Josephine Whittell

Josephine Whittell (born Josephine Cunningham, November 30, 1883 – June 1, 1961) was an American character actress of the silent and sound film eras.

Josephine Whittell
Josephine Whittell
Born
Josephine Cunningham

(1883-11-30)November 30, 1883
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedJune 1, 1961(1961-06-01) (aged 77)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1916–1959
Spouse(s)Robert Warwick
(m. 1910; div. 19??)
Josephine Whittell, from a 1916 publication.

Early years

Whittell was born on November 30, 1883, in San Francisco, California,[1] Her father was Charles W. Cunningham.[2]

Career

Early in her career, Whittell performed as a chorus girl in Anna Held's theatrical company.[3]

Whittell began her film career during the silent era, debuting in a featured role in 1917's Alimony.[4] She appeared in four silent films between 1917 and 1921, before taking a hiatus from the film industry.[5] In 1931 Whittell returned to films, with supporting roles in two Wheeler and Woolsey comedies, Caught Plastered and Peach O'Reno.[6][7] During her 43-year career, she appeared in more than 70 films.[5] In the early 1930s, she appeared frequently as the older seductress in films, prior to the enactment of the film code in the mid-1930s.[8]

Over her career Whittell appeared in many notable films, either in supporting or small roles. Some of those films include: Stage Door (1938), starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Adolphe Menjou;[9] 1939's The Women, with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell;[10] the 1945 version of State Fair, starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews;[11] King Vidor's The Fountainhead, the film version of the Ayn Rand novel of the same name, starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal;[12] the musical, In the Good Old Summertime, with Judy Garland and Van Johnson;[13] George Stevens' A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters;[14] the Cecil B. De Mille epic, The Greatest Show on Earth;[15] and the classic 1954 version of A Star is Born, directed by George Cukor, and starring Garland and James Mason.[16]

She remained active in films till very late in life, making her last appearance in 1959's The Buccaneer, directed by Anthony Quinn (his only directing credit), and starring Yul Brynner, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer, and Inger Stevens.[17]

Personal life

In May 1904, Josephine Cunningham's purported engagement to George Whittell Jr. was a subject of dispute. She and her mother said that a diamond ring was evidence of the engagement. Meanwhile, George Whittell Sr. denied any engagement.[3] On June 2, 1904, they were married in Jersey City, New Jersey.[18] Whittell married actor Robert Warwick in 1910. When she acted on stage and he worked in films, they lived in New York and California, respectively, and visited each other occasionally.[19]

Death

On June 1, 1961, Whittell died in Hollywood, California, at age 77.[1] She was cremated and interred in Chapel Of The Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.[20]

Filmography

(Per AFI database)[5]

References
  1. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  2. "Daughter here for death quiz". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. March 4, 1934. p. 9. Retrieved April 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Mrs. Cunningham Declares Her Daughter Will Marry George Whittell, Jr.; His Father Denies It". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. May 12, 1904. p. 4. Retrieved April 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Josephine Whittell Is Screen Player". Motography. XVIII (26): 1354. December 29, 1917. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  5. "Josephine Whittell". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  6. "Caught Plastered". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  7. "Peach-O-Reno". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  8. "Josephine Whittell, About This Person". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  9. "Stage Door". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  10. "The Women". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  11. "State Fair". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  12. "The Fountainhead". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  13. "In the Good Old Summertime". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  14. "A Place in the Sun". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  15. "The Greatest Show on Earth". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  16. "A Star is Born". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  17. "The Buccaneer". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 2, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  18. "Actress asks divorce from capitalist's son". San Francisco Call. California, San Francisco. March 18, 1906. p. 43. Retrieved April 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Josephine Whittell has a great love for dogs". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. December 21, 1919. p. 38. Retrieved April 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Josephine Whittell". Find a Grave. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
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