Actress Anne Gwynne was American. She made numerous significant studio appearances, primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, most notably in Universal Pictures pictures. On the big screen, she brought her cheerful charm. After starting her career as a model, Anne transitioned to acting, landing her first jobs in independent theater and short films. She immediately established herself as a dependable character performer, making appearances in Westerns, musical comedies, and science fiction, among other genres. She played a number of roles in horror movies created by Universal Pictures in the 1940s, though, which gave her a powerful presence in the American cinema industry. Before Anne’s arrival, ladies who acted by mimicking English or European mannerisms dominated the horror film genre. But by portraying her American personality in these films, Anne broke the boundaries. Since Anne continued to act throughout the turbulent Second World War, the troops stationed abroad looked up to her as their pin-up idol. She was a television pioneer who starred in “Public Prosecutor,” the first television series ever to be filmed.
Early Childhood & Life
On December 10, 1918, in Waco, Texas, in the United States, Anne Gwynne was born.
She was the daughter of Pearl and Jefferson Benjamin Trice, a producer of clothing (nee Guinn). Her family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, when she was a young girl, and she attended Stephens College to study acting.
Career of Anne Gwynne
Jefferson Benjamin Trice had to travel and go to conventions as part of his job. At one of these conventions, which was held in Los Angeles, Anne went with her father. She secured a modeling gig for Catalina Swimwear when she was in Los Angeles.
After starting out as a model, Anne Gwynne quickly transitioned to acting, a love she had fostered at a young age and which inspired her to major in drama in college.
She made her first public appearances in small-scale theatrical productions as an actor. She made appearances in a newsreel and a charity short in the 1930s, during the start of her acting career.
Anne received a significant break in 1939 when she signed a deal with Universal Pictures. After signing the contract, she was almost immediately given the opportunity to play a part in the Universal film “Unexpected Father.”
Working for Universal, Anne rose to popularity with the public. She was frequently cast by the studio in genre films, such as film noir and musical comedies, which were both common at the time.
She also appeared in a few Universal Westerns. Among them is the well-known movie “Men of Texas,” in which she starred alongside Broderick Crawford and Robert Stack. She also co-starred on screen with the comedians Abbott and Costello in the Western “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” which is another one of her standout Western performances. These two movies, both of which came out in 1942, were among Anne’s favorites.
Despite her roles in popular Westerns to start the 1940s, it was a streak of horror movies that helped to solidify her name as an actress. Anne made her acting debut in the horror movie “Black Friday.” She portrayed the character’s daughter in the 1940 picture, which featured the great Boris Karloff.
In 1944, she appeared in “House of Frankenstein,” which would become her final horror movie with Universal Pictures.
The acting ethos Anne brought to the horror films was uniquely hers. According to author and horror genre author Tom Weaver, “Anne was one of the best and most well-liked leading ladies to fans of the Universal horror pictures of the 1940s. Anne was the lively, cheerful, very American girl next door type, the stuff of instant infatuation for these movies’ predominantly male audiences, in contrast to the exotic 1930s horror heroines who typically were, or at least acted, English, European, or “mid-Atlantic” at best.”
Working during the Second World War’s tumultuous years, Anne rose to become a beloved pin-up among American soldiers stationed on foreign soil.
A pioneer in television acting was Anne Gwynne. She portrayed a significant role in the first television series ever to be shot on film, “Public Prosecutor.” It was broadcast from 1947 to 1948. Gwynne portrayed Pat Kelly, the District Attorney’s secretary, in the television series. She was a regular cast member.
Personal Legacy & Life
Gwynne wed Hollywood lawyer Max M. Gilford in 1945. Gregory and Gwynne were their two children. Max regrettably passed away in 1965. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Gwynne went on to become an actor.
On March 31, 2003, at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, Anne Gwynne passed away following a stroke.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Anne Gwynne is unknown.
Trivia
Katherine Pine and Chris Pine, both actors, are the offspring of Gwynne Gilford, Anne’s daughter. With appearances in movies like “Star Trek: Into Darkness” (2013) and “Wonder Woman,” the latter has grown in popularity (2017).