Gladys George Biography

Gladys George was an American stage and screen actress who played leading roles in both the silent era and talkies. However she is best known for the remarkable performances she delivered in her relatively brief stint as character actress in Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s. Born in the family of actors, she made her debut in the profession as a toddler of three years with a family act ‘The Three Clares’. Her ‘Broadway’ debut happened with the play ‘The Betrothal’ while she was still in her teens. The most remarkable stage performance of George remains in the comedy ‘Personal Appearance’ by playwright and screenwriter Lawrence Riley, staged at the ‘Broadway. Her excellent comic timing attributed to the enormous success of the play that not only saw the play being staged 501 times but also launched the career of Riley as a playwright. Her other notable ‘Broadway’ plays included ‘Lady in waiting’ and ‘The Distant City’. Starting her film career with silent films she went on to do talkies. Her outstanding performance in the leading role of Carrie Snyder in the drama film ‘Valiant Is the Word for Carrie’ earned her the sole ‘Academy Award’ nomination for best actress. The other films that cast her in leading roles include ‘Madame X’ and ‘Love is a Headache’. However she is mostly remembered for her phenomenal characterisation of a widow Iva Archer in the film noir ‘The Maltese Falcon’ directed by John Huston. Her other notable films include ‘The Way of All Flesh’, ‘The Roaring Twenties’, ‘Marie Antoinette’, ‘Flamingo Road’ and ‘Detective Story’. After 1950s she moved towards television.