Jump to content

Lauren Gilbert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lauren Gilbert
Born
Lauren Edwin Gilbert

(1927-04-29)April 29, 1927
Fairbury, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2005(2005-03-27) (aged 77)
U.S.
Alma materNebraska Wesleyan University
University of Michigan
OccupationActor
Years active1935–1974
Spouse(s)Jackson Perkins
(m. 1940; died 1994)
Children3

Lauren Edwin Gilbert[1][2] (April 8, 1911[1] – February 6, 1998) was an American stage, film, and television actor, perhaps best known for his continuing roles on the soap operas Love of Life and The Edge of Night, portraying, respectively, the smitten Tom Craythorne and villainous Harry Lane.[3][4] He also co-starred with Gene Kelly and Jocelyn Brando in the 1945 U. S. Navy-produced short subject Combat Fatigue Irritability.[5]

Early life and career

[edit]

Born in Fairbury, Nebraska[1] and raised in Kearney and Lincoln,[6][7] Gilbert was the son of Rev. and Mrs. Marvin E. Gilbert.[8] Having entered Nebraska Wesleyan University at age 15, Gilbert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1930, an later earned his MA from the University of Michigan. In the interim, he was employed for three years as an announcer at radio station KFAB in Omaha.[9]

Entering the U.S. Navy in October 1943, Gilbert was one of many Hollywood enlistees assigned to help in the production of Navy-produced films, in his case usually as a narrator.[10] But the best known of these projects—at least since its release to the general public in 2013—is Combat Fatigue Irritability (1945), starring Gene Kelly as Bob Lucas, a traumatized Navy fireman, Jocelyn Brando as his fiancée Sue, and Gilbert as Dr. Bush, the psychiatric officer assigned to treat him.[5][11]

In October 1949, a Kraft Television Theater episode entitled "To Dream Again" afforded Gilbert, by then an actor well versed in the works of Shakespeare,[12] the rare opportunity to portray the Bard himself, seen here "return[ing] to England as a wise and worldly gentleman, sufficiently human to fall in love." Gilbert costars with Janet De Gore.[13]

The summer of 1952 featured two TV collaborations with Grace Kelly, first on the Philco Playhouse episode, "Leaves Out of a Book," starring Gilbert and Claudia Morgan, and then, co-starring with Kelly in Kraft Television Theatre's presentation of the George S. Kaufman/Leueen MacGrath play, The Small Hours,[14] detailing the last-minute salvation of a seemingly crumbling marriage.

In September 1960, Gilbert's brief return to the stage accompanied that of costar Joan Fontaine in the Paper Mill Playhouse revival of Rachel Crothers' Susan and God, with Gilbert cast as Susan's disconcerted, "driven to drink" spouse, who attempts to get—and stay—on board the wagon in hopes of rekindling their long dormant relationship.[15][16][17] Later that month, it was reported that Gilbert had been signed for the role of Mr. Shelton in the Warner Brothers film, Girl of the Night, adapted from Dr. Harold Greenwald's psychoanalytic study, The Call Girl.[18]

Personal life

[edit]

Beginning on December 29, 1940, in a ceremony conducted by his father, and continuing until her death in 1994, Gilbert was married to actress Jackson Perkins,[19][20] whose onstage collaboration with her future husband extended at least as far back as 1934.[21][22] Their union produced three children, a son and two daughters.[10]

Gilbert died on February 6, 1998, at age 86, in Los Angeles.[23]

Works

[edit]

Films

[edit]
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1945 Combat Fatigue Irritability Dr. Bush [5][11]
1948 Close-Up Miller
1960 From the Terrace Charles Frolick
Girl of the Night Mr. Shelton
1961 X-15 Colonel Jessup
1963 Hootenanny Hoot Howard Stauton
1964 The Unsinkable Molly Brown Mr. Fitzgerald
1966 The Fortune Cookie Kinkaid
1973 Westworld Supervisor [24]

Plays

[edit]
Plays
Year Play Role Theater Notes
1938 Save Me the Waltz Prince Paul Martin Beck Theatre February 28, 1938 - March 1938
1939 Hamlet Francisco, Rosencrantz 44th Street Theatre December 4, 1939 - January 6, 1940
1940 King Richard II Duke of Aumerle St. James Theatre April 1, 1940 – April 27, 1940
Twelfth Night Orsino (Replacement) St. James Theatre November 19, 1940 – Mar 8, 1941
Cue for Passion Herbert Lee Phillips Royale Theatre December 19, 1940 – December 28, 1940
1942 Without Love Paul Carrel (Replacement) St. James Theatre November 10, 1942 – February 13, 1943
1946 Flamingo Road Fielding Carlisle Belasco Theatre March 19, 1946 – March 23, 1946
1947 Street Scene Steve Sankey Adelphi Theatre Jan 9, 1947 – May 17, 1947
1948 The Vigil Joseph of Arimathea Royale Theatre May 21, 1948 – May 29, 1948
A Story for Strangers Dunbar Stote Royale Theatre September 21, 1948 – September 25, 1948
1960 Roman Candle Senator John Winston Cort Theatre February 3, 1960 – February 6, 1960

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "New York, New York City, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WCQL-G2N2 : Thu Mar 07 12:35:56 UTC 2024), Entry for Lauren Edwin Gilbert and Unemployed, 16 Oct 1940.
  2. ^ University of Michigan Register 1933-1934. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. p. 105.
  3. ^ "'Love of Life' Actor Aspired to Be Doctor". The Atlanta Journal. June 7, 1958. p. 12.
  4. ^ Nora Applegate (September 6, 1956). "Bread and Butter Sure From TV, Says Actor". Mount Vernon Argus. September 6, 1956. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b c Hess, Earl; Dabholkar, Pratibha A. (2020). Gene Kelly: The Making of a Creative Legend. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press. p. 155. ISBN 9780700630172.
  6. ^ "United States, Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCVD-3G4 : Sun Jul 21 03:49:48 UTC 2024), Entry for Marvin Gilbert and Emma Gilbert, 1920.
  7. ^ "United States, Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ2M-XYT : Sun Mar 10 16:50:04 UTC 2024), Entry for Marvin E Gilbert and Emma C Gilbert, 1930.
  8. ^ "Today's Guest Editor, Dr. Marvin E. Gilbert; Dr. Gilbert's Church Work Is Widespread". The Omaha Evening Bee-News. June 6, 1936. p. 4.
  9. ^ "Activities of Week on Campuses of Nebraska Colleges and Schools: Wesleyan Notes". The Lincoln Star.
  10. ^ a b "Old Friends With New Family Return to Valley Players". Holyoke Transcript Telegram. June 22, 1945. p. 14.
  11. ^ a b National Library of Medicine (2013). "Combat Fatigue Irritability (US Navy, 1945)". YouTube.
  12. ^ "Artist Al Capp to Present Kigmy on Telecast". The Buffalo News. October 26, 1949. p. 8.
  13. ^ Stretch, Bud (October 26, 1949). "Air Waves". Camden Courier-Post. p. 24.
  14. ^ Gianakos, Larry James (1980). Television Drama Series Programming : A Comprehensive Chronicle, 1947-1959. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. pp. 128, 129, 131, 173, 179, 239. ISBN 0810813300
  15. ^ "Joan Fontaine Next at Mill". The Millburn and Short Hills Item. September 1, 1960. p. 17.
  16. ^ Guenther, Mary (March 9, 1939). "'Susan and God' Provides Pleasing Entertainment". Evansville Courier and Press. p. 11.
  17. ^ Kalter, Robert (September 6, 1960). "Joan Fontaine Fine in 'Susan and God'". The Newark Star-Ledger. p. 22.
  18. ^ "Stage, TV Actor Gets Film Role". The Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution. September 11, 1960. p. 20G. ProQuest 1644215151. HOLLYWOOD — Lauren Gilbert, Broadway and television actor, has been signed for the role of Mr. Shelton in the Vanguard Productions film 'Girl of the Night,' the Warner Bros. release now shooting in New York. Gilbert, for a number of years, was in television and appeared on Broadway with Helen Hayes and Maurice Evans in 'Twelfth Night.' 'Girl of the Night,' being produced by Max J. Rosenberg, is based on the best selling nonfiction social and psychoanalytical study, 'The Call Girl,' by Dr. Harold Greenwald.
  19. ^ United Press (December 27, 1940). "Lauren Gilbert to Wed Miss Perkins, Actress". Washington Times-Herald. p. 3.
  20. ^ "California, Death Index, 1940-1997," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPSV-DDJ : 26 November 2014), Jackson Gilbert, 03 Jan 1994; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  21. ^ "Lauren Gilbert and Jackson Perkins". The San Francisco Examiner. December 18, 1935. p. 18.
  22. ^ "To Present Shakespeare Plays at Local School". The Grand Rapids Press. October 31, 1934. p. 7.
  23. ^ "United States, Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JP4L-Q6G : 7 January 2021), Lauren E Gilbert, 06 Feb 1998; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  24. ^ Strick, Phillip (January 1, 1974). "Westworld". Monthly Film Bulletin. p. 56. ProQuest 1305841830. Charles Seel (Bellhop), Wade Crosby (Bartender), Nora Marlowe (Hostess), Lin Henson (Ticket Girl), Orville Sherman, Lindsay Workman, Lauren Gilbert, Davis Roberts and Howard Platt (Supervisors)
[edit]