Minna Gombell

Biography

Minna Gombell was an American stage and film actress who, born in Baltimore in 1892, built a long career in stock theater and on Broadway before moving into movies. Under the name Winifred Lee she acted on stage from 1912, appearing with stock companies in cities such as Albany, Cleveland, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and her Broadway work included Indiscretion and Ballyhoo. Fox Film Corporation signed her in the late 1920s, and she made her first film, Doctors' Wives (1931), as Nancy Gardner, a name the studio gave her. After a period coaching young actresses she returned to the screen under her own name and appeared in roughly fifty Hollywood films, among them The Thin Man (1934), The Merry Widow (1934), Block-Heads (1938), Boom Town (1940), High Sierra (1941), Doomed Caravan (1941) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). She died in 1973.

80years old at death

Born May 28, 1892Baltimore
Died April 14, 1973Santa Monica
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Minna Marie Gombel (birth name)Also credited as Minna Gombel, Minna Marie Gombell and Minnie Gombell

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 17 years1931 to 1948

Genres

Drama67%, 10 films
Romance53%, 8 films
Comedy27%, 4 films
Western20%, 3 films
Crime13%, 2 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

About the name
Gombell had a successful stage career from 1912 under the name Winifred Lee before Fox Film Corporation signed her in the late 1920s.
First role
Gombell made her film debut in Doctors' Wives in 1931. Fox gave her the name Nancy Gardner, and she appeared under that name in the film.

Minna Gombell movies on Netflix

The Snake Pit1948IMDb rating 7.5as Miss Hart
The Best Years of Our Lives1946IMDb rating 8.1as Mrs. Parrish
Doomed Caravan1941IMDb rating 6.3as Jane Travers
High Sierra1941IMDb rating 7.5as Mrs. Baughmam
Boom Town1940IMDb rating 7.0as Spanish Eva
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939IMDb rating 7.8as Queen of Beggars
Block-Heads1938IMDb rating 7.5as Mrs. Hardy
Make Way for Tomorrow1937IMDb rating 8.1as Nellie Chase
Wife, Doctor and Nurse1937IMDb rating 6.0as Constance
The Merry Widow1934IMDb rating 7.1as Marcelle
The Thin Man1934IMDb rating 7.9as Mimi
Wild Boys of the Road1933IMDb rating 7.5as Aunt Carrie
The Rainbow Trail1932IMDb rating 6.4as Ruth
Bad Girl1931IMDb rating 6.4as Edna Driggs
Sob Sister1931IMDb rating 6.7as Vonnie

Best known for

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

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The Thin Man1934 Comedy, Crime, Mysteryas Mimi
IMDb rating 7.936K votes
The Best Years of Our Lives1946 Drama, Romance, Waras Mrs. Parrish
IMDb rating 8.177K votes
High Sierra1941as Mrs. Baughmam
IMDb rating 7.521K votes
Block-Heads1938as Mrs. Hardy
IMDb rating 7.55.0K votes
Bad Girl1931as Edna Driggs
IMDb rating 6.41.9K votes
Make Way for Tomorrow1937as Nellie Chase
IMDb rating 8.111K votes
The Merry Widow1934as Marcelle
IMDb rating 7.13.6K votes
Wild Boys of the Road1933as Aunt Carrie
IMDb rating 7.52.7K votes

Most often with

Thirteen actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Ward Bond

Myrna Loy

Thomas Mitchell

Beulah Bondi

Porter Hall

Spencer Charters

Films together

Ward Bond2 films together, 1931 to 1933
Ward Bond's page
- Wild Boys of the Road1933IMDb rating 7.5Gombell as Aunt CarrieBond as Red the Brakeman
- Sob Sister1931IMDb rating 6.7Gombell as VonnieBond as Ward, a Cop
Myrna Loy2 films together, 1934 to 1946
Myrna Loy's page
- The Best Years of Our Lives1946IMDb rating 8.1Gombell as Mrs. ParrishLoy as Milly Stephenson
- The Thin Man1934IMDb rating 7.9Gombell as MimiLoy as Nora
Thomas Mitchell2 films together, 1937 to 1939
Thomas Mitchell's page
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939IMDb rating 7.8Gombell as Queen of BeggarsMitchell as Clopin
- Make Way for Tomorrow1937IMDb rating 8.1Gombell as Nellie ChaseMitchell as George Cooper
Beulah Bondi2 films together, 1937 to 1948
Beulah Bondi's page
- The Snake Pit1948IMDb rating 7.5Gombell as Miss HartBondi as Mrs. Greer
- Make Way for Tomorrow1937IMDb rating 8.1Gombell as Nellie ChaseBondi as Lucy Cooper
Porter Hall2 films together, 1934 to 1937
Porter Hall's page
- Make Way for Tomorrow1937IMDb rating 8.1Gombell as Nellie ChaseHall as Harvey Chase
- The Thin Man1934IMDb rating 7.9Gombell as MimiHall as MacCaulay
Spencer Charters2 films together, 1937 to 1941
Spencer Charters's page
- High Sierra1941IMDb rating 7.5Gombell as Mrs. BaughmamCharters as Ed
- Wife, Doctor and Nurse1937IMDb rating 6.0Gombell as ConstanceCharters as Uncle
Also two films together7 more actors
- Sterling HollowayThe Merry Widow (1934) and Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
- Elisabeth RisdonHigh Sierra (1941) and Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
- Arthur HohlThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
- Ruth DonnellyThe Snake Pit (1948) and The Rainbow Trail (1932)
- Sarah PaddenBad Girl (1931) and Sob Sister (1931)
- Edward HearnThe Rainbow Trail (1932) and Bad Girl (1931)
- James DunnBad Girl (1931) and Sob Sister (1931)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Minna Gombell's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$39.5 million

6 of the 15 films have a worldwide figure.

6Worldwide figure
2US gross only
7Figure not found

Top grosser

The Best Years of Our Lives1946Mrs. Parrish$23.6 million

Highest grossing

The six biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Best Years of Our Lives1946as Mrs. Parrish
$24M59.8% of the total
2
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939as Queen of Beggars
$6.9M17.4% of the total
3
Boom Town1940as Spanish Eva
$5.0M12.6% of the total
4
High Sierra1941as Mrs. Baughmam
$1.5M3.8% of the total
5
The Thin Man1934as Mimi
$1.4M3.6% of the total
6
Bad Girl1931as Edna Driggs
$1.1M2.8% of the total