Gladys Gale

Gladys Gale (January 15, 1891 – October 4, 1948) was an American nightclub singer and vaudeville performer, before becoming a character actress in films during the 1930s and 1940s. The wife of a millionaire, she led a checkered life before dying under mysterious circumstances in a Los Angeles hotel room under an assumed name.

Gladys Gale
Screen capture of Gale with Moe Howard in the 1938 film short, Violent is the Word for Curly.
Born
Gladys Lanphere

(1891-01-15)January 15, 1891
Monmouth, Illinois, United States
DiedOctober 4, 1948(1948-10-04) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, United States
OccupationActress
Years active1927–1946
SpousePark Benjamin

Life and early career

Born Gladys Lanphere on January 15, 1891, in Monmouth, Illinois,[1] she married millionaire Park Benjamin.[2] During the Prohibition Era she became a nightclub performer in a speakeasy in New York City, also appearing on the vaudeville stage in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Film career and death

Gale went to Hollywood in 1931, where she made her film debut in RKO's Smart Woman in a small role.[3] She used the stage name of Gladys Gale, instead of her married name, Gladys Benjamin.[4] Over her fifteen-year film career, she would appear in over 30 feature films, mostly in smaller roles, with the occasional featured part.[5] Some of her more notable films include: the gangster film, She Couldn't Take It (1934), starring George Raft and Joan Bennett;[6] the Mae West 1936 vehicle, Klondike Annie, in which she played a dance hall girl at the age of 45;[7] Frank Capra's 1938 classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, and Claude Rains;[8] and the 1942 melodrama, Lady for a Night, starring John Wayne and Joan Blondell.[9] Her final screen appearance would be in a small role in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946), which starred Gail Russell.[10]

On October 3, 1948, Gale checked into a Los Angeles hotel under an assumed name with a man, calling themselves Mr. and Mrs. Statler. In the morning her body was discovered, nude, with the room trashed. No cause for her death was ever established. Gale is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[1]

Filmography
Gladys Gale filmography
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1931 Smart Woman Mrs. Preston - Peggy's Mother RKO Pictures [11]
1932 The Music Box Mrs. von Schwarzenhoffen (uncredited) MGM
Laurel and Hardy short film comedy		 [12]
1934 Broadway Bill Head nurse Columbia Pictures [13]
1934 Desirable large woman Warner Bros. Pictures [14]
1934 Wake Up and Dream Prima donna Universal Pictures [15]
1934 The Party's Over Patron in Art Gallery (uncredited) Columbia Pictures [16]
1934 Among the Missing Mrs. Randall Columbia Pictures [17]
1934 Fugitive Lady Miss Smith Columbia Pictures [18]
1934 Men of the Night Mrs. Everett Columbia Pictures [19]
1934 The Captain Hates the Sea Passenger's wife Columbia Pictures [20]
1935 Circus Shadows Peerless Pictures Studios [21]
1935 A Feather in Her Hat Columbia Pictures [22]
1935 Love Me Forever Columbia Pictures [23]
1935 She Couldn't Take It Columbia Pictures [24]
1935 Carnival Baby judge Columbia Pictures [25]
1935 Men of the Hour Columbia Pictures [26]
1935 She Married Her Boss Columbia Pictures [27]
1936 Klondike Annie Dance hall girl Paramount Pictures
Screenplay by Mae West who also starred		 [28]
1936 Navy Born Republic Pictures [29]
1936 Pride of the Marines Woman manager Columbia Pictures [30]
1936 Dancing Feet Mrs. Blane Republic Pictures [31]
1936 Counterfeit Tourist Columbia Pictures [32]
1937 45 Fathers 20th Century Fox [33]
1937 The Devil Is Driving Columbia Pictures [34]
1937 I Promise to Pay Receptionist Columbia Pictures [35]
1937 Find the Witness Mrs. Rice Columbia Pictures [36]
1938 Up the River Bingo player 20th Century Fox [37]
1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Committee Woman Columbia Pictures [38]
1942 Joan of Ozark Mrs. Fadden Republic Pictures [39]
1942 Lady for a Night Mother Republic Pictures [40]
1943 So's Your Uncle Elastic woman Universal Pictures [41]
1945 An Angel Comes to Brooklyn Sarah Gibbons Republic Pictures [42]
1945 Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe Unknown 20th Century Fox [43]
1945 Our Hearts Were Growing Up Mrs. Appley Paramount Pictures [44]

Stage
Broadway credits of Gladys Benjamin (Gale)
Date Title Role Ref(s)
Oct 02, 1912 - Oct 19, 1912 The Charity Girl Madame Bowwowski [45]
Dec 30, 1912 - Apr 05, 1913 All for the Ladies Chorus [46]
Mar 30, 1914 - May 09, 1914 The Belle of Bond Street Hilda [47]
Feb 17, 1916 - Jun 10, 1916 Robinson Crusoe, Jr. Chorus [48]

References
  1. Resting Places
  2. "Discarded Wife Weighs Fruits of Being a Sport". New York Daily News. August 11, 1940. p. 120.
  3. "Smart Woman". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  4. "Mae West: Gladys Gale". Mae West Blog. 5 October 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  5. "Gladys Gale". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  6. "She Couldn't Take It". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  7. "Klondike Annie". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  8. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  9. "Lady for a Night". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  10. "Our Hearts Were Growing Up". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  11. "Smart Woman". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  12. "The Music Box". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  13. "Broadway Bill". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  14. "Desirable". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  15. "Wake Up and Dream". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. "The Party's Over". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  17. "Among the Missing". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  18. "Fugitive Lady". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. "Men of the Night". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  20. "The Captain Hates the Sea". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  21. "Circus Shadows". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  22. "A Feather in Her Hat". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  23. "Love Me Forever". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  24. "She Couldn't Take It". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  25. "Carnival". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  26. "Men of the Hour". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  27. "She Married Her Boss". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  28. "Klondike Annie". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  29. "Navy Born". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  30. "Pride of the Marines". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  31. "Dancing Feet". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  32. "Counterfeit". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  33. "45 Fathers". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  34. "The Devil Is Driving". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. "I Promise to Pay". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  36. "Find the Witness". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  37. "Up the River". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  38. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  39. "Joan of Ozark". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  40. "Lady for a Night". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  41. "So's Your Uncle". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  42. "An Angel Comes to Brooklyn". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  43. "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  44. "Our Hearts Were Growing Up". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  45. "The Charity Girl". IBDB. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  46. "All for the Ladies". IBDB. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  47. "The Belle of Bond Street". IBDB. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  48. "Robinson Crusoe, Jr". IBDB. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
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