Claire Dodd (born Dorothy Arlene Dodd; December 29, 1911 – November 23, 1973) was an American film actress.

Life and work

Dorothy Arlene Dodd was born on December 29, 1911, in

Baxter, Iowa Baxter is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Baxter is located northeast of Des Moines. The population was 962 at the 2020 census. History Baxter was platted in 1883. Geography Baxter's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal ...

, to Walter Willard Dodd, a farmer whose family were early Jasper County pioneers, and his wife, Ethel Viola (née Cool) Dodd, daughter of Baxter Postmaster Peter J. Cool. Her parents married on June 28, 1911. The family moved frequently while she was growing up, living in Denver, Kansas City, Phoenix, St. Louis, and

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ; fla, label= Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork ...

, among other places. Her parents separated in Montana. Young Dorothy went to California around 1927 where she worked as a model in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and auditioned for minor film roles. Claire-dodd 1933

Claire Dodd-Bernard Nedell in Slightly Honorable

While working as a model in Los Angeles, she was cast in a small part in

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

's movie '' Whoopee!'', which was produced by

Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

. Ziegfeld offered Dodd a part in his next Broadway musical, ''Smiles''. She joined the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

and moved to New York City, where she studied singing and dancing. After ''Smiles'' ended, she signed a five-year contract with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. After acting in bit parts in several films, she was signed to a Warner Bros. contract by Darryl F. Zanuck. Some confusion has led to Dodd's birthplace being listed as

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

. Early in her career, Dodd applied for a passport in preparation for a trip to Europe, and was reported as saying she only knew she was born in Iowa. Whether an attempted bit of publicity, she wound up with plenty in her home state. "My early childhood is just a blur to me," she once said. "I don't remember a thing about Iowa, I'm sorry to say. I was so small when I left there." Dodd had numerous relatives who still lived in and around Baxter when her apparent memory lapse was reported in the ''Register & Tribune's Iowa News Service'' on April 29, 1935. Locals were in an uproar for a time, spurred on by newspaper editorials taking the incident as an insult to a small town in rural Iowa. Deputy Jasper County Clerk John B. Norris quickly sent a copy of her birth certificate to Dodd by registered mail to end the question. Dodd went on to work at

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, Paramount and

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

studios in more than sixty films over a dozen years, from 1930-42. Dodd was usually type-cast as the "other woman", a femme fatale, siren, seductress, mistress, blackmailer, or other kind of schemer. But she also twice played secretary

Della Street Della Street is the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner. In 1950, Gardner publ ...

Warren William Warren William (born Warren William Krech; December 2, 1894 – September 24, 1948) was a Broadway and Hollywood actor, immensely popular during the early 1930s; he was later nicknamed the "King of Pre-Code". He was the first actor to play Pe ...

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

, in ''

The Case of the Curious Bride ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1935), and '' The Case of the Velvet Claws'' (1936). In the latter, Dodd's character was the only incarnation of Della Street to ever wed Mason. One of her last films was

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

's ''

In the Navy "In the Navy" is a song by American disco group Village People. It was released as the first single from their fourth studio album, '' Go West'' (1979). It was a number one hit in Canada, Flanders, Japan and the Netherlands, while reaching numbe ...

'' (1941).

Family

Claire Dodd was Hollywood's "mystery girl" in the 1930s -- a label she acquired because she was good at keeping her personal and professional lives separate. In 1931, Dodd married John Milton Strauss, an investment banker. She gave birth to her first child, Jon Michael Strauss (born 1936), which surprised much of Hollywood society as they did not even know she was married. The couple divorced in 1938. She retired from acting and married her second husband, H. Brand Cooper, in 1942. They had four children: a daughter (Austeene); and three sons (John T., Brand, and Peter).

Death

She died at her home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, from cancer, aged 61. She is buried in the Brand Family Cemetery on the grounds of the

Brand Library and Art Center Glendale Public Library is a name used for a group of eight library branches in Glendale, California, under the Library, Arts & Culture Department. Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes six neighborhood librarie ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

.Photo of grave marker in the name of Anne Dodd Cooper
Find a Grave.com; accessed April 14, 2022.

Partial filmography

* '' Our Blushing Brides'' (1930) as A Mannequin * '' Whoopee!'' (1930) as Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) * ''

Up Pops the Devil ''Up Pops the Devil'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy drama film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. The screenplay concerns an advertising man (Norman Foster) who quits his job to become a novelist, upsetting his wife (Carole Lombard) and stra ...

'' (1931) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Lawyer's Secret'' (1931) as Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

Confessions of a Co-Ed Confessions are acknowledgements of facts by those who would have otherwise preferred to keep those facts hidden. Confessions may also refer to: Film, television, and radio * ''Confessions'' (1925 film), a British silent film * ''Confessions'' ...

'' (1931) as Co-Ed in Chapel (uncredited) * ''

The Secret Call ''The Secret Call'' is a 1931 American drama film directed by Stuart Walker and written by Arthur Kober, Eve Unsell and William C. deMille. The film stars Richard Arlen, Peggy Shannon, William B. Davidson, Charles Trowbridge, Jane Keithley, ...

'' (1931) as Maisie * ''

An American Tragedy ''An American Tragedy'' is a 1925 novel by American writer Theodore Dreiser. He began the manuscript in the summer of 1920, but a year later abandoned most of that text. It was based on the notorious murder of Grace Brown in 1906 and the trial of ...

'' (1931) as Gaile Warren (uncredited) * '' The Road to Reno'' (1931) as Party Girl (uncredited) * '' Girls About Town'' (1931) as Dot, Party Girl (uncredited) * '' Working Girls'' (1931) as Jane * '' Under Eighteen'' (1931) as Babsy * '' Two Kinds of Women'' (1932) as Sheila Lavery (uncredited) * ''

Alias the Doctor ''Alias the Doctor'' is a 1932 pre-Code American drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Richard Barthelmess and Marian Marsh. The story concerns a man who assumes his dead brother's identity and becomes a renowned surgeon despi ...

'' (1932) as Mrs. Beverly (uncredited) * '' The Broken Wing'' (1932) as Cecelia Cross * ''

This Is the Night This Is the Night may refer to: Film * ''This Is the Night'' (1932 film), an American pre-Code comedy film, Cary Grant's feature film debut * ''This Is the Night'' (2021 film), an American drama film Music * "This Is the Night", fourth track on ...

'' (1932) as Chou-Chou (uncredited) * '' Man Wanted'' (1932) as Ann Le Maire * ''

Guilty as Hell ''Guilty as Hell'' is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by Arthur Kober and Frank Partos. The film stars Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, Richard Arlen, Adrienne Ames, Henry Stephenson, Ralph Ince and Noel ...

'' (1932) as Ruth Tindal * '' The Crooner'' (1932) as Mrs. Constance Brown * ''

Lawyer Man ''Lawyer Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle, based on the novel by Max Trell. The film stars William Powell and Joan Blondell. It was produced by Warner Bros. By the time of the release, several actors we ...

'' (1932) as Virginia St. Johns * ''

The Match King ''The Match King'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film made by First National Pictures, directed by William Keighley and Howard Bretherton. The film starred Warren William and Lili Damita, and follows the rise and fall of Swedish safety matc ...

'' (1932) as Ilse Wagner * ''

Parachute Jumper ''Parachute Jumper'' is a 1933 American pre-Code black-and-white comedy drama film directed by Alfred E. Green. Based on a story by Rian James titled "Some Call It Love", it stars Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bette Davis and Frank McHugh. Plot Ma ...

'' (1933) as Mrs. Newberry * '' Hard to Handle'' (1933) as Marlene Reeves * ''

Blondie Johnson ''Blondie Johnson'' is a 1933 American pre-Code gangster film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joan Blondell and Chester Morris. It was produced by Warner Bros. Plot Set during the Great Depression, Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) quits her ...

'' (1933) as Gladys LaMann * ''

Elmer, the Great ''Elmer, the Great'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Plot Elmer Kane ( Joe E. Brown) is a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appe ...

'' (1933) as Evelyn Corey * ''

Ex-Lady ''Ex-Lady'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy/drama film directed by Robert Florey. The screenplay by David Boehm is a remake of the Barbara Stanwyck film '' Illicit (1931),'' both crediting a story (actually a play) by Edith Fitzgerald and R ...

'' (1933) as Iris Van Hugh * ''

Ann Carver's Profession ''Ann Carver's Profession'' is an American pre-Code 1933 film directed by Edward Buzzell. It focuses on the relationship of a female lawyer and her husband, and on the strain that her financial success places on their marriage. The film stars ac ...

'' (1933) as Carole Rodgers * ''

Footlight Parade ''Footlight Parade'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and featuring Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert and Ruth Donnelly. The film was written by Manuel Seff and Jam ...

'' (1933) as Vivian Rich * '' My Woman'' (1933) as Muriel Bennett * ''

Massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

'' (1934) as Norma * ''

Gambling Lady ''Gambling Lady'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Archie Mayo, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea and Pat O'Brien. Plot Mike Lee raises his daughter Lady Lee to be as honest a gambler as he is. When he gets t ...

'' (1934) as Sheila Aiken * '' Journal of a Crime'' (1934) as Odette Florey * ''

Smarty SMARTY is a mobile telephone flanker brand operated by Hutchison 3G UK Limited using its Three UK branded mobile network. It aims to attract customers primarily looking for cheaper deals than those available direct from Three, by offering a mo ...

'' (1934) as Anita * ''

The Personality Kid ''The Personality Kid'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Alan Crosland, starring Pat O'Brien and Glenda Farrell. The film was based on a story by Gene Towne and C. Graham Baker. It was released by Warner Bros. on July 7, 1934. A young ...

'' (1934) as Patricia Merrill * ''

I Sell Anything ''I Sell Anything'' is a 1934 American film directed by Robert Florey and starring Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, and Claire Dodd. It was produced by First National Pictures. Robert Florey directed. O'Brien plays Spot Cash Cutler, a "smooth swindler ...

'' (1934) as Millicent * ''

Secret of the Chateau ''Secret of the Chateau'' is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. The film stars Claire Dodd, Alice White, Osgood Perkins, Jack La Rue, George E. Stone and Clark Williams. On its release, reviews from ''Variety'', ''The Film ...

'' (1934) as Julie Verlaine * ''

Babbitt Babbitt may refer to: Fiction * ''Babbitt'' (novel), a 1922 novel by Sinclair Lewis ** ''Babbitt'' (1924 film), a 1924 silent film based on the novel ** ''Babbitt'' (1934 film), a 1934 film based on the novel *Babbit, the family name of the titl ...

'' (1934) as Tanis Judique * ''

Roberta ''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...

'' (1935) as Sophie Teale * ''

'' (1935) as Della Street * ''

The Glass Key ''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ga ...

'' (1935) as Janet Henry * '' Don't Bet on Blondes'' (1935) as Marilyn Youngblood * '' The Goose and the Gander'' (1935) as Connie * '' The Payoff'' (1935) as Maxine * '' Two Against the World'' (1936) as Cora Latimer * ''

The Singing Kid ''The Singing Kid'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by William Keighley and written by Warren Duff and Pat C. Flick. Starring Al Jolson, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot and Allen Jenkins, it was released ...

'' (1936) as Dana Lawrence * '' Navy Born'' (1936) as Bernice Farrington * ''

Murder by an Aristocrat ''Murder by an Aristocrat'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Lyle Talbot, Marguerite Churchill and Claire Dodd.Backer p.248 The film was based on a 1932 novel of the same title by Mignon G. Eberhart, wit ...

'' (1936) as Janice Thatcher * '' The Case of the Velvet Claws'' (1936) as Della Street * ''

The Women Men Marry ''The Women Men Marry'' is a 1937 American film directed by Errol Taggart and starring George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Claire Dodd and Toby Wing. The film's script is credited to Donald Henderson Clarke. Cast * George Murphy - Bill Raebur ...

'' (1937) as Claire Raeburn * ''

Romance in the Dark ''Romance in the Dark'' is a 1938 American comedy musical film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Gladys Swarthout, John Boles, John Barrymore, and Claire Dodd. It is one of five films produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Gladys Swart ...

'' (1938) as Countess Monica Foldesay * ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

'' (1938) as Julia Thorne * '' Three Loves Has Nancy'' (1938) as Vivian Herford * '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' (1938) as Mrs. Carol Wayne * ''

Woman Doctor ''Woman Doctor'' is a 1939 American melodrama film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Frieda Inescort, Henry Wilcoxon, and Claire Dodd. The screenplay was written by Joseph Moncure March, based on a story by Alice Altschuler and Miriam Geig ...

'' (1939) as Gail Patterson * ''

Slightly Honorable ''Slightly Honorable'' is a 1939 American film directed by Tay Garnett. The film was based on the 1939 novel ''Send Another Coffin'' by Frank Gilmore Presnell, Jr. (1906–1967).Frank Gilmore Presnell, Jr. (24 June 1906 (Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico ...

'' (1939) as Alma Brehmer * '' If I Had My Way'' (1940) as Brenda Johnson * '' The Black Cat'' (1941) as Margaret Gordon * ''

'' (1941) as Dorothy Roberts * ''

Don Winslow of the Navy ''Don Winslow of the Navy'' is a 1942 Universal Pictures Serial film based on the comic strip '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' by Commander Frank V. Martinek. It was theatrically released in January 1942. Plot Commander Don Winslow is returned to th ...

'' (1942) as Mercedes Colby * ''

The Mad Doctor of Market Street ''The Mad Doctor of Market Street'' is a 1942 American horror film produced by Universal Pictures starring Lionel Atwill. The film was a low-budget project that utilized the studio's contract players and gave rising director Joseph H. Lewis an ...

'' (1942) as Patricia Wentworth * '' Mississippi Gambler'' (1942) as Gladys La Verne * '' Daring Young Man'' (1942) as Marlene (final film role)

References

Sources

* "When Dorothy forgot: 'There's no place like home'", ''Sunday Times-Republican Past Times'', November 17, 1996, Marshalltown, Iowa.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Claire 1911 births 1973 deaths Actresses from Iowa American film actresses Deaths from cancer in California People from Jasper County, Iowa Ziegfeld girls 20th-century American actresses