Glenda Farrell Lily Pond 1937

Wise-cracking blonde Glenda Farrell captured in a newly restored tri-chrome sitting from June 1937. She was born in Enid, Oklahoma on June 30, 1904. In 1928, Farrell was cast as the lead actress in the play “The Spider” and made her film debut in a minor role in “Lucky Boy” (1929). In 1930, she starred in the comedy short film “The Lucky Break” and was then cast as the female lead in the hit gangster film “Little Caesar” (1931). Farrell appeared in over 30 films in her first five years with Warner Bros., sometimes working on three pictures that were shooting at the same time and managed to transition from one role to another. She co-starred in the Academy-Award nominated films “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang” (1932) with Paul Muni and “Lady for a Day” (1933) by director Frank Capra. She also appeared in films such as “Girl Missing” (1933), “Little Big Shot” (1935), the musical “Go into Your Dance” (1935) and the comedies “Nobody's Fool” (1936) and “High Tension” (1936). Farrell was close friends with fellow Warner Bros. actress and frequent co-star Joan Blondell. They were paired as a comedy duo in a series of Warner Bros. movies: “Havana Widows” (1933), “Kansas City Princess” (1934), “Traveling Saleslady” (1935), “We're in the Money” (1935) and “Miss Pacific Fleet” (1935). It was her role as fast-talking, resourceful girl reporter Torchy Blane in her own series of films (beginning with “Smart Blonde” (1937)) that made her a star, albeit a minor one. After her contract with Warner Brothers expired, she continued to appear with diminishing effectiveness in films for Universal (1938) and Columbia (1942-44). In the 50s, Farrell made the transition to more mature character roles, alternating screen work with Broadway plays -- pretty much throughout the remainder of her acting career -- eventually winning a Primetime Emmy Award in 1963 as Best Supporting Actress for the television series “Ben Casey” (1961). She took ill during a stage performance of "Forty Carats" in New York in 1969 and died at her home two years later, aged 67.

Tri-chrome restoration by hollywood pinups from the vintage original (carbro) camera separation negatives.