Gwili Andre
| Gwili Andre | |
|---|---|
 Andre in 1932 | |
| Born |
Gurli Andresen 4 February 1908 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died |
5 February 1959 (aged 51) Venice, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Injuries sustained in house fire |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Other names |
Gwili Mlotkowski Gwili A. Cross |
| Occupation | Model, actress |
| Years active | 1932–1942 |
| Spouse(s) |
Stanisŀaw Mlotkowski (m. 1929; div. 1935) William Dallas Cross, Jr. (m. 1940; div. 1948) |
| Children | 1 |
Gwili Andre (4 February 1908 – 5 February 1959) was a Danish model and actress who had a brief career in Hollywood films. (Another source gives her birth date as 4 February 1907.)[1]
Career
Born Gurli Andresen in Copenhagen, she had two sisters. Her father was an artist.[1]
Andre came to Hollywood in the early 1930s with the intention of establishing herself as a film star after working as model in Europe. In 1930, she moved to New York City with her first husband where she was reportedly spotted by David O. Selznick at the premiere of a Broadway show. Selznick was taken by her beauty and arranged for a screen test.[2]
She was signed to RKO Studio and, in the 1932, appeared in Roar of the Dragon and Secrets of the French Police. While her striking looks were likened to that of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, her acting garnered poor reviews. One newspaper columnist called her "stiff, colorless and completely talentless performer." Despite the poor reviews of her acting, RKO began using her glamorous looks to promote her career.[3] A widespread publicity campaign ensured that her name and face became well known to the American public, but her next role in No Other Woman (1933), opposite Irene Dunne, was not the success the studio expected. Over the next few years she was relegated to supporting roles which included a role in the Joan Crawford picture A Woman's Face (1941).
Personal life
Andre was married twice. She was married to realtor Stanisław Mlotkowski in 1929. They separated in 1930, and divorced in 1935.[4] Andre then married engineer William Dallas Cross, Jr. in 1943.[2] They had a son, Peter Lance Cross, in February 1944. They divorced in 1948.[3]
Later years and death
By the early 1940s, Andre's film career had come to a stand still. Her final role was a minor part in one of the popular Falcon series, The Falcon's Brother in 1942. She did not return to the screen, although she spent the rest of her life trying to orchestrate a comeback. Andre returned to her native Denmark with her son after her divorce from William Cross, Jr. but returned to New York City in 1954. She eventually moved back to California. On 5 February 1959, the day after her 51st birthday, she died in a fire that started in her Venice, California apartment[5] where she lived alone. The cause of the fire was never determined.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Roar of the Dragon | Natascha | |
| 1932 | Secrets of the French Police | Eugenie Dorain | |
| 1933 | No Other Woman | Margot | |
| 1937 | Meet the Boyfriend | Vilma Vlare | |
| 1937 | The Girl Said No | Gretchen Holman | |
| 1941 | A Woman's Face | Gusta | |
| 1942 | The Falcon's Brother | Diane Medford | |
References
- 1 2 Wagner, Laura (Summer 2014). "Gwili Andre: An Ideal Model". Films of the Golden Age (77): 63–64.
- 1 2 Wollstein, Hans J. (1994). Strangers in Hollywood: The History of Scandinavian Actors in American Films From 1910 To World War II. Scarecrow Press. pp. 18–20. ISBN 0-810-82938-X.
- 1 2 3 "The Private Life and Times of Gwili Andre". glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ "Reno Divorce Lists for '35 Show Gains Over Year Ago". California, Oakland. Oakland Tribune. April 23, 1935. p. 18. Retrieved January 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Once a Top Model". Missouri, Kansas City. The Kansas City Times. February 7, 1959. p. 20. Retrieved January 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Gwili Andre at the Internet Movie Database
- Gwili Andre Article at Bellaonline.com
- Gwili Andre at the TCM Movie Database
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