor Grant Withers from 1930 through 1931. She then wed Tom Lewis in 1940 and they had two children before divorcing in 1969. She later married her third and final husband, Jean Louis in 1993 and they were together until he passed away in 1997.

For her contribution to the Motion Picture Industry and Television Industry, Young was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was also a very charitable person donating time to her church causes whenever possible.