Gretchen Hartman (born Grace Barrett; August 28, 1897 – January 27, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. She is credited on 67 movies, nearly all silent.

Early life

Hartman was born Grace Barrett in Chicago, the daughter of actress Agnes A. Hartman.

Career

Hartman debuted on stage at the Bush Temple Theatre in Chicago portraying Little Eva in ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Her New York debut was in the same play, presented at the Majestic Theatre. She starred in Broadway plays as a child, starting her career at age nine. She started working in the theater under the name Greta Arbin before making her film debut. Her major roles were in: ''The Law and the Man'' (1906-1907), ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1907), ''Mary Jane's Pa'' (1908–1909), and ''Sweethearts'' (1913–1914). She created the role of Mary Jane in ''

Mary Jane's Pa ''Mary Jane's Pa'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Tom Reed and Peter Milne. The film stars Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Tom Brown, Robert McWade, Minor Watson, and Nan Grey. The film was released by W ...

''. Hartman started her film career with roles in short films beginning in 1911, when she starred as Rosalie in the film ''For the Flag of France''. A popular figure in the silent film era, her best known films are ''Colomba'' (1915), from the novel by

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, an import ...

, ''The Purple Lady'' (1916), with her husband,

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

's '' Les Miserábles'' (1917), ''The Bandbox'' (1919), '' Bride 13'' (1920 serial), ''His Brothers Keeper'' (1921), and ''While Justice Waits'' (1922). In 1915, she made a version of the popular novel ''

East Lynne ''East Lynne, or, The Earl's Daughter'' is an 1861 English sensation novel by Ellen Wood, writing as Mrs. Henry Wood. A Victorian-era bestseller, it is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot centering on infidelity and dou ...

'' by Mrs. Henry Wood. In 1917–18, Hartman acted in three films for

Fox studios 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Comp ...

under the name Sonia Markova, returning to the name Gretchen Hartman soon after. Besides Sonia Markova, she also used the stage name Greta Hartman.

Marriage and death

Hartman married actor

Alan Hale Sr. Alan Hale Sr. (born Rufus Edward Mackahan; February 10, 1892 – January 22, 1950) was an American actor and director. He is best remembered for his many character roles, in particular as a frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn, as well as f ...

, and they had three children, one of which is actor

Alan Hale Jr. Alan Hale Jr. (born Alan Hale MacKahan; March 8, 1921 – January 2, 1990) was an American actor and restaurateur. He was the son of actor Alan Hale Sr. His television career spanned four decades, but he was best known for his secondary lead ro ...

Hartman died on January 27, 1979, at the age of 81, and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, next to her husband.

Filmography

* ''For the Flag of France'' (1911) * ''The Lost Freight Car'' (1911) * ''The American Insurrecto'' (1911) * ''The Cricket on the Hearth'' (i) (1914) * ''Merely Mother'' (1914) * ''The Spirit of Jealousy'' (1914) * ''The First Law'' (i) (1914) * ''A Woman's Folly'' (1914) * ''Masks and Faces'' (1914) * ''The Romance of a Poor Young Man'' (1914) * ''In Quest of a Story'' (1914) * ''His Prior Claim'' (1914) * ''On the Heights'' (1914) * ''The Third Act'' (1915) * ''File No. 113'' (1915) * ''The Woman Who Paid'' (1915) * ''Colomba'' (1915) * ''His Brother's Keeper'' (i) (1915) * ''The Girl and the Matinee Idol'' (1915) * ''To Have and to Lose'' (1915) (unconfirmed) * ''Adam Bede'' (1915) * ''The Confession'' (ii) (1915) * ''The Wives of Men'' (1915) * ''The Smuggler's Ward'' (1915) * ''A Daughter of Earth'' (1915) * ''Reapers of the Whirlwind'' (1915) * ''Jane Eyre'' (1915) * ''East Lynne'' (1915) * ''Dora'' (1915) * ''The Soul of Pierre'' (1915) * ''The Country Parson'' (1915) * ''Winning the Widow'' (1915) * ''Harvest'' (1915) * ''Between Father and Son'' (1915) * ''Her Stepchildren'' (1915) * ''The Tides of Retribution'' (1915) * ''The Iron Will'' (1916) * ''His White Lie'' (1916) * ''Pique'' (1916) * ''The Guilt of Stephen Eldridge'' (1916) * ''The Mystery of Orcival'' (1916) * ''Alias Jimmy Barton'' (1916) * ''Madelaine Morel'' (1916) * ''The Man Who Called After Dark'' (1916) * ''The Larrimore Case'' (1916) * ''Fit for Burning'' (1916) * '' The Purple Lady'' (1916) * ''The Beast'' (1916) * ''Rolling Stones'' (1916) * ''The Love Thief'' (1916) * ''Married in Name Only'' (1917) * ''The Painted Madonna'' (1917, as Sonia Markova) * ''Les Misérables'' (1917, as Sonia Markova) * ''1918 A Heart's Revenge'' (1918, as Sonia Markova) * ''The House Without Children'' (1919) * ''

Atonement Atonement, atoning, or making amends is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some othe ...

'' (1919) * '' The Bandbox'' (1919) * ''Bride 13'' (1920) * '' The Little 'Fraid Lady'' (1920) * '' His Brother's Keeper'' (1921) * '' Do and Dare'' (1922) * ''

While Justice Waits ''While Justice Waits'' is a 1922 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Bernard J. Durning, and starring Dustin Farnum, Irene Rich, Earl Metcalfe, Junior Delameter, and Frankie Lee. The film was released by Fox F ...

'' (1922) * ''Elsie in New York'' (1926) * '' She Goes to War'' (1929, talkie) * ''The Time, the Place and the Girl'' (1929, talkie) * '' The College Coquette'' (1929, talkie) * '' Room for One More'' (1952, uncredited bit part)

References

External links

* (wit
photo gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartman, Gretchen 1897 births 1979 deaths American silent film actresses Actresses from Chicago Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American actresses