Louise Closser Hale

Louise Closser Hale (October 13, 1872 – July 26, 1933) was an American actress, playwright, and novelist.

Louise Closser Hale
Born
Louise Closser

(1872-10-13)October 13, 1872
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 1933(1933-07-26) (aged 60)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress, author, playwright
Years active1894–1933
Spouse(s)Walter Hale (m. 1899–1917; his death)

Early life

Louise Closser was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1872. Her father was Joseph Closser, a grain dealer, and her mother was Louise Paddock Closser.[1] She had two sisters, Belle and Myla Jo. Hale studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at the Boston School of Oratory.[2]

Career

Acting

Hale made her theatrical debut in Detroit in an 1894 production of In Old Kentucky.[3] She initially acted with touring troupes in the Midwest.[4] Her Broadway debut was in Arizona (1900).[5] Her first theatrical success came in 1903, when she appeared in a Broadway production of George Bernard Shaw's Candida. In 1907, she made her London debut in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.

Twelve years after her husband's death in 1917, Hale began working in Hollywood. Her first film was The Hole in the Wall (1929). Also in 1929, she reprised her role as Cora Sabbot in the film version of the Broadway play Paris. During her four years in Hollywood, she worked for Columbia, Fox, Paramount, RKO, and Warner Bros. studios and performed in 30 films.[2] She usually appeared "as a motherly or grandmotherly figure".[4]

Writing

Hale had a parallel career as an author and playwright, starting in the first decade of the 20th century. She co-wrote the play Mother's Millions and was a correspondent for Harper's Magazine during World War I.[1] Her books included Home Talent[6] and An American's London.[1] She also was an associate editor for The Smart Set magazine.[4] Her published work exceeded 10 books and 100 short stories.[7]

Personal life

In 1899, Closser married artist and actor Walter Hale, whose name she used for her stage career,[2] and who illustrated a number of her travel books. She collaborated with him in the preparation of many travel works. They traveled all over the world. Hale had no children.

Hale was one of the founders of the Stage Women's War Relief during World War I.[3]

Death

Hale was overcome by heat while shopping in Hollywood, California, on July 25, 1933, and she died following a heart attack at Monte Sano Hospital[1] on July 26, 1933,[8] aged 60. She had just recently finished filming Dinner at Eight.

In her will, Hale requested an Episcopalian funeral service as simple and as inexpensive as possible. She directed that at the close of the service her body be cremated and that "no friend or kin accompany the body further than the church door."[8] The will also said, "If I live in the memory of my friends, I shall have lived long enough."[8] She left her estate to relatives and charities. Her body was cremated and the ashes were interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Partial filmography

References
  1. "Louise Hale dies; actress, novelist". The New York Times. July 17, 1933. p. 17. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via ProQuest.
  2. Nissen, Axel. Mothers, Mammies and Old Maids: Twenty-Five Character Actresses of Golden Age Hollywood. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9045-5. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. Fisher, James; Londré, Felicia Hardison. Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Modernism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-5381-0786-7. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  4. Liebman, Roy. Broadway Actors in Films, 1894-2015. McFarland. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0-7864-7685-5. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  5. "Louise Closser Hale". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  6. "World of the Theatre: Home Talent". The New York Times. March 21, 1926. p. BR 24. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via ProQuest.
  7. Merrick, Mollie (April 24, 1932). "Hollywood in Person". The Montana Standard. Montana, Butte. North America Newspaper Alliance. p. 31. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Louise Hale aided nine institutions". The New York Times. August 3, 1933. p. 15. Retrieved November 20, 2020 – via ProQuest.
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