Vera Pogorelsky Gordon (June 11, 1886 – May 8, 1948) was a Russian-born American stage and screen actress.

Vera Gordon
Gordon in 1909
Born
Vera Pogorelsky Gordon

(1886-06-11)June 11, 1886
DiedMay 8, 1948(1948-05-08) (aged 61)
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1904–1946
Spouse
Nathan Gordon
(m. 1904)
Children2

Early life

edit

Vera Pogorelsky was born in Ekaterinoslav, Russia, on June 11, 1886, the daughter of Boris Pogorelsky and Teigan Nemirovsky.

Career

edit

Pogorelsky was a child actor but she was fired by the directors of the Shevchenko Imperial Company when they learned she was of Jewish heritage. After emigrating to the United States, Pogorelsky, now Gordon, appeared in smaller theater like the Liberty and the Lyric in New York’s Lower East Side. [1]

In 1916 Gordon went on a tour in England, appearing in vaudeville and theatre. [2] [1]

Gordon starred in several motion pictures such as Humoresque and The Cohens and Kellys. She represented the archetypical Jewish mother. [2] [1]

She contributed to newspapers and magazines on marriage and children, and supported Jewish children orphanages. [1]

She was a member of Actors' Equity Association, Russian-American Art Club of Los Angeles, and Grand Street Boys, N.Y. [2]

Personal life

edit
 
Vera Gordon, Humoresque (1920)

In 1904, in Russia, Vera Pogorelsky married Nathan A. Gordon, a producer and writer at the Ostoffersk Acting Company, and had two children: William (b. 1904) and Nadje (b. 1907). [2] [1]

In 1905 the Gordons moved to New York City and in 1926 to California, living at 364 S. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. [2]

Her nephew was the musicologist and violinist Sol Babitz,[3] and her great-niece was the writer Eve Babitz.[4]

She moved to Beverly Hills, died there on May 8, 1948, and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood. [1] [5]

Filmography

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Vera Gordon 1886 – 1948". Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. p. 48. Retrieved August 8, 2017.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "Sol Babitz biography". Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Pop Matters Staff (June 11, 2014). "Eve Babitz, with Los Angeles at Her Feet". Pop Matters. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 9. ISBN 9780786409839. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
edit