Lucille La Verne Mitchum (November 7, 1872 – September 28, 1986) was an American actress known for her appearances in early sound films, as well as for her triumphs on the American stage. She is most widely remembered as the voice of the first Disney villain, Queen Grimhilde in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature film.
Lucille La Verne | |
|---|---|
 La Verne in 1915 | |
| Born | Lucille La Verne Mitchum November 7, 1872 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, 1986 (aged 113) Culver City, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Inglewood Park Cemetery, U.S. |
| Other names | Lucille LaVerne, Lucille La Varney, Lucille Lavarney |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1888–1937 |
| Notable work | Original voice of the Queen Grimhilde in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) |
Biography
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2023) |
Lucille La Verne Mitchum was born near Nashville, Tennessee, on November 7, 1872.[1] She began her career as a child in local summer stock. As a teenager, she performed in small touring theater troupes. When she was 14, she played both Juliet and Lady Macbeth back to back. Her ability to play almost any part quickly caught the attention of more prolific companies, and she made her Broadway debut in 1888. She then became a leading lady with some of the best stock companies in America, scoring triumphs in San Francisco, Boston, and other cities. She eventually ran her own successful stock company.
On the New York stage, she was known for her range and versatility. Among her hits on Broadway were principal roles in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Seven Days and Way Down East. She was also known for her blackface roles. Her biggest stage triumph came in 1923 when she created the role of Widow Caggle in the hit play Sun Up. With her Broadway run, US tour, and European tour, La Verne gave over 3,000 performances. She also worked on Broadway as a playwright and director. In the late 1920s, a Broadway theater was named for her for a short period of time.
In 1934, La Verne experienced a life-threatening medical emergency and needed the muscles along her rib cage to be reconstructed by Los Angeles surgeons, from which she recovered.[2]
She made her motion picture debut in 1915 in the movie Over Night directed by James Young. She also performed small parts in the movies Polly of the Circus, directed by Charles Thomas Horan and Edwin L. Hollywood, and Orphans of the Storm, directed by D.W. Griffith. Her best known part is that of the voice of Queen Grimhilde, and her alter ego Witch Grimhilde, from Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was her final film performance.
Death
editLucille La Verne died at the age of 113 in Culver City, California on September 28, 1986,[1] after suffering from lung cancer. She was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery. La Verne's grave was unmarked for more than 100 years before fans took up a collection to ensure that she had a stone.[3]
Filmography
edit- 1915: Over Night as Minor Role
- 1916: Sweet Kitty Bellairs as Lady Maria (as Lucille Lavarney)
- 1916: The Thousand-Dollar Husband as Mme. Batavia (as Lucille La Varney)
- 1917: Polly of the Circus as Mandy
- 1918: The Life Mask as Sarah Harden
- 1918: Tempered Steel as Old Mammy
- 1919: The Praise Agent as Mrs. Eubanks
- 1921: Orphans of the Storm as Mother Frochard
- 1923: The White Rose as 'Auntie' Easter (as Lucille Laverne)
- 1923: Zaza as Aunt Rosa
- 1923: Among the Missing as The Mother
- 1924: America as Refugee Mother (as Lucile La Verne)
- 1924: His Darker Self as Aunt Lucy
- 1925: Sun-Up as Mother
- 1928: The Last Moment as Innkeeper
- 1930: Abraham Lincoln as mid-wife
- 1930: Sinners' Holiday as Mrs. Delano (as Lucille LaVerne)
- 1930: Du Barry, Woman of Passion as Minor Role (voice, uncredited)
- 1930: The Comeback (Short)
- 1931: Little Caesar as Ma Magdalena (uncredited)
- 1931: The Great Meadow as Elvira Jarvis
- 1931: An American Tragedy as Mrs. Asa Griffiths
- 1931: 24 Hours as Mrs. Dacklehorse
- 1931: The Unholy Garden as Lucie Villars
- 1932: Union Depot as lady with pipe (uncredited)
- 1932: She Wanted a Millionaire as Mother Norton
- 1932: Alias the Doctor as Martha Brenner, Karl's foster mother (as Lucille LaVerne)
- 1932: While Paris Sleeps as Mme. Golden Bonnet
- 1932: Hearts of Humanity as Mrs. Sneider
- 1932: Breach of Promise as Mrs. Flynn
- 1932: A Strange Adventure as Miss Sheen
- 1932: Wild Horse Mesa as Ma [The General] Melberne
- 1933: Pilgrimage as Mrs. Kelly Hatfield
- 1933: The Last Trail as Mrs. Wilson
- 1934: Beloved as Mrs. Briggs
- 1934: School for Girls as Miss Keeble
- 1934: Kentucky Kernels as Aunt Hannah (as Lucille LaVerne)
- 1934: The Mighty Barnum as Joice Heth
- 1935: A Tale of Two Cities as The Vengeance (as Lucille LaVerne)
- 1936: Hearts of Humanity as Minor Role
- 1936: Ellis Island as Radio (voice, uncredited)
- 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Queen Grimhilde / Witch Grimhilde (voice, uncredited) (final film role)
References
edit- ^ a b "Lucille La Verne, noted actress, 113". The New York Times. September 28, 1986. p. 21. ProQuest 107039613. Retrieved November 12, 2020 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Oakland Post Enquirer - Thu, Oct 18, 1934 - Page 13 - Doctors Save Actress' Life By Operation".
- ^ "Lucille La Verne". YouTube. Hollywood Graveyard. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
External links
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