Biography
Gertrude Dolores Messinger (April 28, 1911 – November 8, 1995) was an American film actress known for her B-movie roles from the 1930s through the 1950s. She began as a child actor in silent films, but found her greatest fame in talkies of the 1930s. During her career she appeared in more than 50 motion pictures, with particular success in westerns. Born in Spokane, Washington, she began acting early, playing child roles in silent films as early as 1917, when she had a role in the film Babes in the Woods. Fellow child actor Buddy Messinger was her brother. Her name was sometimes spelled Gertrude Messenger and she was also known as Gertie Messinger.
During the 1930s her career took off, with significant roles in more than 30 films. Her earliest starring roles were in 1932 when she starred opposite Bob Steele in Riders of the Desert, and opposite Lane Chandler in Lawless Valley. For the remainder of the 1930s, she was fairly active in films.
In 1934, she played a major part in arguably her biggest movie Anne of Green Gables, with the starring role being played by actress Dawn O'Day (later known as Anne Shirley). Her most active year was 1935 when she starred in eight feature films, most notably The Fighting Pilot with Richard Talmadge and Wagon Trail opposite Harry Carey.
In April 1932, the 20-year-old actress fled her fiancé and eloped with actor Dave Sharpe. In 1939, she married cameraman Schuyler Sanford, who later won an Oscar for his work on the film Around the World in 80 Days.
Her career slowed considerably in the 1940s, but she continued to act, mostly in uncredited roles. Her last credited role was in the 1949 film Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch. In 1952, she played in her last film, The Greatest Show on Earth, which was uncredited. She appeared in a total of 52 films in her career, 11 of which were Western films.
Filmography
all 57
Movies 57
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch (1949)
Destroyer (1943)
Redhead from Manhattan (1943)
The Miracle Kid (1941)
Niagara Falls (1941)
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940)
Our Leading Citizen (1939)
Zenobia (1939)
Feud of the Range (1939)
Secret Valley (1937)
Slippery Silks (1936)
Aces Wild (1936)
The Champ's a Chump (1936)
Blazing Justice (1936)
The Rider of the Law (1935)
Melody Trail (1935)
Adventurous Knights (1935)
Rustler's Paradise (1935)
Social Error (1935)
Roaring Roads (1935)
Wagon Trail (1935)
Wild Waters (1935)
The Fighting Pilot (1935)
Anne of Green Gables (1934)
Hat, Coat and Glove (1934)
Crack-Up (1934)
Love Past Thirty (1934)
The Woman Accused (1933)
Hollywood Runaround (1932)
Hidden Valley (1932)
Madame Racketeer (1932)
Riders of the Desert (1932)
Lawless Valley (1932)
Sinister Hands (1932)
The Kick-Off! (1931)
Mama Loves Papa (1931)
Call a Cop! (1931)
Let's Do Things (1931)
Air-Tight (1931)
Love Fever (1931)
High Gear (1931)
Blood and Thunder (1931)
Ladies Last (1930)
Bigger and Better (1930)
Doctor's Orders (1930)
The Rampant Age (1930)
Dad's Day (1929)
Two Weeks Off (1929)
Whose Baby? (1929)
Penrod and Sam (1923)
Rip Van Winkle (1921)
The Luck of the Irish (1920)
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1918)
Treasure Island (1917)
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1917)
A Bit o' Heaven (1917)
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1911-04-28
Deathday1995-11-08 (84 years old)
Birth PlaceSpokane, United States of America
RelationshipsDavid Sharpe (1932-01-01 - 1936-01-01)
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsGertrude Dolores Messinger, Gertie Messenger, Gertrude Messenger, Gertie Messinger, Gertrude Dolores Emma Messinger
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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