Olympe Bradna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olympe Bradna
Olympe Bradna in 1936, when she broke into film with Paramount Pictures
Born	Antoinette Olympe Bradna (1920-08-12)12 August 1920 Paris, France
Died	5 November 2012(2012-11-05) (aged 92) Lodi, California, U.S.
Resting place	Stockton Rural Cemetery
Occupation	Dancer, actress
Years active	1921–1941
Spouse(s)	Douglass Woods Wilhoit, Sr. (1941-2012) (his death) (3 children)
Relatives	Ella Bradna (aunt)

Antoinette Olympe Bradna (born August 12, 1920 – died November 5, 2012) was a talented dancer and actress from France. She moved to the United States and lived there for the rest of her life.

Olympe's Early Life

Olympe Bradna was born in a very unusual place: a dressing room at the Olympic Theatre in Paris, France! Her full name was Antoinette Olympe Bradna. Her father, Joseph Bradna, was from Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). Her mother, Jana Bradna, was from Austria.

Olympe's parents were famous circus performers. Her aunt, Ella Bradna, was also a circus star who rode horses. Olympe started performing at a very young age. A newspaper once said she was on stage with trained dogs in France when she was only 18 months old!

A Talented Dancer

Olympe began performing with her parents when she was just 18 months old. Her parents were known worldwide for their bareback riding skills. By the time Olympe was 8 years old, she was so good that agents wanted to book her as a solo act.

Her parents traveled with her as she danced in many countries. These included Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France. She performed an "acrobatic dance" in the Paris show Hit the Deck.

Later, Olympe joined the famous Folies Bergère dance group. She performed with them for eight months. After that, she danced at the French Casino in New York City for another eight months. She danced in major cities around the world, including Stockholm and New York City.

Becoming a Film Star

Bradna with director James P. Hogan on the set of The Last Train from Madrid (1937).

Olympe started her film career in France. Then, in 1934, she moved to Hollywood, California. This is where she became very successful. She signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures.

In 1935, Paramount named her as one of seven young women who might become future movie stars. Her first movie was Three Cheers for Love in 1936. She also appeared in College Holiday that same year. Olympe later moved from musicals to more serious movies. She had roles in films like The Last Train from Madrid and Souls at Sea.

During her career, Olympe appeared in more than a dozen films. She acted alongside famous stars such as Ronald Reagan, George Raft, and Gary Cooper.

Retirement and Later Life

In May 1941, Olympe married Douglas Woods Wilhoit. After getting married, she decided to stop acting. For many years, Olympe and her family lived in Stockton, California. They later settled in Lodi, California.

Olympe and Douglas had three children. They also had five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. They were married for over 70 years! Douglas passed away in February 2012. Olympe died nine months later, on November 5, 2012, at the age of 92. She was survived by her son, two daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Filmography