Anita Louise

Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935), Anthony Adverse (1936), Marie Antoinette (1938), and The Little Princess (1939). She was named as a WAMPAS Baby Star.

Anita Louise
Louise in 1931
Born
Anita Louise Fremault

(1915-01-09)January 9, 1915
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 25, 1970(1970-04-25) (aged 55)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Other namesAnita Fremault
OccupationActress
Years active1921–1970
Spouses
(m. 1940; died 1960)
    Henry Berger
    (m. 1962)
    Children2

    Louise had delicate features and blonde hair, with ageless grace, which saw her through 30 years in film, beginning as a child actress before becoming a featured player during Hollywood's Golden Age.

    Life and career

    Louise was born on January 9, 1915, in New York City,[1] the daughter of Louis Fremault and Ann Fremault.[2]

    She attended the Professional Children's School.[3] She made her acting debut on Broadway at the age of seven, in Peter Ibbetson.[4] Within a year, she was appearing regularly in Hollywood films. By her late teens, she was cast in leading and supporting roles in major productions and was highly regarded for her delicate features and blonde hair.

    At age seven, Louise appeared in the film Down to the Sea in Ships (1922).[5] She made her first credited screen debut at the age of nine in the film The Sixth Commandment (1924). In 1929, Louise dropped her surname, billing herself only by first and second names.

    As her stature in Hollywood grew, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star. Her reputation was enhanced by her role as Hollywood society hostess, with her parties attended by the elite of Hollywood and widely and regularly reported in the news media.

    Louise in Call It a Day (1937)

    Among her film successes were Just Like Heaven, Madame Du Barry (1934), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935), Anthony Adverse (1936), Marie Antoinette (1938), The Sisters (1938), and The Little Princess (1939).

    By the 1940s, she was reduced to mostly secondary roles, and her film career started to slow. Some of her films during this time are Casanova Brown (1944), Nine Girls (1944), The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946), Blondie's Big Moment (1947), and Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1947). Her last appearance in movies was in the 1952 war film Retreat, Hell!. Louise was reduced to minor roles and acted very infrequently until the advent of television in the 1950s provided her with further opportunities. In middle age, she played one of her more widely seen roles as the gentle mother Nell McLaughlin in the television series My Friend Flicka from 1956 to 1957, with co-stars Johnny Washbrook, Gene Evans, and Frank Ferguson.[6] Louise was also the substitute host of The Loretta Young Show (1953) when Loretta Young was recuperating from surgery. In 1957, she was host of Theater Time on ABC-TV.[6]:1068 Other shows Anita hosted include The United States Steel Hour (1962) and Playhouse 90 (1957). Her last television appearance was in a 1970 episode of the Mod Squad.

    Personal life and death

    Louise virtually retired after My Friend Flicka, which was rebroadcast thereafter for a generation. Her husband, film producer Buddy Adler, whom she married on May 18, 1940,[4] died in 1960.[1] They had two children. She married Henry Berger in 1962. Louise died of a stroke on April 25, 1970, in Los Angeles, California. She was buried next to Adler at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[7] She was 55 years old.

    Louise has a star at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her contribution to films.[8]

    A Republican, she supported Dwight Eisenhower's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[9]

    Filmography

    Film

    Louise in The Little Princess (1939)
    Anita Louise in The Gorilla (1939)
    Louise with Roger Pryor in Glamour for Sale (1940)
    Year Title Role Notes
    1922 Down to the Sea in Ships Uncredited
    1924 The Sixth Commandment
    1924 Lend Me Your Husband
    1925 The Street of Forgotten Men Flower Girl Uncredited
    1926 The Untamed Lady
    1927 The Music Master
    1927 Memories Short
    1928 4 Devils Louise
    1928 A Woman of Affairs Diana as a Child Uncredited
    1929 The Spirit of Youth Toodles Ewing
    1929 Square Shoulders Mary Jane Williams
    1929 Wonder of Women Lottie
    1929 The Marriage Playground Blanca Wheater
    1930 The Florodora Girl Vibart Child
    1930 What a Man Marion Kilbourne
    1930 Just Like Heaven Mimi Martell
    1930 The Third Alarm Milly Morton
    1931 The Great Meadow Betty Hall
    1931 Millie Constance 'Connie' Maitland
    1931 Everything's Rosie Rosie Droop
    1931 The Woman Between Helen Weston
    1931 Heaven On Earth Towhead
    1932 The Phantom of Crestwood Esther Wren
    1933 Our Betters Elizabeth 'Bessie' Saunders
    1934 The Most Precious Thing in Life Patty O'Day
    1934 Are We Civilized? Norma Bockner
    1934 Madame DuBarry Marie Antoinette
    1934 Cross Streets Clara Grattan
    1934 I Give My Love Lorna March
    1934 Judge Priest Ellie May Gillespie
    1934 The Firebird Mariette Pointer
    1934 Bachelor of Arts Mimi Smith
    1935 Lady Tubbs Wynne Howard
    1935 Here's to Romance Lydia Lubov
    1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania, Queen of the Fairies
    1935 Personal Maid's Secret Diana Abercrombie
    1936 The Story of Louis Pasteur Annette Pasteur
    1936 Brides Are Like That Hazel Robinson
    1936 Anthony Adverse Maria
    1937 Green Light Phyllis Dexter
    1937 Call It a Day Joan Collett, the maid
    1937 The Go Getter Margaret Ricks
    1937 That Certain Woman Florence 'Flip' Carson Merrick
    1937 First Lady Emmy Page
    1937 Tovarich Helene Dupont
    1938 My Bill Muriel Colbrook
    1938 Marie Antoinette Princesse de Lamballe
    1938 The Sisters Helen Elliot Johnson
    1938 Going Places Ellen Parker
    1939 The Little Princess Rose Hamilton
    1939 The Gorilla Norma Denby
    1939 These Glamour Girls Daphne 'Daph' Graves
    1939 Hero for a Day Sylvia Higgins
    1939 Main Street Lawyer Honey Boggs
    1939 Reno Mrs. Joanne Ryder
    1940 Wagons Westward Phyllis O'Conover
    1940 Glamour for Sale Ann Powell
    1940 The Villain Still Pursued Her Mary Wilson
    1941 The Phantom Submarine Madeline Neilson
    1941 Two in a Taxi Bonnie
    1941 Harmon of Michigan Peggy Adams
    1943 Dangerous Blondes Julie Taylor
    1944 Nine Girls Paula Canfield
    1944 Casanova Brown Madge Ferris
    1945 Love Letters Helen Wentworth
    1946 The Fighting Guardsman Amelie de Montrevel
    1946 The Bandit of Sherwood Forest Lady Catherine Maitland
    1946 The Devil's Mask Janet Mitchell
    1946 Personality Kid Laura Howard
    1946 Shadowed Carol Johnson
    1947 Blondie's Big Moment Miss Gary
    1947 Bulldog Drummond at Bay Doris Hamilton
    1952 Retreat, Hell! Ruth Hansen

    Television

    Year Title Role Notes
    1950 Stars Over Hollywood Episode: "Landing at Daybreak"
    1952 Footlights Theater 1 episodes
    1952–1955 The Ford Television Theatre Mother / Marie McCoy / Mrs. Lindsey 3 episodes
    1953 Your Favorite Story Julia Episode: "The Magician"
    1955 Lux Video Theatre Beatrice Page Episode: "Forever Female"
    1956 My Friend Flicka Nell McLaughlin 39 episodes
    1956 Ethel Barrymore Theatre Episode: "Dear Miss Lovelace"
    1957 The Millionaire Nancy Wellington Episode: "The Nancy Wellington Story"
    1957 Playhouse 90 Mabel Seymour Greer Episode: "The Greer Case"
    1957 Letter to Loretta Laura Episode: "Power Play"
    1962 The United States Steel Hour Mrs. McCabe Episode: "Far from the Shade Tree"
    1969 Mannix Althea Greene Episode: "Missing: Sun and Sky"
    1970 The Mod Squad Grace Cochran Episode: "Call Back Yesterday", (final appearance)

    References

    1. "Anita Louise". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
    2. Brundidge, Harry T. (March 5, 1937). "Hollywood's Most Beautiful Actress". St. Louis Star-Times. p. 16. Retrieved July 24, 2018 via Newspapers.com.
    3. Adams, Marjory (May 23, 1946). "Movie Question Box". The Boston Globe. p. 20. Retrieved July 23, 2018 via Newspapers.com.
    4. "Anita Louise In Coloroto". New York Daily News. November 2, 1941. p. 39C. Retrieved July 24, 2018 via Newspapers.com.
    5. Monush, Barry (2003). Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the silent era to 1965. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 438–439. ISBN 978-1-5578-3551-2. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
    6. Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 730. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
    7. Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2. McFarland & Company (2016) ISBN 0786479922
    8. "Anita Louise". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
    9. Motion Picture and Television Magazine. November 1952. Page 34.
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