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Lucille La Verne

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Lucille La Verne
La Verne in 1915
Born
Lucille La Verne Mitchum

(1872-11-07)November 7, 1872
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 1945(1945-03-04) (aged 72)
Culver City, California, U.S.
Resting placeInglewood Park Cemetery, U.S.
Other namesLucille LaVerne, Lucille La Varney, Lucille Lavarney
OccupationActress
Years active1888–1937
Notable workOriginal voice of the Queen Grimhilde in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Lucille La Verne Mitchum (November 7, 1872 – March 4, 1945) was an American actress known for her appearances in early sound films, as well as for her triumphs on the American stage. She is most widely remembered as the voice of the first Disney villain, Queen Grimhilde in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature film.

Biography

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Lucille La Verne Mitchum was born near Nashville, Tennessee, on November 7, 1872.[1] She began her career as a child in local summer stock. As a teenager, she performed in small touring theater troupes. When she was 14, she played both Juliet and Lady Macbeth back to back. Her ability to play almost any part quickly caught the attention of more prolific companies, and she made her Broadway debut in 1888. She then became a leading lady with some of the best stock companies in America, scoring triumphs in San Francisco, Boston, and other cities. She eventually ran her own successful stock company.

On the New York stage, she was known for her range and versatility. Among her hits on Broadway were principal roles in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Seven Days and Way Down East. She was also known for her blackface roles. Her biggest stage triumph came in 1923 when she created the role of Widow Caggle in the hit play Sun Up. With her Broadway run, US tour, and European tour, La Verne gave over 3,000 performances. She also worked on Broadway as a playwright and director. In the late 1920s, a Broadway theater was named for her for a short period of time.

In 1934, La Verne experienced a life-threatening medical emergency and needed the muscles along her rib cage to be reconstructed by Los Angeles surgeons, from which she recovered.[2]

She made her motion picture debut in 1915 in the movie Over Night directed by James Young. She also performed small parts in the movies Polly of the Circus, directed by Charles Thomas Horan and Edwin L. Hollywood, and Orphans of the Storm, directed by D.W. Griffith. Her best known part is that of the voice of Queen Grimhilde, and her alter ego Witch Grimhilde, from Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was her final film performance.

Death

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Lucille La Verne died at the age of 72 in Culver City, California on March 4, 1945,[1] after suffering from lung cancer. She was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery. Her grave could not have been unmarked for "more than 100 years" when she died only 79 years ago.

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Lucille La Verne, noted actress, 72". The New York Times. March 7, 1945. p. 21. ProQuest 107039613. Retrieved November 12, 2020 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ "The Oakland Post Enquirer - Thu, Oct 18, 1934 - Page 13 - Doctors Save Actress' Life By Operation".
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