Katherine Margaret Griffith[1] (September 10, 1915[2][3] – December 10, 2002[4]) was an American film actress from 1936 to 1940 who appeared in Western films and serials. She made 14 films, the last being Covered Wagon Days (1940) in which she was the female lead alongside The Three Mesquiteers.[5]
Kay Griffith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Katherine Margaret Griffith September 10, 1915 |
| Died | December 10, 2002 (aged 87) |
| Education | University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1936–1940 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and career
editBorn and raised in Chicago, Griffith was the eldest of two daughters born to Florence Brown and Lawrence Griffith.[6][4] After attending the University of Chicago,[2][3] she moved to San Francisco, working as a model until an opportunity to sing in a hotel's supper room provided an entry into entertainment. Later a film scout saw her singing with an orchestra in Los Angeles, and that led to Griffith acting in films.[7]
In 1936, a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles approved a contract for her to work for Paramount.[8] In 1938 she was signed by 20th Century Fox.[9]
Personal life
editGriffith's parents died in 1932, at which time she began to care for and support her younger sister, Rita. In 1940 she went to court in Los Angeles to become the legal guardian of Rita, who was then 15 years old.[10]
Griffith married actor Broderick Crawford on November 21, 1940, in Hollywood, California.[11] When they applied for the marriage license, Griffith said that she would cease acting so that the marriage would last.[12]
On November 2, 1941, she gave birth prematurely to a girl, Kathleen Crawford, who died six days later, despite a blood transfusion from the father.[1][13] Griffith and Crawford later had two sons, the older of whom was adopted.[14][15] The marriage ended in divorce on July 8, 1957.[16]
Filmography
edit- Easy to Take (1936) as Mary (uncredited)
- College Holiday (1936) as dancer (uncredited)
- Kentucky Moonshine (1938) as telephone operator (uncredited)
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) as autograph seeker (uncredited)
- Always Goodbye (1938) as nurse (uncredited)
- My Lucky Star (1938) as Ethel
- Five of a Kind (1938) as airplane stewardess (uncredited)
- Wife, Husband and Friend (1939) as Nancy Sprague
- It Could Happen to You (1939) as minor role (uncredited)
- Hotel for Women (1939) as model (uncredited)
- Swanee River (1939) as bit role (uncredited)
- Free, Blonde and 21 (1940) as clerk (uncredited)
- Star Dust (1940) as stenographer (uncredited)
- Covered Wagon Days (1940) as Maria
References
edit- ^ a b "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLD-Y2DY : Fri Mar 08 21:50:25 UTC 2024), Entry for Kathleen Crawford and William Broderick Crawford, 8 November 1941.
- ^ a b Parsons, Louella (February 23, 1939). "Movie Scrapbook: Kay Griffith". Ithaca Journal. p. 30. ProQuest 2041155786.
Discovered while singing with Eddie Fitzpatrick's orchestra ... % feet 5 .. weighs 115 .. Brown hair, hazel eyes ... born in Chicago on Sept. 10 ... studied at the University of Chicago
- ^ a b "3 Young Stars Have Contracts legalized". The Minneapolis Journal. May 18, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved July 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KW5-BF9H : 10 February 2023), Katherine Margaret Griffith, .
- ^ "Covered Wagon Days". BFI. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS2R-GMN : Sat Jul 06 14:48:33 UTC 2024), Entry for Lawrence Griffith and Florence Griffith, 1930.
- ^ "Movie Scrapbook". Detroit Free Press. July 2, 1939. p. 32. Retrieved July 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Judge Approves Contracts of Film Trio". Los Angeles Times. May 15, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved July 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kay Griffith Given Big Screen Chance". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1938. p. 25. Retrieved January 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kay Griffith Makes Guardianship Legal". The Oakland Post Enquirer. July 15, 2024. p. 14. Retrieved July 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kay Griffith weds". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. November 22, 1940. p. 20. Retrieved January 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Actress to Wed". Courier-Post. New Jersey, Camden. United Press. November 15, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved July 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Parsons, Louella (November 13, 1941). "'Road to Morocco' to Have Three Stars: Blood Transfusion Fails to Save Baby's Life". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 13. ProQuest 1832963245.
A line or two: Sympathy goes out to Kay and Broderick Crawford on the death of their baby girl. Brod gave a blood transfusion, but the little one was so frail it was impossible to save her ...
- ^ Parsons, Louella (April 20, 1952). "Broderick Crawford, Kay Griffith Have Great Time Rearing Two Kiddies". The Morning Call. Pennsylvania, Allentown. International News Service. p. 39. Retrieved July 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Births". Billboard. August 4, 1951. p. 41. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "Actress Kay Griffith Divorces Crawford". The Macon News. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- Kay Griffith at AllMovie
- Kay Griffith at IMDb