Glenda Farrell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glenda Farrell
Publicity photo of Farrell in 1938
Born	(1904-06-30)June 30, 1904 Enid, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	May 1, 1971(1971-05-01) (aged 66) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	West Point Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1928–1970
Spouse(s)	Thomas Richards ​ ​ (m. 1921; div. 1929)​ Dr. Henry Ross ​ (m. 1941)​
Children	Tommy Farrell

Glenda Farrell (born June 30, 1904 – died May 1, 1971) was an American actress. She was known for playing smart, sassy, and quick-witted blonde characters in classic Hollywood movies. Glenda Farrell's career lasted over 50 years. She appeared in many Broadway plays, films, and television shows. In 1963, she won an Emmy Award for her role as Martha Morrison in the TV drama Ben Casey.

Farrell started acting on stage as a child. She continued performing in plays and on Broadway before signing with Warner Bros. In the 1930s, she became a well-known Warner Bros. star. She appeared in films like Little Caesar (1931) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932). Starting with Smart Blonde (1937), Farrell played Torchy Blane, a brave female reporter. This role later inspired Lois Lane, a famous character from DC Comics. After leaving Warner Bros. in 1939, Farrell kept acting in movies, TV, and theatre for the rest of her career.

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Glenda Farrell was born in Enid, Oklahoma. Her father, Charles Farrell, traded horses. Her mother, Wilhelmina "Minnie," strongly supported Glenda's acting dreams. Glenda had two brothers, Dick and Gene.

When her family moved to Wichita, Kansas, Glenda started acting on stage at age seven. Her first role was Little Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her mother had always wanted to be an actress, so she encouraged Glenda. Later, in San Diego, California, a teenage Glenda joined a theatre group. She even made the honor roll in Motion Picture Magazine's "Fame and Fortune Contest" in 1919. Her picture and story were in the magazine, mentioning her experience in chorus lines and vaudeville shows. Glenda also attended Mount Carmel Catholic Academy.

A Star on Stage and Screen

Early Roles and Big Breaks (1928–1939)

In 1928, Glenda Farrell got her first main role in the play The Spider. She also made her film debut in a small part in Lucky Boy. In 1929, she moved to New York City and joined the Broadway play Skidding. She played the role 355 times! Farrell appeared in other plays, including Love, Honor and Betray with famous actors like Clark Gable.

In 1930, she starred in the short comedy film The Lucky Break. That same year, she got her first major film role as Olga Stassoff in the gangster movie Little Caesar. She starred alongside Edward G. Robinson. After this, she returned to Broadway. Farrell believed that theatre was the true foundation for actors, even though movies offered bigger salaries.

In 1932, Farrell starred in the Broadway hit play Life Begins. She played Florette Darien, a tough chorus girl, and received great reviews. Warner Bros. then asked her to play the same role in their film version of Life Begins. They also offered her a seven-year contract. She wouldn't return to the stage until 1939.

Farrell in Hollywood Hotel (1937)

In her first five years with Warner Bros., Farrell appeared in over 30 films. Sometimes, she worked on three movies at once! She starred in Oscar-nominated films like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) and Lady for a Day (1933). She also appeared in musicals and comedies.

Farrell was good friends with fellow Warner Bros. actress Joan Blondell. They often worked together as a comedy team in the early 1930s. They appeared in nine films together, including Havana Widows (1933) and We're in the Money (1935).

Farrell and Barton MacLane as Torchy Blane and Steve McBride

In 1937, Farrell began playing Torchy Blane, a quick-witted newspaper reporter. Warner Bros. wanted to make a movie based on detective stories. They changed a male character into a female reporter named "Torchy." Glenda Farrell was perfect for the role because she had already played tough reporters. She was cast with Barton MacLane as detective Steve McBride in the first film, Smart Blonde (1937).

Smart Blonde was a surprise hit! Farrell played Torchy in seven more films between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy series made her even more popular. She received lots of fan mail. Farrell based her Torchy character on real-life female journalists. She said in a 1969 interview that she wanted to create a "real human being" who was "young, intelligent, refined, and attractive."

Besides the Torchy Blane series, Farrell appeared in other films like Exposed (1938). She also performed on radio shows.

Farrell in the 1938 film Exposed with Charles D. Brown

In 1937, Farrell was even elected as the honorary mayor of North Hollywood! She beat Bing Crosby and Lewis Stone. Even though it started as a publicity stunt, Farrell took the job seriously. She attended events and helped with community projects, like planning sewers for Ventura Highway.

In 1939, Farrell left Warner Bros. She felt she was being cast in the same type of roles, and the studio didn't give her a promised pay raise. She also wanted to return to theatre. She later said that working in plays was more satisfying because of the audience's immediate reaction.

Television, Stage, and Later Films (1939–1969)

Farrell in 1962 with Chill Wills in the television series Frontier Circus

After leaving Warner Bros., Farrell starred in the play Anna Christie in 1939. She then had a long run in the Broadway play Separate Rooms from 1940 to 1941.

Farrell returned to movies in 1941 with Johnny Eager. She continued to appear in many films throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. These included the Oscar-nominated film The Talk of the Town (1942) and the Western Apache War Smoke (1952). In 1959, she starred in Middle of the Night with Fredric March. She even acted with her son, Tommy Farrell, in two comedy films in 1964: Kissin' Cousins with Elvis Presley and The Disorderly Orderly with Jerry Lewis.

Farrell made her television debut in 1949. She appeared in over 40 TV shows between 1950 and 1969, including Bonanza and Bewitched. In 1963, she guest-starred in the medical drama Ben Casey. For her performance in the two-part episode "A Cardinal Act of Mercy," she won a Primetime Emmy Award.

Farrell briefly retired in 1968 but soon decided to act again. Her final role was in the Broadway play Forty Carats. She had to leave the play a few months later due to illness. She was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Personal Life

Farrell and her husband Dr. Henry Ross in 1942

In 1920, Glenda Farrell met her first husband, Thomas Richards, at a Navy benefit ball. They were married from 1921 to 1929. Their son, actor Tommy Farrell, was born in 1921.

In 1941, Farrell married Dr. Henry Ross, an Army flight surgeon. They met when Farrell sprained her ankle during a play, and Ross treated her backstage. Ross was a surgeon at a New York hospital and a graduate of West Point. He later worked on General Eisenhower's staff. Farrell and Ross were married for 30 years until her death. Throughout her life, Glenda Farrell was a devoted Catholic.

Death and Legacy

Glenda Farrell passed away from lung cancer in 1971 at age 66, at her home in New York City. She was buried in the West Point Cemetery in West Point, New York. Her husband, Dr. Henry Ross, who never remarried, was buried with her when he died in 1991.

Comic book writer Jerry Siegel said that Glenda Farrell's portrayal of Torchy Blane inspired the character of Lois Lane, the reporter and love interest of Superman. Siegel even named another character, June Farrell, after her.

On February 8, 1960, Glenda Farrell received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to movies. It is located at 6524 Hollywood Boulevard.

Writer and director Garson Kanin once said that Glenda Farrell created a special type of character: "that made-tough, uncompromising, knowing, wisecracking, undefeatable blonde." He noted that she was often copied by other actresses.

In 1977, Glenda's husband, Dr. Henry Ross, donated 38 acres of land to the Putnam County Land Trust. This land became the Glenda Farrell–Henry Ross Preserve, a natural area.

Films

Television

See also

In Spanish: Glenda Farrell para niños