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BAT Modern Beauties 2nd Series Dorothy Wilson No 18 1909-1998
Dorothy Wilson was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, moving to Los Angeles, California after her high school graduation. Ironically, she had no interest in acting and moved to Los Angeles due to her urge to travel.
In 1930 she began working as a secretary and applied at several employment agencies. She eventually received a job at RKO Pictures, and for two years she worked there as a secretary.
It was while taking notes for director Gregory La Cava, he noticed her and convinced her do a screen test for his upcoming 1932 film 'The Age of Consent'. She won one of the two lead co-ed roles, placing her opposite Richard Cromwell. Her performance in the film received good reviews.
She would star in twenty films between 1932 to 1937. She would go on to star opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names, that included Harold Lloyd, Richard Dix, Tom Keene, Preston Foster and Will Rogers.
In 1936 she married scriptwriter Lewis R. Foster, whom she had met while filming the 1934 movie 'Eight Girls in a Boat'. Foster would later win an Oscar for his script 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', released in 1939 and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, based on Foster's book The Gentleman From Montana.
Dorothy was asked to test for the part of "Melanie Hamilton" in the epic movie 'Gone With the Wind', which she did, but she didn't win the role, it was awarded to Olivia de Havilland.
Dorothy would star in only two films after her marriage, her last being the 1937 film 'Speed to Spare', after which she retired from acting to devote time to her family.
She returned to acting only once, in an uncredited role in the 1943 film 'Whistling in Brooklyn'.
She and Foster remained together and raised a family of two children. Foster died in 1974.
Dorothy never remarried and was residing in Lompoc, California, at the time of her death on January 7, 1998.
BAT Modern Beauties 2nd Series Dorothy Wilson No 18 1909-1998
Dorothy Wilson was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, moving to Los Angeles, California after her high school graduation. Ironically, she had no interest in acting and moved to Los Angeles due to her urge to travel.
In 1930 she began working as a secretary and applied at several employment agencies. She eventually received a job at RKO Pictures, and for two years she worked there as a secretary.
It was while taking notes for director Gregory La Cava, he noticed her and convinced her do a screen test for his upcoming 1932 film 'The Age of Consent'. She won one of the two lead co-ed roles, placing her opposite Richard Cromwell. Her performance in the film received good reviews.
She would star in twenty films between 1932 to 1937. She would go on to star opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names, that included Harold Lloyd, Richard Dix, Tom Keene, Preston Foster and Will Rogers.
In 1936 she married scriptwriter Lewis R. Foster, whom she had met while filming the 1934 movie 'Eight Girls in a Boat'. Foster would later win an Oscar for his script 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', released in 1939 and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, based on Foster's book The Gentleman From Montana.
Dorothy was asked to test for the part of "Melanie Hamilton" in the epic movie 'Gone With the Wind', which she did, but she didn't win the role, it was awarded to Olivia de Havilland.
Dorothy would star in only two films after her marriage, her last being the 1937 film 'Speed to Spare', after which she retired from acting to devote time to her family.
She returned to acting only once, in an uncredited role in the 1943 film 'Whistling in Brooklyn'.
She and Foster remained together and raised a family of two children. Foster died in 1974.
Dorothy never remarried and was residing in Lompoc, California, at the time of her death on January 7, 1998.