Gertrude Messinger
Gertrude Dolores Messinger was an American film actress known for her B-movie roles from the 1930s through the 1950s. She began as a child actor in silent films, but found her greatest fame in talkies of the 1930s. During her career she appeared in more than 50 motion pictures, with particular success in westerns.
Biography
Born on April 28, 1911, in Spokane, Washington, she began acting early, playing child roles in silent films as early as 1917, when she had a role in the film Babes in the Woods. Fellow child actor Buddy Messinger was her brother. Her name was sometimes spelled Gertrude Messenger and she was also known as Gertie Messinger.
During the 1930s, her career took off, with significant roles in more than 30 films. Her earliest starring roles were in 1932 when she starred opposite Bob Steele in Riders of the Desert, and opposite Lane Chandler in Lawless Valley. For the remainder of the 1930s, she was fairly active in films.
In 1934, she played a major part in arguably her biggest movie Anne of Green Gables, with the starring role being played by actress Dawn O'Day. Her most active year was 1935 when she starred in eight feature films, most notably The Fighting Pilot with Richard Talmadge and Wagon Trail opposite Harry Carey.
In April 1932, she fled with her fiancé and eloped with actor Dave Sharpe. In 1939, she married cameraman Schuyler Sanford, who later won an Oscar for his work on the film Around the World in 80 Days.
Her career slowed considerably in the 1940s, but she continued to act, mostly in uncredited roles. Her last credited role was in the 1949 film Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch. In 1952, she played in her last film, The Greatest Show on Earth, which was uncredited. She appeared in a total of 52 films in her career, 11 of which were Western films.
Death
Gertrude Messinger died of congestive heart failure in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, on November 8, 1995, aged 84.
Selected filmography
A Bit o' Heaven - A Raggedy RugglesJack and the Beanstalk Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp - YasminiThe Babes in the Woods Treasure Island The Girl with the Champagne Eyes - Miner's ChildFan Fan Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves - MorgiiannaMiss Adventure - Jane, as a childThe Luck of the Irish - The Kid's RomanceRip [Van Winkle (1921 film)|Rip Van Winkle] - Meenie Van Winkle, as a childPenrod and Sam - Marjorie JonesThe Barefoot Boy - Mary Truesdale - as a ChildThe Jazz Age - MarjorieThe Duke Steps Out - College Girl Two Weeks Off - Tessie McCannThe Rampant Age - JulieThe Boy Friends - GertieSinister Hands - Betty LangLawless Valley - RositaRiders of the Desert - BarbaraMadame Racketeer - Patsy HicksHidden Valley - Joyce LannersThe Woman Accused - Evelyn CraigHe Learned About Women - Minor Role Bondage - Diamond Trail - Blonde Secretary Love Past Thirty - Zelda BurtHat, Coat, and Glove - Elevator Operator The Age of Innocence - Ship Passenger Anne of Green Gables - DianaThe Fighting Pilot - Jean ReynoldsWagon Trail - Joan CollinsRoaring Roads - Gertrude 'Gertie' McDowellSocial Error - June MertonRustler's Paradise - ConnieAdventurous Knights - Princess CarmencitaThe Rider of the Law - Ann CarverMelody Trail - Cowgirl CuddlesBlazing Justice - Virginia PetersonThe Return of Jimmy Valentine - Blonde The Drag-Net - Switchboard Operator The Border Patrolman - Telephone Operator Our Relations - Pirate's Club Customer Aces Wild - Martha WorthRose Bowl - Girl Wild Brian Kent - Operator Secret Valley - Martin's Secretary King of Gamblers - Telephone Operator Atlantic Flight - Mary Carnival Queen - Small Young Woman Feud of the Range - Madge AllenZenobia - Party Guest Our Leading Citizen - Phone Operator The Great Victor Herbert - Barney's Secretary Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride - Miss Robinson Gambling Daughters - JaneNiagara Falls - Telephone Operator The Miracle Kid - MargePardon My Stripes - Telephone Operator Syncopation - Bride Redhead from Manhattan - Club Patron Destroyer - Girl Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch - NurseSamson and Delilah - Sunset Boulevard - Hairdresser The Greatest Show on Earth - Gertrude