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Charlotte Henry | |
|---|---|
 Henry in 1934 | |
| Born | Charlotte Virginia Henry (1914-03-03)March 3, 1914 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1980(1980-04-11) (aged 66) La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery,San Diego,California |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1930–1942 |
| Spouse | Dr. James J. Dempsey |
Charlotte Virginia Henry (March 3, 1914 – April 11, 1980) was an American actress who is best remembered for her roles inAlice in Wonderland (1933) andBabes in Toyland (1934). She also starred in theFrank Buck serialJungle Menace (1937).[1]
Henry was born inBrooklyn, New York, to Robert Emmett Henry and Charlotte Ann Sayers Henry. She began modelling at a very young age, and was always fascinated by the theatre. At age 14, she was cast in an important role inCourage, a hit Broadway play, in 1928.[2]
The following year, Henry's mother brought her to Hollywood. She repeated her part in the movie version ofCourage (1930) and enrolled at Lawlors, the school for professional children. Some of her classmates wereJackie Cooper,Frankie Darro,Mickey Rooney,Anita Louise, andBetty Grable. Junior Durkin, who had worked with her inCourage, suggested Henry for a play in which he was appearing at thePasadena Playhouse. By then, she had appeared in two more feature films:Huckleberry Finn in 1931 andLena Rivers in 1932.[citation needed]
Alice in Wonderland garnered unanimous praise for Henry.[citation needed] In 1933, she appeared in the filmMan Hunt as Josie Woodward.
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In his autobiography, directorHarry L. Fraser described filming the scene inJungle Menace during which aboa constrictor attacks the heroine Dorothy (Henry). The villain has tied Dorothy hand and foot and she thrashes about wildly, terrified when she suddenly sees the huge snake:
The snake was in no hurry. Slowly he slithered across the girl's body, while she screamed and struggled. He turned, looking for a spot to slip under her to make his first wrap. I motioned to the reptile crew to get ready, and a split-second later gave them the signal to move in. But now, the maddened snake fought them and did its best to coil around one of the men. Before that happened, however, I had cut, and we had a good cliff-hanger with our terror-stricken heroine to close the episode.[3]
Henry said that her success as achild actress left her "typed, definitely typed" and cited the difficulty of proving "that I am quite capable of playing serious adult parts."[4] The resulting lack of work in films led her to act on stage in production of theFederal Theatre Project.[4]
Henry retired from the movies and moved from Hollywood toSan Diego, where she ran an employment agency with her mother. She then became executive secretary for 15 years to the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego,Charles F. Buddy. She was married to Dr. James Dempsey and continued with her acting, appearing in several stage productions at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre.
Henry died ofcancer at age 66 in 1980. TheSan Diego Union newspaper carried the obituary and noted that she was buried atHoly Cross Cemetery.[5][unreliable source?]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Harmony at Home | Dora Haller | |
| 1930 | Courage | Gwendolyn Colbrook | |
| 1930 | On Your Back | Belle | |
| 1931 | Huckleberry Finn | Mary Jane | |
| 1931 | Arrowsmith | The Pioneer Girl | Uncredited |
| 1932 | Forbidden | Roberta - Age 18 | |
| 1932 | Murders in the Rue Morgue | Blonde Girl in Sideshow Audience | Uncredited |
| 1932 | Lena Rivers | Lena Rivers | |
| 1932 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Emma Jane | Uncredited |
| 1932 | Rasputin and the Empress | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Man Hunt | Josie Woodward | |
| 1933 | Alice in Wonderland | Alice | |
| 1934 | The Last Gentleman | Marjorie Barr | |
| 1934 | The Human Side | Lucille Sheldon | |
| 1934 | Babes in Toyland | Bo-Peep | |
| 1935 | Laddie | Shelly Stanton | |
| 1935 | The Hoosier Schoolmaster | Hannah | |
| 1935 | Forbidden Heaven | Ann, The Girl | |
| 1935 | Three Kids and a Queen | Julia Orsatti | |
| 1936 | The Return of Jimmy Valentine | Midge Davis | |
| 1936 | Hearts in Bondage | Julie Buchanan | |
| 1936 | The Gentleman from Louisiana | Linda Costigan | |
| 1936 | Charlie Chan at the Opera | Mlle. Kitty | |
| 1936 | The Mandarin Mystery | Josephine Temple | |
| 1937 | Jungle Menace | Dorothy Elliott | Serial |
| 1937 | God's Country and the Man | Betty Briggs | |
| 1937 | Young Dynamite | Jane Shields | |
| 1941 | Bowery Blitzkrieg | Mary Breslin | |
| 1941 | Flying Blind | Corenson's Secretary | |
| 1942 | She's in the Army | Helen Burke - WAC Enlistee | |
| 1942 | I Live on Danger | Nurse | (final film role) |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
