Katherine DeMille facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katherine DeMille
DeMille on the cover of Cinegraf, 1936
Born	Katherine Paula Lester (1911-06-29)June 29, 1911 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died	April 27, 1995(1995-04-27) (aged 83) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Other names	Katherine Lester DeMille Katherine DeMille Quinn
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1930–1956
Spouse(s)	Anthony Quinn ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1965)​
Children	5
Parent(s)	Cecil B. DeMille Constance Adams DeMille
Relatives	Henry C. de Mille (grandfather) Beatrice deMille (grandmother) Richard de Mille (brother) William C. deMille (uncle) Agnes de Mille (cousin) Peggy George (cousin)

Katherine Lester DeMille (born Katherine Paula Lester; June 29, 1911 – April 27, 1995) was an American actress. She was born in Canada. She appeared in 25 movies from the mid-1930s to the late 1940s.

Katherine was the adopted daughter of famous director Cecil B. DeMille. Many people in Hollywood saw her as a very important person. She was known for her striking dark looks. Her first major movie role was in Viva Villa! (1934). She later signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. She played Princess Alice of France in her father's big movie The Crusades (1935). She also starred in The Sky Parade (1936).

DeMille continued acting at 20th Century Fox and other studios. In 1941, she took a break from movies. She wanted to spend more time with her family. She returned to acting later in films like Black Gold and Unconquered (both 1947). Her last movie was The Judge in 1949. Her father once wrote that she "carried the name deMille on for another generation." He said she was a very talented actress.

Early Life and Family

Katherine Paula Lester was born on June 29, 1911. Her birthplace was Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her biological father, Edward Gabriel Lester, was a schoolteacher. He served in World War I and died in 1917. Her birth mother, Cecile Bianca Bertha Colani, passed away in Los Angeles.

When Katherine was eight years old, she was living in an orphanage. Constance Adams DeMille, the wife of director Cecil B. DeMille, found her there. The DeMilles adopted Katherine in 1922. She became their third child.

Katherine DeMille's Acting Career

Katherine DeMille started her acting journey on stage in 1930. She worked as an understudy in a play called Rebound in San Francisco. She wanted to make her own way in acting. She sometimes used the stage name "Kay Marsh" when she worked as an extra.

Her first credited movie role was Rosita Morales. She played the wife of Wallace Beery's character, Pancho Villa. This was in the 1934 MGM film Viva Villa!.

Paramount Pictures: Early Film Roles

Katherine played a maid named Lupe in The Trumpet Blows (1934). Her performance helped her get a contract with Paramount Pictures. Next, she was Molly Bryant in Belle of the Nineties (1934). She played a rival to Mae West's character.

In 1935, she had a role in All the King's Horses. She also worked for other studios. She was loaned to Columbia Pictures for The Black Room (1935). She also went to 20th Century Fox for Call of the Wild (1935).

DeMille in the trailer for The Crusades (1935)

Her father, Cecil B. DeMille, gave her a special role. She played Princess Alice of France in The Crusades (1935). Critics praised her performance in the film. Hollywood magazine said she was "splendid as the jilted Princess Alice."

Paramount then gave her two more main roles. She played Molly Dunn in the Western Drift Fence (1936). She was also a parachutist in the aviation drama The Sky Parade (1936). She then returned to MGM for an uncredited role. She played Rosaline in the 1936 film Romeo and Juliet.

20th Century Fox and Later Films

In the mid-1930s, Katherine signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. She played Margarita in Ramona (1936). This film was a Technicolor version of a famous novel. She also played Barbara Stanwyck's rival in Banjo on My Knee (1936). She had the main female role in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937).

She played an antagonist in The Californian (1937). She also had a smaller part in Love Under Fire (1937). She then went to Columbia Pictures. There, she co-starred with Jack Holt in Under Suspicion (1937).

She had a small role in Blockade (1938). This was a drama about the Spanish Civil War. Back at Columbia, she was the leading lady in another Jack Holt movie, Trapped in the Sky (1939).

DeMille in the film Isle of Destiny (1940)

Katherine also played supporting roles in several other films. These included In Old Caliente (1939) with Roy Rogers. She was in the adventure film Isle of Destiny (1940). She also appeared in the mystery films Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) and Dark Streets of Cairo (1940). Her last film before a break was Aloma of the South Seas (1941). After this, she retired from movies for a while. She wanted to focus on raising her children and her family.

Return to Film: Final Roles

After six years, Katherine DeMille returned to acting. She co-starred with her husband, Anthony Quinn, for the first time. This was in the drama Black Gold (1947). Critics praised her performance in this film. They said she did "splendid work" as Quinn's wife.

Her father cast her in a supporting role in his big movie Unconquered (1947). This film starred Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard. Katherine played Hannah, a Native American woman. Critics noted her "sullen and tragic" portrayal.

Her last credited role was Lucille Strang in The Judge (1949). This was a film noir where she played the wife of Milburn Stone's character. Reviewers complimented her acting, saying she contributed "excellent acting."

Personal Life and Family

Katherine DeMille married actor Anthony Quinn on October 2, 1937. Their wedding was in Beverly Hills. They had five children together. Their names were Christopher (born 1939), Christina (born 1941), Catalina (born 1942), Duncan (born 1945), and Valentina (born 1952). Sadly, their first child, Christopher, passed away at age two. He was found in a lily pond.

Katherine became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1938.

In 1953, Katherine accepted an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for her husband. He was not at the ceremony. At the same event, her father received an Academy Award for his film The Greatest Show on Earth.

Katherine and Anthony Quinn divorced on January 21, 1965. Quinn filed for divorce in Mexico, stating "incompatibility" as the reason. Katherine kept her married name after the divorce. Her brother, Richard de Mille, said Katherine was always in love with Quinn.

Later Years and Passing

Around 1988, Katherine DeMille moved from Pacific Palisades. She went to Tucson, Arizona, to live with one of her daughters and grandchildren. She passed away on April 27, 1995, at the age of 83. She had Alzheimer's disease.

Filmography