Beatrice Gray (March 3, 1911 – November 25, 2009) was an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and dancer best known for her appearances in a series of

western films Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

during the 1940s and 1950s. Gray was born Bertrice Alice Kimbrough on a farm near

Carthage, Illinois Carthage is a city and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census, Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 death of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint mov ...

. She began working in the entertainment industry in

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

productions, as well as a performer in

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s. She earned her first acting role in the musical, ''New Faces of 1935''. After moving to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1937, she appeared in the ''

New Faces of 1937 ''New Faces of 1937'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joe Penner, Milton Berle and Harriet Hilliard. Its plot is similar to '' The Producers'' (1968). Intended as the first film of an annual RKO Pictures r ...

'' by RKO Pictures. She worked as a dancer for

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

. Gray appeared in a number of

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, many of which were produced by Monogram Pictures. Her other films were with Universal Pictures, including the 1958 movie, ''

Wild Heritage ''Wild Heritage'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring Will Rogers, Jr., Maureen O'Sullivan and Rod McKuen. Plot Emma Breslin (O'Sullivan) and her family cross the plains in a covered wagon. T ...

''. She ultimately appeared in three films starring

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

and Bob Steele - '' The Utah Kid'', '' Marked Trails'' and ''

Trigger Law A trigger law is a law that is unenforceable but may achieve enforceability if a key change in circumstances occurs. United States Abortion In the United States, thirteen states, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, N ...

'' (all 1944).

Personal life

She and husband William H. Gray were parents of actor Billy Gray, best known for his role as Bud Anderson in the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...

''.

Death

Beatrice Gray died of natural causes in

Canoga Park, California Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and the ...

, on November 25, 2009, at the age of 98.

Selected filmography

*'' The Kansan'' (1943) *'' The Utah Kid'' (1944) * ''

'' (1944) *'' Marked Trails'' (1944) *''

Trail of Vengeance ''Trail of Vengeance'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield, written by Fred Myton and George H. Plympton, and starring Johnny Mack Brown, Iris Meredith, Warner Richmond, Karl Hackett, Earle Hodgins and Frank LaRue. It w ...

'' (1945) *''

Stranger from Santa Fe ''Stranger from Santa Fe'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Adele Buffington. This is the sixteenth film in the "Marshal Nevada Jack McKenzie" series, and stars Johnny Mack Brown as Jack McKenzie and Ra ...

'' (1945) *''

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff'' is a 1949 horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello and Boris Karloff. In 1956, the film was re-released by Realart Pictures as a double feature wi ...

'' (1949) *''

The Yellow Cab Man ''The Yellow Cab Man'' is a 1950 comedy film directed by Jack Donohue and starring Red Skelton, Gloria DeHaven and Edward Arnold. The inventor of unbreakable glass ("Elastiglass") tries to sell it to a taxicab company, hoping that they will mak ...

'' (1950) *''

The Gene Autry Show ''The Gene Autry Show'' is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum. Overview Series star Gene Autry had a ...

'' (TV, 1950) *''

Callaway Went Thataway ''Callaway Went Thataway'' is a 1951 American comedy western film starring Fred MacMurray, Dorothy McGuire, and Howard Keel. It was written, directed, and produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. Also known as ''The Star Said No'', it is a ...

'' (1951) *'' Untamed Frontier'' (1952) *''

I've Lived Before ''I've Lived Before'' is a 1956 American fantasy drama film directed by Richard Bartlett and starring Jock Mahoney, Leigh Snowden, Ann Harding, John McIntire, and Raymond Bailey. The film was released by Universal Pictures in September 1956. Plo ...

'' (1956) *''

'' (1958)

References

External links

*
Interview with Beatrice Gray
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Beatrice American film actresses American television actresses Western (genre) film actresses 1911 births 2009 deaths Actresses from Illinois Actresses from Los Angeles County, California People from Carthage, Illinois People from Topanga, California 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women