Josephine Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Josephine Hutchinson was an American actress.
She was born in Seattle, Washington
. Her mother, Leona Roberts, was an actress best-known for her role as "Mrs. Meade" in Gone with the Wind
. Through her mother's connections, Hutchinson made her film debut at the age of thirteen in The Little Princess, starring Mary Pickford
. She later attended the Cornish School of Music and Drama in Seattle, and then moved to New York City where she began acting in theater. By the late 1920s she was one of the actors able to make the transition from silent movies
to talkies.
Hutchinson married Robert W. Bell, a stage director, in 1924. In 1926, she met the actress Eva Le Gallienne
and became a member of Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre company. By 1927, the two women were involved in a lesbian
affair, and Hutchinson and Bell, who separated in 1928, were divorced in 1930. The press quickly dubbed her Le Gallienne's shadow, a term which at the time meant lesbian
. Both actresses survived the scandal in those heady days and carried on with their respective careers.
Under contract with Warner Bros.
, Hutchinson went to Hollywood in 1934, debuting in Happiness Ahead. She was featured on the cover of Film Weekly on August 23, 1935 and appeared in The Story of Louis Pasteur
in 1936.
At Universal
she played Elsa von Frankenstein in one of her most memorable roles alongside actor Basil Rathbone
and Boris Karloff
in Son of Frankenstein
(1939). She later played "Mrs Townsend" in North by Northwest
(1959) and Love is Better Than Ever, starring Elizabeth Taylor
.
Hutchinson continued to work steadily through the 1970s in film, radio, and television, establishing a solid career in supporting roles. She appeared on, among other television programs, Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason and Gunsmoke.
She was born in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Her mother, Leona Roberts, was an actress best-known for her role as "Mrs. Meade" in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. Through her mother's connections, Hutchinson made her film debut at the age of thirteen in The Little Princess, starring Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. She later attended the Cornish School of Music and Drama in Seattle, and then moved to New York City where she began acting in theater. By the late 1920s she was one of the actors able to make the transition from silent movies
Silent Movies
Silent Movies are 13 solo guitar compositions by Marc Ribot released September 28, 2010 on Pi Recordings.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "For those interested in one of the more compelling and quietly provocative and graceful guitar records of 2010,...
to talkies.
Hutchinson married Robert W. Bell, a stage director, in 1924. In 1926, she met the actress Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century.-Early life and early career:...
and became a member of Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre company. By 1927, the two women were involved in a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
affair, and Hutchinson and Bell, who separated in 1928, were divorced in 1930. The press quickly dubbed her Le Gallienne's shadow, a term which at the time meant lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. Both actresses survived the scandal in those heady days and carried on with their respective careers.
Under contract with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, Hutchinson went to Hollywood in 1934, debuting in Happiness Ahead. She was featured on the cover of Film Weekly on August 23, 1935 and appeared in The Story of Louis Pasteur
The Story of Louis Pasteur
The Story of Louis Pasteur is a 1936 American biographical film. It starred Paul Muni as the renowned scientist. It was written by Toni Pollastre and Sheridan Gibney, and Edward Chodorov , and directed by William Dieterle....
in 1936.
At Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
she played Elsa von Frankenstein in one of her most memorable roles alongside actor Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
and Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
in Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series and the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi as Ygor. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein....
(1939). She later played "Mrs Townsend" in North by Northwest
North by Northwest
North by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau...
(1959) and Love is Better Than Ever, starring Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
.
Hutchinson continued to work steadily through the 1970s in film, radio, and television, establishing a solid career in supporting roles. She appeared on, among other television programs, Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason and Gunsmoke.
Personal life
Hutchinson and Le Gallienne were intimately involved for a number of years, although Hutchinson was married three times. (Le Gallienne never married.) Hutchinson married James F. Townsend in 1935; they later divorced. She married, lastly, actor Staats Cotsworth in 1972; he died in 1979.Select filmography
- Oil for the Lamps of ChinaOil for the Lamps of China (film)Oil for the Lamps of China is a 1935 drama film starring Pat O'Brien and Josephine Hutchinson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Alice Tisdale Hobart. A man blindly puts his faith in his employer.-Plot:...
(1935) - The Story of Louis PasteurThe Story of Louis PasteurThe Story of Louis Pasteur is a 1936 American biographical film. It starred Paul Muni as the renowned scientist. It was written by Toni Pollastre and Sheridan Gibney, and Edward Chodorov , and directed by William Dieterle....
(1935) - Mountain Justice (1937)
- The Women Men MarryThe Women Men MarryThe Women Men Marry is a 1937 Hollywood film. The film stars George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Claire Dodd and Toby Wing and was directed by Errol Taggart. The filmscript is credited to Donald Henderson Clarke....
(1937) - Son of FrankensteinSon of FrankensteinSon of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series and the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi as Ygor. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein....
(1939) - My Son, My Son!My Son, My Son!My Son, My Son! is a 1940 drama film based on a novel by the same name written by Howard Spring and directed by Charles Vidor. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by John DuCasse Schulze.-Cast:* Madeleine Carroll - Livia Vaynol...
(1940) - Tom Brown's School Days (1940)
- Somewhere in the Night (1946)
- Cass TimberlaneCass TimberlaneCass Timberlane is a novel written by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1945. It is Sinclair Lewis' nineteenth novel and one of his last.It was made into a romantic drama film starring Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner, directed by George Sidney, and released in 1947.Timberlane is a minor character in...
(1947) - Adventure in BaltimoreAdventure in Baltimore (1949 film)Adventure in Baltimore is a 1949 Drama directed by Richard Wallace, starring Robert Young and Shirley Temple. Dinah Sheldon is a student at an exclusive girl's school who starts campaigning for women's rights...
(1949) - Love Is Better Than EverLove Is Better Than EverLove Is Better Than Ever is a 1952 American romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Ruth Brooks Flippen, starring Larry Parks and Elizabeth Taylor. The plot concerns a small-town girl who falls in love with a big-city talent agent.-Cast:*Larry Parks as Jud...
(1952) - Ruby GentryRuby GentryRuby Gentry is a 1952 film noir, directed by King Vidor and starring Jennifer Jones, Charlton Heston and Karl Malden.-Synopsis:A poor young girl marries a rich man she doesn't love, while carrying a torch for another man.-Cast:...
(1952) - North by NorthwestNorth by NorthwestNorth by Northwest is a 1959 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau...
(1959) - Baby the Rain Must FallBaby the Rain Must FallBaby the Rain Must Fall is a 1965 American drama film starring Steve McQueen, directed by Robert Mulligan. Dramatist Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay, based it on his play The Travelling Lady.-Plot:...
(1965) - Nevada SmithNevada SmithNevada Smith is a 1966 American Western film starring Steve McQueen and made by Embassy Pictures and Solar Productions, in association with and released by Paramount Pictures. The movie was produced and directed by Henry Hathaway with Joseph E...
(1966)