Tomorrow, Jan. 6 will mark the 100th birthday of one of Hollywood's most beautiful and talented of actresses - Academy Award winner Loretta Young. And you can be part of the celebration.
Loretta Young was on the silver screen as a small child when the screen was silent. When she was 14 years old she was noticed by Lon Chaney and he asked for her to featured in his film "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" and Loretta became a star. Her career blossomed in the 1930's with advent of sound and her beautiful elegance was noticable.
When most actresses were battling with studios for the best parts, Loretta went on her own and became an idependent actress in 1940. This almost unheard of then and Loretta used her indepedence to gain parts that would become synomous with her career. In 1948, Loretta won an Academy Award for her performance in "The Farmer's Daughter." She was also nominated for another Academy Award for her peformance in the Christmas classic "Come to the Stable."
In 1953, Loretta decided to try the new medium - television. Despite the fact that Louis B. Mayer called her and personally told her she would never be in a movie again, Loretta knew this new medium would be an exciting new way to perform. She starred in "The Loretta Young Show" and "The New Loretta Young Show" and won three Emmys in the meantime.
Later in life Loretta made Palm Springs her home and married dress designer Jean Louis.
Tomorrow the Palm Springs Historical Society will present a special collection of items owned by the Academy Award winning actress, with family in attendance. Then the family and visitors will walk to Loretta's star and there will be a ceremony that will proclaim tomorrow as Loretta Young day.
The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 South Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 (see map)
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Whatever your movie choice this week, please remember your movie theater etiquette: silence your cell phones & no texting, please don't talk during the film and remove your children if they become a distraction to other audience members. Don't forget that laughing, crying and cheering are always approved behavior and even encouraged.
-Kay Shackleton is a film historian with special focus on Silent Films, see her work at SilentHollywood.com
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