Grahame, Gloria

Gloria Grahame (born Gloria Penelope Hallward; November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an American actress. She began her acting career in theater and in 1944 made her first film for MGM. Many biographies indicate she was born Gloria Grahame Hallward, but she adopted the surname Grahame, her mother's acting name, as her professional name. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), MGM did not believe she had the potential for major success and sold her contract to RKO. Often cast in film noir projects, Grahame was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Crossfire (1947) and later won the award for her work in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). After starring opposite Humphrey Bogart in In a Lonely Place (1950), she achieved her highest profile with Sudden Fear (1952), The Big Heat (1953), Human Desire (1954), and Oklahoma! (1955), but her film career began to wane soon afterwards. She returned to work on the stage, but continued to appear in films and television productions, usually in supporting roles. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974. It went into remission less than a year later and Grahame returned to work. The cancer returned in 1980, but she continued working and traveled to the United Kingdom to appear in a play. By 1981, her health had declined rapidly, and at her family's insistence, she returned to New York City on October 5, 1981, dying the same day at St. Vincent's Hospital at the age of 57.