Gloria Grahame

Biography

Gloria Grahame was an American actress who began her career on stage before moving to Hollywood, where she became known for film noir roles. Born in Los Angeles and trained by her mother, a stage actress, she made her Broadway debut in 1943, after which Louis B. Mayer signed her to MGM. She appeared in Blonde Fever (1944) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946), but MGM sold her contract to RKO. Grahame received an Academy Award nomination for Crossfire (1947) and won the best supporting actress award for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Her performance in In a Lonely Place (1950) earned praise, and she later appeared in Sudden Fear (1952) and The Big Heat (1953), then in Oklahoma! (1955). As her film career slowed, she continued working in theater and television, often in supporting roles.

57years old at death

Born November 28, 1923Los Angeles
Died October 5, 1981New York City
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Also credited as Gloria Grahame Hallward

Movie Career

Films: 29
Career span: 37 years1944 to 1981

Genres

Drama69%, 20 films
Romance34%, 10 films
Comedy28%, 8 films
Thriller28%, 8 films
Crime24%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Behind the award
Grahame appeared on screen for only a little over nine minutes in MGM's The Bad and the Beautiful, yet she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. For a long time, no shorter performance had won an acting Oscar.
First role
Grahame's Broadway debut came on December 6, 1943, at the Royale Theatre, playing Florrie in Nunnally Johnson's The World's Full of Girls. Louis B. Mayer saw that performance and signed her to MGM Studios.
Own stunts
Grahame performed her own stunts in the role of Angel the Elephant Girl in Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth, the film that took the Oscar for best picture of 1952.
A role that slipped away
Grahame wanted to be lent out for parts in Born Yesterday and A Place in the Sun, but Howard Hughes, who owned RKO, refused and made her take a supporting role in Macao instead.

Gloria Grahame movies on Netflix

The Nesting1981IMDb rating 4.9as Florinda Costello
Melvin and Howard1980IMDb rating 6.8as Mrs. Sisk
Chilly Scenes of Winter1979IMDb rating 7.0as Clara
Mansion of the Doomed1976IMDb rating 5.5as Katherine
Blood and Lace1971IMDb rating 5.4as Mrs. Deere
Odds Against Tomorrow1959IMDb rating 7.4as Helen
Ride Out for Revenge1957IMDb rating 5.8as Amy Porter
The Man Who Never Was1956IMDb rating 7.4as Lucy Sherwood
Not as a Stranger1955IMDb rating 6.7as Harriet Lang
Oklahoma!1955IMDb rating 7.0as Ado Annie Carnes
The Cobweb1955IMDb rating 6.3as Karen McIver
Human Desire1954IMDb rating 7.1as Vicki Buckley
Naked Alibi1954IMDb rating 6.6as Marianna
The Good Die Young1954IMDb rating 6.7as Denise Blaine
The Big Heat1953IMDb rating 7.9as Debby Marsh
The Glass Wall1953IMDb rating 6.9as Maggie Summers
Macao1952IMDb rating 6.6as Margie
Sudden Fear1952IMDb rating 7.5as Irene Neves
The Bad and the Beautiful1952IMDb rating 7.7as Rosemary
The Greatest Show on Earth1952IMDb rating 6.5as Angel
In a Lonely Place1950IMDb rating 7.9as Laurel Gray
A Woman's Secret1949IMDb rating 6.0as Susan Caldwell / Estrellita
Crossfire1947IMDb rating 7.2as Virginia "Ginny" Tremayne
It Happened in Brooklyn1947IMDb rating 6.5as Nurse
Merton of the Movies1947IMDb rating 6.3as Beulah Baxter
Song of the Thin Man1947IMDb rating 6.9as Fran Ledue Page
It's a Wonderful Life1946IMDb rating 8.6as Violet
Without Love1945IMDb rating 6.6as Flower Girl
Blonde Fever1944IMDb rating 5.5as Sally Murfin

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

It's a Wonderful Life1946 Drama, Family, Fantasyas Violet
IMDb rating 8.6559K votes
In a Lonely Place1950 Drama, Film-Noir, Mysteryas Laurel Gray
IMDb rating 7.940K votes
The Big Heat1953as Debby Marsh
IMDb rating 7.933K votes
Oklahoma!1955as Ado Annie Carnes
IMDb rating 7.016K votes
The Bad and the Beautiful1952as Rosemary
IMDb rating 7.718K votes
Crossfire1947as Virginia "Ginny" Tremayne
IMDb rating 7.211K votes
Human Desire1954as Vicki Buckley
IMDb rating 7.17.4K votes
The Greatest Show on Earth1952as Angel
IMDb rating 6.518K votes

Most often with

Nicholas Ray directed two of these films, Fritz Lang two and Vincente Minnelli two. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Robert Mitchum

Morris Ankrum

Bess Flowers

James Stewart

Keenan Wynn

Glenn Ford

Nicholas RayDirector, 2 films

Fritz LangDirector, 2 films

Vincente MinnelliDirector, 2 films

Films together

Robert Mitchum3 films together, 1947 to 1955
Robert Mitchum's page
- Not as a Stranger1955IMDb rating 6.7Grahame as Harriet LangMitchum as Lucas Marsh
- Macao1952IMDb rating 6.6Grahame as MargieMitchum as Nick Cochran
- Crossfire1947IMDb rating 7.2Grahame as Virginia "Ginny" TremayneMitchum as Peter Keeley
Morris Ankrum3 films together, 1947 to 1950
Morris Ankrum's page
- In a Lonely Place1950IMDb rating 7.9Grahame as Laurel GrayAnkrum as Lloyd Barnes
- Merton of the Movies1947IMDb rating 6.3Grahame as Beulah BaxterAnkrum as Goodfellow's Club Manager
- Song of the Thin Man1947IMDb rating 6.9Grahame as Fran Ledue PageAnkrum as Inspector
Bess Flowers2 films together, 1947 to 1952
Bess Flowers's page
- Sudden Fear1952IMDb rating 7.5Grahame as Irene NevesFlowers as Party Guest
- Song of the Thin Man1947IMDb rating 6.9Grahame as Fran Ledue PageFlowers as Jessica Thayar
James Stewart2 films together, 1946 to 1952
James Stewart's page
- The Greatest Show on Earth1952IMDb rating 6.5Grahame as AngelStewart as Buttons
- It's a Wonderful Life1946IMDb rating 8.6Grahame as VioletStewart as George Bailey
Keenan Wynn2 films together, 1945 to 1947
Keenan Wynn's page
- Song of the Thin Man1947IMDb rating 6.9Grahame as Fran Ledue PageWynn as Clarence 'Clinker' Krause
- Without Love1945IMDb rating 6.6Grahame as Flower GirlWynn as Quentin Ladd
Glenn Ford2 films together, 1953 to 1954
Glenn Ford's page
- Human Desire1954IMDb rating 7.1Grahame as Vicki BuckleyFord as Jeff Warren
- The Big Heat1953IMDb rating 7.9Grahame as Debby MarshFord as Dave Bannion
Nicholas RayDirector, 2 films, 1949 to 1950
All films by Nicholas Ray
- In a Lonely Place1950IMDb rating 7.9Grahame as Laurel Gray
- A Woman's Secret1949IMDb rating 6.0Grahame as Susan Caldwell / Estrellita
Fritz LangDirector, 2 films, 1953 to 1954
All films by Fritz Lang
- Human Desire1954IMDb rating 7.1Grahame as Vicki Buckley
- The Big Heat1953IMDb rating 7.9Grahame as Debby Marsh
Vincente MinnelliDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1955
All films by Vincente Minnelli
- The Cobweb1955IMDb rating 6.3Grahame as Karen McIver
- The Bad and the Beautiful1952IMDb rating 7.7Grahame as Rosemary
Also two films together14 more actors
- Robert RyanOdds Against Tomorrow (1959) and Crossfire (1947)
- Lee MarvinNot as a Stranger (1955) and The Big Heat (1953)
- Frank SinatraNot as a Stranger (1955) and It Happened in Brooklyn (1947)
- Leon AmesMerton of the Movies (1947) and Song of the Thin Man (1947)
- Broderick CrawfordNot as a Stranger (1955) and Human Desire (1954)
- Jay C. FlippenOklahoma! (1955) and A Woman's Secret (1949)
- Robert WarwickIn a Lonely Place (1950) and A Woman's Secret (1949)
- Paul StewartThe Cobweb (1955) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
- Richard BasehartMansion of the Doomed (1976) and The Good Die Young (1954)
- Vic TaybackMansion of the Doomed (1976) and Blood and Lace (1971)
- Dick WesselIt Happened in Brooklyn (1947) and Merton of the Movies (1947)
- Felix BressartWithout Love (1945) and Blonde Fever (1944)
- Dan SeymourHuman Desire (1954) and The Big Heat (1953)
- Patricia MorisonSong of the Thin Man (1947) and Without Love (1945)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.