Ann Sheridan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ann Sheridan
Sheridan in 1934
Born	Clara Lou Sheridan (1915-02-21)February 21, 1915 Denton, Texas, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1967(1967-01-21) (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1934–1967
Spouse(s)	Edward Norris ​ ​ (m. 1936; div. 1938)​ George Brent ​ ​ (m. 1942; div. 1943)​ Scott McKay ​ ​ (m. 1966)​

Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was a famous American actress and singer. She was known for her strong personality and beautiful looks. Ann starred in many popular films during the 1930s and 1940s.

Some of her most famous movies include Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, They Drive by Night (1940), and Kings Row (1942) with Ronald Reagan. She was a big star for Warner Bros. and later worked as a freelance actress.

Ann's Early Life

Clara Lou Sheridan was born in Denton, Texas, on February 21, 1915. She was the youngest of five children. Her father, George W. Sheridan, was a garage mechanic.

Ann loved acting in plays at Denton High School and at North Texas State Teachers College. She also sang with the college band and played basketball. In 1933, her sister Kitty entered Ann's photo in a beauty contest. Ann won a small role in an upcoming movie called Search for Beauty.

Ann's Acting Career

Starting in Hollywood

After her first movie in 1934, Paramount Pictures signed 19-year-old Ann to a contract. For the next two years, she mostly played small, uncredited roles. She appeared in many films, often without her name in the credits.

During this time, Ann worked with a drama coach and performed in plays at the studio. While acting in a play called The Milky Way, Paramount decided to change her first name from Clara Lou to Ann, like her character in the play.

Ann got her first main role in Car 99 (1935). She later said it wasn't much acting, just playing the lead. She also had a supporting role in the Western film Rocky Mountain Mystery (1935). After a few more small parts, Paramount did not renew her contract. Ann then signed with Warner Bros. in 1936.

Becoming a Star at Warner Bros.

Ann's career really took off at Warner Bros. She started getting better roles. Her early films there included Black Legion (1937) and The Great O'Malley (1937), both with Humphrey Bogart. She even sang for the first time in a movie in San Quentin (1937).

She then moved into lead roles in "B movies" (films made with smaller budgets). These included The Footloose Heiress (1937) and Alcatraz Island (1937).

Ann's performance in Letter of Introduction (1938) impressed Warner Bros. This led to bigger roles in more important films. One of these was Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), where she played James Cagney's love interest. This movie was a huge success and was praised by critics.

Ann continued to star in successful films. She was in They Made Me a Criminal (1938) with John Garfield. She also played a saloon owner in the Western Dodge City (1939) with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. This film was also very popular.

Ann's Peak Years

Magazine ad for The Doughgirls (1944)

Ann became a top star. She starred in Indianapolis Speedway (1939) and The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939) with Ronald Reagan. Her first true starring role was in the musical comedy It All Came True (1940). In this movie, she sang the song "Angel in Disguise".

She reunited with James Cagney in Torrid Zone (1940). She also starred with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in They Drive by Night (1940), a very successful trucking drama.

Sheridan in 1950

Ann made two lighter films: Navy Blues (1941) and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) with Bette Davis. Then came Kings Row (1942), one of her most famous movies. She received top billing, starring alongside Ronald Reagan. This film was a major hit.

Ann and Ronald Reagan worked together again in Juke Girl (1942). She also appeared in the war film Wings for the Eagle (1942) and the comedy George Washington Slept Here (1943). She played a brave Norwegian resistance fighter in Edge of Darkness (1943) with Errol Flynn.

In 1943, a book called Ann Sheridan and the Sign of the Sphinx was published. It was a fictional adventure story for young teens, similar to the Nancy Drew books.

Ann starred in the musical Shine On, Harvest Moon (1944). She also appeared in the comedy The Doughgirls (1944).

Ann took a break from movies for over a year to tour with the USO. She performed for troops in places as far away as China. She returned to films with One More Tomorrow (1946). She then had great roles in the film noir Nora Prentiss (1947) and The Unfaithful (1948). She also starred in the Western Silver River (1948) with Errol Flynn.

After these films, Ann left Warner Bros. because she wasn't happy with the movie roles they were offering her.

Later Career

Ann's role in I Was a Male War Bride (1949), directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, was another big success. In 1950, she appeared on the ABC television show Stop the Music.

She made the comedy Stella (1950). Ann also co-produced and starred in the film noir Woman on the Run (1950).

She then signed a contract with Universal Studios. There, she made films like Steel Town (1952) and Take Me to Town (1953).

Ann Sheridan in Wagon Train in 1962

Ann Sheridan in Pistols 'n' Petticoats

Ann starred with Glenn Ford in Appointment in Honduras (1953). She was also one of several stars in the MGM film The Opposite Sex (1956). Her last film, Woman and the Hunter (1957), was filmed in Africa.

In the late 1950s, Ann performed in stage plays. She acted with Scott McKay, whom she later married. In 1962, she played a lead role in an episode of the Western TV series Wagon Train.

In the mid-1960s, Ann appeared on the NBC soap opera Another World. Her final role was as Henrietta Hanks in the TV comedy Western series Pistols 'n' Petticoats. She filmed this show while she was becoming very ill. The last episode she appeared in aired on the same day she passed away in 1967.

Ann Sheridan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7024 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to movies.

Ann's Personal Life

Ann Sheridan married actor Edward Norris in 1936. They divorced in 1939. On January 5, 1942, she married fellow Warner Bros. star George Brent. They divorced exactly one year later.

After her divorce from Brent, she had a long relationship with publicist Steve Hannagan until he passed away in 1953. Hannagan left Ann a large sum of money. On June 5, 1966, she married actor Scott McKay. He was with her when she died seven months later.

Ann's Passing

In 1966, Ann Sheridan began starring in the TV series Pistols 'n' Petticoats. She became ill during filming. Ann passed away at age 51 on January 21, 1967, in Los Angeles. She died from esophageal cancer that had spread to her liver. Her ashes were later placed in a niche at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2005.

Filmography

Radio Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Ann Sheridan para niños