Claire Trevor
(1909 - 2000)Always the hussy, floozy, gangsters moll or "good-girl gone-bad", she was a definite asset to the film community. She is best remembered for her work in the film classic "Key Largo" but she did some other stunning work. A diminutive woman, she was lithe, lovely and blonde with sensuous looks and a smoky voice. She was born Claire Wemlinger on March 8, 1909 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York the only child of a 5th Avenue merchant-tailor, Noel Wemlinger and his wife Betty. Upon graduation from high school she attended Columbia University briefly where she took some art courses and later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts studying acting for six months. She refined her craft in community repertory theatres in Michigan, Missouri and New York. This led to her debut on Broadway in the 1930s where she had both success and failure. Also at this time she appeared in some Vitaphone shorts which were filmed in the New York City area followed by a string of appearances in 'B' movies. Her feature film debut came in: "Jimmy and Sally" (1933) as Sally Johnson. Her other film credits included: "The Last Trail" (1933) as Patricia Carter; "The Mad Game" (1933) as Jane Lee; "Hold That Girl" (1934) as Tonie Bellamy; "Baby Take a Bow" (1935) with Shirley Temple, as Kay Ellison, a nifty role in a pleasing film; "Dante's Inferno" (1935) with Spencer Tracy, as Betty McWade; "The Song and Dance Man" (1936) as Julia Carroll; "Career Woman" (1936) as Carroll Aiken; "Human Cargo" (1936) with Brian Donlevy, as Bonnie Brewster; "Big Town Girl" (1937) as Fay Loring; the film classic "Dead End" (1937) as Francie, one of my favorites of her roles; "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" (1938) as Jo Keller; another film classic "Stagecoach" (1939) as Dallas; "Allegheny Uprising" (1939) with John Wayne, as Janie; "I Stole a Million" (1939) with George Raft, as Laura Benson; "Dark Command" (1940) with John Wayne, as Miss Mary McCloud; "Honky Tonk" (1941) with Clark Gable, as 'Gold Dust' Nelson; "Crossroads" (1942) as Michelle Allain; "Murder, My Sweet" (1944) as Mrs. Helen Grayle/Velma Valento; "Johnny Angel" (1945) as Lilah Gustafson; "The Velvet Touch" (1948) as Marian Webster; the classic "Key Largo" (1948) with Humphrey Bogart, as Gaye Dawn, a terrific role which won her an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress; "The Babe Ruth Story" (1948) as Claire (Hodgson) Ruth; "Borderline" (1950) as Madeleine Haley; "Best of the Badmen" (1951) as Lily Fowler; "The Stranger Wore a Gun" (1953) as Josie Sullivan; "The High and the Mighty" (1954) as May Holst; "The Mountain" (1956) with Spencer Tracy, as Marie; "Marjorie Morningstar" (1958) as Rose Morgenstern; "How to Murder Your Wife" (1965) with Jack Lemmon & Terry-Thomas, as Edna Lampson and "Kiss Me Goodbye" (1982) as Charlotte Banning, her final theatrical film. On TV she appeared in the TV movie "Breaking Home Ties" (1987) which was her final role. She also guest starred on such series as: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Producers' Showcase"; "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse"; "Wagon Train"; "The Untouchables"; "Dr. Kildare"; "Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote." She was married to Clark Andrews from 1938-1942 which ended in divorce, then in 1943 she married Cylos Dunsmoore and they had a son, Charles but the marriage ended in divorce. Her third marriage to Milton Bren in 1948 lasted until his death in 1978 and gave her two stepsons Donald and Peter Bren. Sadly, her only son died in 1979 in an airline disaster only a year after the death of her husband. She died of respiratory failure on April 8, 2000 in Newport Beach, California at age 91.
From Great Character Actors, Page 7.
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