Edith Segal Motridge (July 30, 1913 – November 1, 2007), also known by her married name Edith Polster or as Edith Motridge Segal, was an American competitive

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who represented the United States in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

in Berlin, Germany, coming fourth in the women's 100-meter backstroke. After her competitive swimming career, she became

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

stand-in A stand-in, sometimes a lighting double, for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and tele ...

when filming

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

movies, although she also had minor roles in films such as ''

Cynthia Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek language, Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on the island of Delos. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 17th century. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbrev ...

'' (1946) and '' The Cobweb'' (1955). After Motridge's swimming and film career, she was involved in philanthropic efforts with her husband, including a Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito Foundation scholarship. She died in Fairbanks Ranch in 2007.

Early life

Motridge was born in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

on July 30, 1913, later attending

Hollywood High School Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. His ...

and the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. Due to Hollywood High School not having a girls' swim team, she trained with the boys' team, and later with the

Los Angeles Athletic Club Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is a privately owned Sports club, athletic club and social club in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1880, the club is today best known for its John R. Wooden Award pr ...

Career

Competitive swimming

At the

, Motridge placed fourth in the women's 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:19.6. She was also the US champion in the 100m backstroke in 1939 with a time of 1:18.9. Along with

, she set the national record in either the 300m or 300-yard

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

in 1939.

Film

After her competitive swimming career, Motridge worked on movies at

(MGM) as

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

and stand-in. She worked on all swimming films made by MGM. Motridge later appeared in other films without Williams, such as in 1945 in ''Without Love''. She went on to play a role in ''

The Harvey Girls ''The Harvey Girls'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey's Harvey House waitresses. Directe ...

'' in 1946, then played a teacher in the 1947 film ''Cynthia''. She played a nurse in 1955's ''The Cobweb''. In 1956, she had an acting role in ''The Swan''.

Personal life

In 1969, Motridge married Leonard Polster. They moved to Fairbanks Ranch in 1983. They had three children and four grandchildren. Throughout their partnership they were involved in philanthropic efforts, including a Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito Foundation scholarship started in the late 1980s which was reported in 1999 to give $25,000–$30,000 scholarships to students in

North County North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especially ...

, California. Motridge died on November 1, 2007, at her home in Fairbanks Ranch.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Motridge, Edith 1913 births 2007 deaths American female backstroke swimmers Olympic swimmers for the United States Swimmers from San Francisco Swimmers at the 1936 Summer Olympics 20th-century American sportswomen