Josephine Whittell (born Josephine Cunningham; November 30, 1883 – June 1, 1961) was an American character actress of silent and sound films.

Early years

Whittell was born on November 30, 1883, in

San Francisco, California 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 ...

to Charles and Susan Cunningham.

Career

Early in her career, Whittell performed as a chorus girl in

Anna Held Helene Anna Held (19 March 1872 – 12 August 1918) was a Polish-born French stage performer of Jewish origin on Broadway. While appearing in London, she was spotted by impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, who brought her to America as his common-law ...

's theatrical company. Whittell began her film career during the silent era, debuting in a featured role in 1917's ''Alimony''. She appeared in four silent films between 1917 and 1921, before taking a hiatus from the film industry. In 1931 Whittell returned to films, with supporting roles in two

Wheeler and Woolsey Wheeler & Woolsey were an American vaudeville comedy double act who performed together in comedy films from the late 1920s. The team comprised Bert Wheeler (1895–1968) of New Jersey and Robert Woolsey (1888–1938) of Illinois. Collaboration T ...

comedies, '' Caught Plastered'' and '' Peach O'Reno''. During her 43-year career, she appeared in more than 70 films. In the early 1930s, she appeared frequently as the older seductress in films before the enactment of the film code in the mid-1930s. Whittell appeared in many notable films, either in supporting or small roles. Some of those films include: ''

Stage Door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 American Tragicomedy, tragicomedy film directed by Gregory La Cava, and starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball. Adapt ...

'' (1938), starring

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

, and

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...

; 1939's '' The Women'', with

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated women. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'Neill, ...

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

, and

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

; the 1945 version of ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in t ...

'', starring

Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in ''Pinky (film), Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films ''In the Meantime, Da ...

and

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir and later in Western films. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigio ...

;

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor ( ; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

's ''

The Fountainhead ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect who battles against conventional standards and refuses to com ...

'', the film version of the

Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; , 1905March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which s ...

novel of the same name, starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

and

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal; January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is well known for, among other roles, playing World WarII widow Helen Benson in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (195 ...

; the musical, ''

In the Good Old Summertime IN, In or in may refer to: Dans * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independen ...

'', with

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

and

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American actor and dancer. He had a prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio, which spanned over 50 years, from 1940 to 1992. He was a major star at Metr ...

;

George Stevens George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''A Place in the Sun (1951 film), A Place in the Sun'' (1951) ...

' '' A Place in the Sun'', starring

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered f ...

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

and

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...

; the Cecil B. De Mille epic, '' The Greatest Show on Earth''; and the 1954 version of '' A Star is Born'', directed by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

, and starring Garland and

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

. She remained active in films until late in life, making her last appearance in 1959's '' The Buccaneer'', directed by

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

(his only directing credit).

Personal life

In May 1904, Josephine Cunningham's purported engagement to George Whittell Jr. was a subject of dispute. She and her mother said that a diamond ring was evidence of the engagement. Meanwhile, George Whittell Sr. denied any engagement. On June 2, 1904, they were married in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

. She filed for divorce two years later. Whittell married, secondly, to actor

Robert Warwick Robert Warwick (born Robert Taylor Bien; October 9, 1878 – June 6, 1964) was an American stage, film and television actor with over 200 film appearances. A matinee idol during the silent film era, he also prospered after the introduction ...

in 1910. When she acted on stage and he worked in films, they lived in New York and California, respectively, and visited each other occasionally.

Death

On June 1, 1961, Whittell died in Hollywood, California, at age 77.

Filmography

* ''

Alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide ...

'' (1917) * '' The Climbers'' (1919) * ''

Marie, Ltd. ''Marie, Ltd.'' is a 1919 silent film romantic comedy directed by Kenneth S. Webb and starring Alice Brady. It was produced and distributed by the Select Pictures Corporation. This film survives in the Archives Du Film Fu CNC, Bois d'Arcy, Par ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Inner Chamber ''The Inner Chamber'' is a 1921 American silent romantic drama film produced and distributed by the Vitagraph Company of America. It was based on the novel ''The Blood Red Dawn'' by Charles Caldwell Dobie. The film was directed by Edward José ...

'' (1921) * '' Caught Plastered'' (1931) * '' Peach O'Reno'' (1931) * ''

Symphony of Six Million ''Symphony of Six Million'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Ricardo Cortez, Irene Dunne and Gregory Ratoff. Based on the story ''Night Bell'' by Fannie Hurst, the film concerns the rise of a Jewi ...

'' (1932) * ''

What Price Hollywood? ''What Price Hollywood?'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Cukor and starring Constance Bennett with Lowell Sherman. The screenplay by Gene Fowler, Rowland Brown, Jane Murfin and Ben Markson is based on a story by ...

'' (1932) * '' Infernal Machine'' (1933) * ''

It's a Gift ''It's a Gift'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields. It was Fields's 16th sound film and his fifth in 1934 alone. The film concerns the trials and tribulations of a grocer as he battles a shrewish wife, an incompetent assista ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Life of Vergie Winters ''The Life of Vergie Winters'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code film, starring Ann Harding and John Boles. Plot From her Parkville jail cell, Vergie Winters watches the funeral procession of Senator John Shadwell and remembers her twenty-year pas ...

'' (1934) * ''

Servants' Entrance ''Servants' Entrance'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical comedy film. It was written by Samson Raphaelson from the Sigrid Boo novel and directed by Frank Lloyd, with a cartoon sequence by Walt Disney in which an understandably startled J ...

'' (1934) * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of Emotional insecurity, insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, he ...

'' (1934) * ''Love Time'' (1934) * ''Mills of the Gods'' (1934) * ''

Under Pressure "Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's tenth studio album ''Hot Space'' (1982). The song reached number one on the U ...

'' (1935) * ''Redheads on Parade'' (1935) * ''

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

'' (1935) * '' Follow Your Heart'' (1936) * '' Easy to Take'' (1936) * ''

Beware of Ladies ''Beware of Ladies'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Donald Cook, Judith Allen and George Meeker.Gates p.95 Plot A female newspaper reporter is sent by her editor to cover a political contest between a na� ...

'' (1936) * '' Beg, Borrow or Steal'' (1937) * ''

Hotel Haywire ''Hotel Haywire'' is a 1937 American comedy film written by Preston Sturges with uncredited rewrites by Lillie Hayward. It was directed by George Archainbaud and stars Leo Carrillo, Lynne Overman, Spring Byington, Benny Baker and Colette ...

'' (1937) * ''

Married Before Breakfast ''Married Before Breakfast'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Robert Young, Florence Rice and June Clayworth. Plot After years of struggling, inventor Tom Wakefield sells his hair-removal invention ...

'' (1937) * ''

Larceny on the Air ''Larceny on the Air'' is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Robert Livingston (actor), Robert Livingston, Grace Bradley and Willard Robertson. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures. Plot summar ...

'' (1937) * ''

Double Wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ...

'' (1937) * '' Blondie'' (1938) * '' Too Hot to Handle'' (1938) * ''

Women Are Like That Women Are Like That may refer to: * Women Are Like That (1938 film), an American drama film * Women Are Like That (1960 film), a French spy thriller film * Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue ...

'' (1938) * '' Lucky Night'' (1939) * '' The Women'' (1939) * ''

Boy Trouble ''Boy Trouble'' is a 1939 American comedy drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, Donald O'Connor, and Billy Lee. Archainbaud also directed the sequel to the film, ''Night Work'', that was released th ...

'' (1939) * ''

Tugboat Annie Sails Again ''Tugboat Annie Sails Again'' is a 1940 American comedy romance film directed by Lewis Seiler. The picture is a sequel to ''Tugboat Annie'' (1933). Marjorie Rambeau took over the late Marie Dressler's role, and the supporting cast features Alan ...

'' (1940) * ''

Glamour Boy "Glamour Boy" is a song written by Burton Cummings and performed by The Guess Who, and was featured on their 1973 album, '' #10''. The song was produced by Jack Richardson. It was inspired by David Bowie and reached #14 in Canada in 1973. The ...

'' (1941) * ''

Life with Henry ''Life with Henry'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and written by Clifford Goldsmith and Don Hartman. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Leila Ernst, Eddie Bracken, Fred Niblo, Hedda Hopper and Kay Stewart. It was released ...

'' (1941) * '' Unfinished Business'' (1941) * ''

Ziegfeld Girl The term "Ziegfeld Girl" (or "Ziegfeld Follies Girl") is used broadly to describe the "singers, showgirls, comediennes, nddancers" who appeared in Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.'s theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' ...

'' (1941) * ''

Lady in a Jam ''Lady in a Jam'' is a 1942 film comedy directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Irene Dunne, Patric Knowles, Ralph Bellamy, and Eugene Pallette. It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art direc ...

'' (1942) * '' The Magnificent Dope'' (1942) * ''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

'' (1943) * '' Standing Room Only'' (1944) * '' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945) * ''

Having Wonderful Crime ''Having Wonderful Crime'' is a 1945 American screwball comedy and mystery film directed by Eddie Sutherland from a screenplay by Howard J. Green, Stewart Sterling, and Parke Levy, based on the novel of the same name by Craig Rice. In her ...

'' (1945) * ''

Life with Blondie ''Life with Blondie'' is a 1945 American black-and-white domestic comedy film and the 16th of the 28 Blondie films. It was the return of Dagwood and Blondie after Columbia Picture's 1943 decision to cancel the series met with protest. Plot summa ...

'' (1945) * '' Affairs of Geraldine'' (1946) * ''

Easy to Wed ''Easy to Wed'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams, Lucille Ball, and Keenan Wynn. The screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley is an adaptation of the screenplay of th ...

'' (1946) * ''

Rendezvous with Annie ''Rendezvous with Annie'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and written by and Mary Loos and Richard Sale. The film stars Eddie Albert, Faye Marlowe and Gail Patrick. The supporting cast features C. Aubrey Smith and William ...

'' (1946) * ''

That Brennan Girl ''That Brennan Girl'', also known as ''Tough Girl'', is a 1946 American melodrama film produced and directed by Alfred Santell and starring James Dunn, Mona Freeman, William Marshall, and June Duprez. The story concerns a young woman raised in a ...

'' (1946) * '' The Virginian'' (1946) * ''

The Devil Thumbs a Ride ''The Devil Thumbs a Ride'' is a 1947 American film noir directed by Felix E. Feist and featuring Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie and Betty Lawford. It was produced and distributed by RKO Pictures. Plot Steve Morgan (Tierney) is a c ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses o ...

'' (1947) * '' Song of Love'' (1947) * ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

'' (1948) * '' Sitting Pretty'' (1948) * ''

Train to Alcatraz A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

'' (1948) * '' The Accused'' (1949) * ''

Adventure in Baltimore ''Adventure in Baltimore '' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Richard Wallace and starring Robert Young and Shirley Temple. Dinah Sheldon (Shirley Temple) is a student at an exclusive girls' school who starts campaigning for women's r ...

'' (1949) * ''

Chinatown at Midnight ''Chinatown at Midnight'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Hurd Hatfield, Jean Willes and Tom Powers. Plot After a jade vase is mentioned to him by Lisa Marcel, an interior designer, Clifford Ward ...

'' (1949) * ''

The Lady Takes a Sailor ''The Lady Takes a Sailor'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Jane Wyman, Eve Arden and Dennis Morgan. Plot Jennifer Smith, the head of the Buyer's Research Institute, is in need of additional funding to keep the in ...

'' (1949) * ''

'' (1950) * ''

Shakedown Shakedown or Shake Down may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational ...

'' (1950) * '' Molly'' (1951) * ''

Here Comes the Groom Here Comes the Groom may refer to: * Here Comes the Groom (1934 film) ''Here Comes the Groom'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and written by Richard Flournoy and Casey Robinson. The film stars Jack Haley, ...

'' (1951) * '' A Place in the Sun'' (1951) - Margaret - Eastman's Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Too Young to Kiss ''Too Young to Kiss'' (also ''All Too Young'') is a 1951 American comedy film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Van Johnson and June Allyson. The film, in which the 34-year-old Allyson's Cynthia Potter masquerades as a 14-year-old child prodigy ...

'' (1951) * '' The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) * ''

Forever Female ''Forever Female'' is a 1953 black and white film directed by Irving Rapper. It stars Ginger Rogers and William Holden. It won a Golden Globe in 1954. Plot The reviews are in and a new play starring Beatrice Page and produced by Harry Phillips is ...

'' (1954) * '' A Star Is Born'' (1954) * ''

The Search for Bridey Murphy ''The Search for Bridey Murphy'' is a 1956 American drama film written and directed by Noel Langley and starring Teresa Wright, Louis Hayward, and Nancy Gates, based on the best-selling book by Morey Bernstein.Indick p.172 It is inspired by the ...

'' (1956) * '' The Buccaneer'' (1959)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whittell, Josephine 1883 births 1967 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from San Francisco