Gale Preston Henry (April 15, 1893 – June 17, 1972) was an American film actress. A prominent comedian, she appeared in more than 230 films between 1914 and 1933.
Early life and career
Born in
Bear Valley in
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
["California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4VPM-5KMM : 11 January 2020), Gale Henry, 1893.] Henry was the daughter of Charles Herschel Henry and Mai Brantstetter.
In 1920, Henry owned a film production company that had a contract with Special Pictures Corporation calling for her to make 12 two-reel comedies per year.
In 1923, Gale Henry and Henry East began training dogs for motion pictures. Spread over two acres on the outer edge of Hollywood, the East kennels trained the most celebrated dog stars in the movies, including
Skippy, the terrier who reached stardom as Asta in ''
The Thin Man
''The Thin Man'' (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in a condensed version in the December 1933 issue of '' Redbook''. It appeared in book form the following month. A film series followed, featuring the main ...
''.
Personal life and death
Henry married at least four times. On February 28, 1913 she married John Rockwell Trowbridge; they divorced in November 1915.
["Second Ceremony"](_blank)
''The Los Angeles Times''. Dec 3, 1916. Pt. II, p. 11. Retrieved November 29, 2024. From December 1916 until at least January 1921, Henry's husband was her frequent collaborator, Bruno J. Becker,
and from March 1925 until at least 1938, she was married to fellow animal trainer Henry East.
["'Ruddy' Joins Schenk; Valentino in New Group to Release Through United Artists; Navarro to Make Super Specials for Metro-Goldwyn at One of Film's Highest Salaries; Dog Sends Actor to Hospital"](_blank)
''The Kansas City Star''. March 8, 1925. p. 19D. Retrieved November 29, 2024. She was married to Frederick Ernest Near from November 1939 until at least 1950, at which point they resided in
Pearblossom, California.
In 1972, Henry died in
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the Antelope Valley of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On August 24, 1962 ...
.
[Lowe, Denise (2005)]
An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films: 1895-1930
New York: The Haworth Press. p. 271. .
Partial filmography
* Twelve "Lady Baffles and Detective Duck" short subjects, with
Max Asher, produced by
Pat Powers, 1915
* ''
The Hunch'' (1921)
* ''
Quincy Adams Sawyer'' (1922)
* ''
Night Life in Hollywood'' (1922)
* ''
Held to Answer'' (1923)
* ''
Changing Husbands'' (1924)
* ''
The Fire Patrol'' (1924)
* ''
Merton of the Movies'' (1924)
* ''
Open All Night'' (1924)
* ''
Along Came Ruth'' (1924)
* ''
All Wet'' (1924 short)
* ''
New Lives for Old'' (1925)
* ''
Youth's Gamble
''Youth's Gamble'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent action film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Reed Howes, James Thompson (actor), James Thompson and Margaret Morris (actress), Margaret Morris.Rainey p.184
Cast
* Reed Howes as W ...
'' (1925)
* ''
Declassee'' (1925)
* ''
Mighty Like a Moose'' (1926 short)
* ''
Two-Time Mama'' (1927)
* ''
Love 'em and Weep'' (1927)
* ''
Stranded'' (1927)
* ''
The Love Doctor
''The Love Doctor'' is a 1929 American comedy film directed by Melville W. Brown and written by Guy Bolton, Herman J. Mankiewicz, and J. Walter Ruben based upon a play by Victor Mapes and Winchell Smith. The film stars Richard Dix, June ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Darkened Rooms'' (1929)
References
External links
*
Gale Henry at Women Film Pioneers Project
1893 births
1972 deaths
American film actresses
American silent film actresses
Silent film comedians
Dog trainers
People from Alpine County, California
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American comedians
Comedians from California
People from Palmdale, California
{{US-film-actor-1890s-stub