Other meanings of Loretta Young
Actors
Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress whose career spanned over six decades, from silent films to television. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Farmer's Daughter (1947) and later hosted the long-running anthology series The Loretta Young Show (1953–1961). Known for her beauty, grace, and strong Catholic faith, Young became one of Hollywood's most enduring and respected stars.
Loretta Young was born Gretchen Young in Salt Lake City, Utah, the third of five children of John Earle Young and Gladys Royal. Her father was a streetcar conductor, and her mother was a homemaker. After her parents separated, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Young's mother encouraged her children into acting. Young began appearing in films as a child extra, and by age 14 she had signed a contract with First National Pictures. Her first credited role was in Naughty But Nice (1927), and she quickly transitioned to leading roles in the early 1930s, often playing sophisticated, worldly characters.
Young became a major star in the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in films such as The Hatchet Man (1932), Call of the Wild (1935), and The Bishop's Wife (1947). Her performance as a Swedish-American maid in The Farmer's Daughter (1947) earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, beating out favorites like Rosalind Russell and Susan Hayward. She also received nominations for Come to the Stable (1949) and Cross Creek (1983). Young was known for her meticulous preparation and her insistence on controlling her own wardrobe and makeup, which contributed to her flawless on-screen image.
In the 1950s, Young transitioned to television, hosting and starring in The Loretta Young Show (originally Letter to Loretta). The anthology series featured Young in a different role each week, often with a moral or uplifting theme. She won three Emmy Awards for the show, and it became one of the most popular programs of its era. Young also made a memorable entrance in each episode, sweeping through a door in a designer gown. After the show ended, she appeared in films and television sporadically, including a Golden Globe–winning performance in the TV movie Christmas Eve (1986). Her final film role was in Lady in a Corner (1989).
Beyond her public career, Young had a complex personal life. She secretly married actor Grant Withers in 1930 when she was 17, but the marriage was annulled within a year. In 1935, she had a daughter, Judy Lewis, with Clark Gable, whom she met during the filming of Call of the Wild. To avoid scandal, Young hid her pregnancy and had Judy raised in orphanages and boarding schools, later adopting her. Young was a devout Catholic and a staunch anti-communist, and she was active in conservative political causes. She also founded the Loretta Young Foundation, which supported charitable works. In her later years, she became a vocal advocate for the unborn and appeared in anti-abortion commercials. Young's autobiography, The Things I Had to Learn, was published posthumously in 2000.
Loretta Young's legacy endures as one of Hollywood's most versatile and beloved actresses, whose work bridged the silent era, the Golden Age of film, and the dawn of television.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.