Gertrude Astor
Country: United States
Gender: F
Birthday: 1887-11-09
Died: 1977-11-09
Biography
From Wikipedia
Gertrude Astor (November 9, 1887 – November 9, 1977) was an American motion picture character actress, who began her career playing trombone on a riverboat.
Born in Lakewood, Ohio as a member of the Astor family and of German descent, Astor joined a woman's band as a trombone player and toured the states. In New York she left the band to obtain film work and got a job as an extra before her career took off. Astor was a prolific performer, between 1915 and 1962 she appeared in over 250 movies. Her first known credit is in a Biograph short in 1915. She then became a contract player at Universal. A tall, angular and beautiful woman, Astor frequently towered over the leading men of the era; thus, she was most frequently utilized in comedy roles as aristocrats, golddiggers and "heroine's best pal".
Her best-known silent appearances were as the visiting stage star in Stage Struck (1925) with Gloria Swanson, as the vamp who plants stolen money on Harry Langdon in The Strong Man (1926), and as Laura LaPlante's wisecracking travelling companion in The Cat and the Canary (1927).
Astor worked prolifically at Hal Roach studios with such headliners as Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, and especially Charley Chase. She was also kept busy at Columbia Pictures' short subjects unit.
She continued to play bits in feature films throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. She was briefly glimpsed as the first murder victim in the Sherlock Holmes adventure The Scarlet Claw and was among the ranks of dress extras in 1956's Around the World in Eighty Days. Her last appearance was in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
In her later years, Astor was a welcome guest at several Sons of the Desert gatherings, and became an honorary member of the Way Out West tent.
She died in Woodland Hills, California from a stroke. She is interred in the Abbey of Psalms in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.
Actor:
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1. The Cat and the Canary (1927), film...Cecily Young
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2. Come Clean (1931), film...Mrs. Hardy
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3. Our Relations (1936), film...Pirate's Club Customer
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4. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1936), film
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5. The Milky Way (1936), film...Party Guest
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6. The Great Ziegfeld (1936), film...Sassy Blonde Anna Held Audience Member (uncredited
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7. Easy Living (1937), film...Saleswoman
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8. The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940), film...Extra (uncredited)
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9. How Green Was My Valley (1941), film...Bit Part
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10. The Wolf Man (1941), film...Townswoman
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11. Moontide (1942), film...Screaming Woman
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12. The Kansan (1943), film...Blonde Townswoman
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13. Idaho (1943), film...Party Guest
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14. The Scarlet Claw (1944), film...Lady Lillian Gentry Penrose
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15. Lights Of Old Santa Fe (1944), film...Show Spectator (uncredited)
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16. Leave Her to Heaven (1945), film...Prison Matron
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17. Dick Tracy (1945), film...Woman
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18. Dragonwyck (1946), film...Nurse
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19. Sister Kenny (1946), film...Doctor (uncredited)
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20. Crack-Up (1946), film...Nagging Wife on Train
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21. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), film...Wedding Guest
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22. Three Godfathers (1948), film...Saloon Girl
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23. My Dear Secretary (1948), film...Miss Gee
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24. Impact (1949), film...Note-Taking Reporter in Courtroom
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...Townswoman
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26. The File on Thelma Jordon (1949), film...Juror
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27. Down Dakota Way (1949), film...Bus Passenger
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28. All About Eve (1950), film...Sarah Siddons Awards Guest
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29. Boulevard du crépuscule (1950), film...Courtier
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30. Harvey (1950), film...Party Guest
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31. Sierra Passage (1950), film...Show Spectator (uncredited)
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32. Montana (1950), film...Townswoman
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33. Caged (1950), film...Inmate (uncredited)
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34. A Place in the Sun (1951), film...Bit Part
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35. Apache Drums (1951), film...Townswoman
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36. Thunder on the Hill (1951), film...Village Woman
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37. Beyond the Sunset (1951), film...Goldie
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38. Fort Osage (1952), film...Townswoman (uncredited)
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39. Scandal Sheet (1952), film
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40. Scared Stiff (1953), film...Wife of Man with Spaghetti on Head
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41. Angel Face (1953), film...Matron
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42. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), film...Screaming Woman
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43. A Star Is Born (1954), film...Racetrack Spectator
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44. Deep in My Heart (1954), film...Shopper
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45. Artists and Models (1955), film...Dancer
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46. Wichita (1955), film...Saloon Madam
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47. The Virgin Queen (1955), film...Lady-in-Waiting - 2nd Group
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48. Daddy Long Legs (1955), film...Art Gallery Patron
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49. Gun Point (1955), film...Mrs. Metcalfe
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50. The Searchers (1956), film...Wedding Guest
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51. An Affair to Remember (1957), film...Ballet Audience Member
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52. The Oklahoman (1957), film...Townswoman Gossip (uncredited)
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53. The Horse Soldiers (1959), film...Townswoman
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54. The Best of Everything (1959), film...Woman
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55. The Tingler (1959), film...Member of Silent Movie Audience (uncredited)
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56. Sergeant Rutledge (1960), film...Courtroom Spectator
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57. Two Rode Together (1961), film...Mrs. Wringle
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58. All in a Night's Work (1961), film...Shopper
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59. The Devil's Hand (1961), film...The Elderly Cultist
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60. Twenty Plus Two (1961), film...Julia Joliet
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61. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), film...Townswoman
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...Woman at Auction / Restaurant Patron
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63. Hands of a Stranger (1962), film...Nagging Wife (uncredited)
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64. The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), film...Denver Party Guest
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65. My Fair Lady (1964), film...Cockney
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66. The Sound of Music (1965), film...Party Guest