Gloria Grahame

Gloria Grahame, born Gloria Penelope Hallward, was an American actress who began her acting career in theater and made her first film for MGM in 1944. Known for her roles in Oklahoma!, It's a Wonderful Life, The Bad and the Beautiful, and Crossfire, she adopted the surname Grahame, her mother's acting name, as her professional name and was raised a Methodist. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), MGM did not believe she had potential for major success and sold her contract to RKO. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Crossfire (1947) and won the award for her work in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), but her film career began to wane afterwards. In 1974, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which went into remission less than a year later. The cancer returned in 1980, but Grahame refused treatment, choosing to continue working until her health declined rapidly. She died on October 5, 1981.