Loretta Young

Loretta Young, born Gretchen Michaela Young on January 6, 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah, began her career as a child actress at the tender age of three, appearing in the silent short Sweet Kitty Bellairs. Raised by her mother Gladys after her parents separated, Young and her sisters Polly Ann and Sally Blane entered the burgeoning Hollywood scene, but it was Gretchen who soon adopted the stage name Loretta thanks to actress Colleen Moore, whose favorite doll inspired the new moniker. Over a span of more than seven decades she amassed a filmography that ranged from early silent features like Sirens of the Sea (1917) to iconic 1930s talkies such as Laugh, Clown, Laugh with Lon Chaney and the pre‑Code drama Born to Be Bad opposite Cary Grant. Her versatility shone in the 1940s, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress for The Farmer's Daughter (1947) and a second Oscar nomination for Come to the Stable (1949); memorable roles in The Bishop’s Wife (1947) and The Stranger (1946) cemented her status as a leading lady of the Golden Age. In the 1950s Young transitioned to television, creating The Loretta Young Show, a pioneering anthology series that ran from 1953 to 1961, won three Primetime Emmys, and featured her signature dramatic entrances in elegant gowns—segments she later barred from re‑airing to preserve their timelessness. After a brief retirement, she returned to the small screen with award‑winning TV movies Christmas Eve (1986) and Lady in a Corner (1989), proving her enduring appeal. Off‑screen, Young’s personal life was marked by three marriages—to Grant Withers, producer Tom Lewis (with whom she had two sons, Peter and Christopher), and fashion designer Jean Louis—and the private revelation of her daughter Judy Lewis, conceived with Clark Gable under controversial circumstances. A devout Catholic and lifelong Republican, she was active in charitable work and politics, supporting Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. Loretta Young passed away from ovarian cancer on August 12, 2000, leaving behind a legacy of cinematic triumphs, television innovation, and a two‑star honor on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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