Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Loretta Young and her sisters Polly Ann and Elizabeth Jane.



Loretta Young and her family moved to Hollywood when she was three years old. She and her sisters Polly Ann and Elizabeth Jane (screen name Sally Blane) worked as child actresses.

Loretta Young (January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was a child actress, she had a film career from 1917 to 1953. She won the 1948 best actress Academy Award for her role in, The Farmer's Daughter(1947), and received an Oscar nomination for her role in, Come to the Stable(1949).

Young moved onto television, where she had The Loretta Young Show, from 1953 to 1961. The series earned three Emmy Awards, and reran successfully on daytime TV and later in syndication.

Young, a devout Roman Catholic, worked with various Catholic charities after her acting career.
Sally Blane (July 11, 1910 – August 27, 1997), was the sister of actresses Polly Ann and Loretta Young, and half-sister to actress Georgiana Young, the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban.

She had her film debut at the age of seven in the, Sirens of the Sea(1917).

She returned to the film business as an adult in the 1920s where she played small parts in silent films: Once a Sinner (1930), A Dangerous Affair (1930), Arabian Knights (1931), Anabelle's Affairs (1931), Hello Everybody! (1933), City Limits (1934), Against the Law (1934), The Silver Streak (1934), and This Is the Life (1935).

Some of her scenes, including one in, Annabell's Affairs, which she wore lingerie with Jeanette MacDonald and Joyce Compton, pre-dating the Hays Code.

Blane performed in over 100 films. She did perform with her sisters in the classic film, The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939).



The Story of Alexander Graham Bell is a fictionalized 1939 biographical film of the famous inventor. The film stars Don Ameche as Bell and Loretta Young as Mabel, his wife, who contracted scarlet fever at an early age and became deaf. The first half of the film concentrates on his romantic, financial, and scientific struggles, starting in 1873. Most scenes are set in Boston and a few scenes are set in London.

After that Blane performed in only four more movies in supporting roles: Fighting Mad (1939), Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939), La Fuga (1944) and A Bullet for Joey (1955).

Blane married actor and director Norman Foster in October 1935, eight months later in June 1936 they had their first child Gretchen named after her sister Loretta Young. They had two children, Robert and Gretchen.

Blane died of cancer, as had her sisters Polly and Loretta, in 1997 at the age of 87.

Polly Ann Young (October 25, 1908 – January 21, 1997). Of the three sisters, Polly Ann was the least successful. Between 1917 and 1941 she featured in 34 movies, some of them minor uncredited roles.

Among her best movie roles, was as John Wayne's leading lady in, The Man From Utah (1934). Her last film was the 1941 Poverty Row horror movie Invisible Ghost with, Bela Lugosi.

Young married Carter Hermann in 1935, and they had four children. Her husband died in the 1970s and she died of cancer at the age of 88. Her sisters Sally and Loretta also died of cancer. She was a half-sister to Georgiana Young Montalban, wife of actor Ricardo Montalban.



7 comments:

  1. I've been on a Loretta Young kick lately so your post is well-timed. Thank you for this look at a lovely actress and her sisters.

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  2. Classicfilmboy,
    Thank you for stopping by.. I have more Loretta Young posts planned for this month..

    Please keep an eye on the blog: They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To. Patti, also has some nice posts planned for this month.

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  3. wow...that first pic is just breathtaking...why there weren't more films that included all three of them is beyond me... not sure of each one's acting skills (other than Loretta, of course), but all three are just insanely beautiful... awesome stuff, Dawn!!!

    Have a great New Year!!!

    KIG!
    Hu
    ---

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  4. Hope you had a wonderful Chritmas Dawn! And I'm wishing you a happy New Year! Thank you for posting this. I've never heard of Loretta Young until this post. I can't wait to read more about her. "Taxi!" and "Life Begins" from your other Loretta Young post look like my kind of movie. I shall be adding them to my never-ending "Must Watch" List.

    Thanks!

    -B

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  5. VKMfanHuey, I had seen the film, The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, many years ago but, did not realize they were sisters until I wrote this post...

    Mighty B, You are in for some great movie watching. Loretta Young, is an awesome classic movie actress. I will be posting my favorite Loretta Young movies, Jan. 6th.. on what would be her 100th birthday.

    Happy New Year to both of you!!

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  6. Thank you for the lovely post about Loretta and her sisters. She was my beloved mother-in-law and just an amazing and wonderful woman. A great gift to me as were Aunt Pol and Aunt Sally.
    We miss them so much and are grateful to have them immortalized in film. I appreciate your bringing them to a new audience! Sincerely, Linda Lewis

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  7. Linda Lewis, Welcome to N and CF. Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a wonderful comment.

    I wish TCM, would put together a Loretta Young DVD movie collection. So, her fans could collect some of her harder to find films.

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