Gloria Grahame Biography

Gloria Grahame (November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an American stage, film, television actress and singer. She began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), MGM did not believe she had the potential for major success, and sold her contract to RKO Studios. Often cast in film noir projects, Grahame received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for Crossfire (1947), and would later win the award for her work in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). She achieved her highest profile with Sudden Fear (1952), Human Desire (1953), The Big Heat (1953), and Oklahoma! (1955), but her film career began to wane soon afterwards.