Loretta Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loretta Young
Studio portrait of Young, 1943
Born	Gretchen Young (1913-01-06)January 6, 1913 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died	August 12, 2000(2000-08-12) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Occupation	Actress television host
Years active	1917–1994
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Grant Withers ​ ​ (m. 1930; annul. 1931)​ Tom Lewis ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1969)​ Jean Louis ​ ​ (m. 1993; died 1997)​
Children	Christopher Peter
Relatives	Polly Ann Young (sister) Sally Blane (sister) Georgiana Young (maternal half-sister)

Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was a famous American actress. She started acting as a child and had a long career in movies from 1917 to 1953.

Loretta won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Farmer's Daughter (1947). She was also nominated for another Academy Award for her part in Come to the Stable (1949). Later, Young moved to television, where she hosted a popular show called The Loretta Young Show from 1953 to 1961. This show won three Emmy Awards. In the 1980s, she returned to TV and won a Golden Globe for her role in Christmas Eve in 1986.

Early Life and First Roles

Loretta Young was born Gretchen Young in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her parents were Gladys and John Earle Young. Her family had roots in Luxembourg. When she was three, her mother moved the family to Hollywood.

Gretchen and her sisters, Polly Ann and Sally Blane, all acted as children. Gretchen was the most successful. Her first role was at age two or three in the silent film Sweet Kitty Bellairs.

Later, a movie producer named John McCormick saw her talent. He signed her to a contract. His wife, actress Colleen Moore, gave her the name Loretta. She said it was the name of her favorite doll.

A Star's Journey: Early Films to TV Success

Starting in Movies (1919–1939)

Young in 1930

Loretta Young was first known as Gretchen Young in the silent film Sirens of the Sea (1917). She began using the name Loretta Young in 1928, in The Whip Woman. That same year, she acted with Lon Chaney in Laugh, Clown, Laugh. In 1929, she was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, which recognized promising young actresses.

In 1930, when she was 17, she married actor Grant Withers. Their marriage was ended the next year.

In 1934, she starred with Cary Grant in Born to be Bad. In 1935, she was in The Call of the Wild with Clark Gable.

Big Films of the 1940s

Young with Orson Welles in The Stranger (1946)

During World War II, Young made Ladies Courageous (1944). This movie told a story about the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. These brave women pilots flew bomber planes from factories to their destinations. Loretta Young often made many movies each year. Her films in the 1940s are some of her most famous.

In 1946, Young made The Stranger. In this film, she played a woman who marries a Nazi fugitive, played by Orson Welles. Welles praised Young, saying she was "wonderful" for supporting his artistic vision during filming.

In 1947, Young won an Oscar for her role in The Farmer's Daughter. For this political comedy, she learned a Swedish accent. That same year, she starred with Cary Grant and David Niven in The Bishop's Wife. This movie is still very popular today. In 1949, she received another Academy Award nomination for Come to the Stable. Her last movie for theaters was It Happens Every Thursday in 1953.

Television Career

From the trailer for Cause for Alarm! (1951)

Loretta Young hosted and starred in Letter to Loretta, a popular TV show. It was later renamed The Loretta Young Show. The show aired from 1953 to 1961. She won three Emmy awards for her work on it.

Her famous entrance was walking through a living room door in beautiful evening gowns. At the end of each show, she would share a short message from the Bible or a famous quote. This program was on NBC for eight years. It was the longest-running prime-time show hosted by a woman at that time.

The show was based on the idea that each story was an answer to a question from her fans. Loretta Young appeared as an actress in about half of the shows each season. She hosted the rest. The series was also re-run during the daytime and in syndication.

In 1962, Young starred in The New Loretta Young Show on CBS. She played a magazine writer and mother of seven children. This show lasted for one season.

Recognitions and Personal Life

Awards and Honors

Loretta Young (1934)

In 1988, Loretta Young received the Women in Film Crystal Award. This award honors women who have greatly helped expand the role of women in entertainment.

Loretta Young has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One is for her work in television, and the other is for her movies. In 2011, she also received a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California.

Family and Interests

Young in 1938

Loretta Young was married three times and had three children. Her first marriage was to actor Grant Withers in 1930, which ended the next year.

In 1940, Young married producer Tom Lewis. They had two sons: Peter Lewis, a musician, and Christopher Lewis, a film director. Young and Lewis divorced in 1969.

In 1993, Young married fashion designer Jean Louis. They were married until his death in 1997. Loretta Young was also the godmother to actress Marlo Thomas.

Loretta Young was a lifelong supporter of the Republican Party. She appeared in ads for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. She also supported Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in their presidential campaigns. She was an active member of the Hollywood Republican Committee.

Later Years and Legacy

After retiring from acting in the 1960s, Loretta Young spent her time volunteering for charities and churches. She was a devoted Catholic and worked with many Catholic charities.

She briefly returned to acting for two TV movies: Christmas Eve (1986) and Lady in a Corner (1989). She won a Golden Globe Award for Christmas Eve.

Loretta Young passed away from ovarian cancer on August 12, 2000. She was buried in the family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography

Young and David Niven in the film Eternally Yours (1939)

Radio Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Loretta Young para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations