Hedda Hopper

Hedda Hopper
in 1929
Born	Elda Furry (1885-05-02)May 2, 1885 Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	February 1, 1966(1966-02-01) (aged 80) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Cause of death	Double pneumonia
Resting place	Rose Hill Cemetery in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Other names	Elda Furry Elda Milar Mrs. DeWolf Hopper
Occupation	Actress, gossip columnist
Years active	1908–1966
Known for	Writing "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood"
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	DeWolf Hopper (m. 1913–1922)
Children	William Hopper (1915–1970)

Hedda Hopper (May 2, 1885 – February 1, 1966) was one of America's best-known gossip columnists, notorious for feuding with her arch-rival Louella Parsons.

She had been an actress of stage and screen for years before being offered the chance to write the column "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" for the Los Angeles Times in 1938. In the McCarthy era she named suspected communists. Hopper continued to write gossip to the end, her work appearing in countless magazines and later on radio.

Early life

She was born Elda Furry in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, the daughter of David D. (born 1857) and Margaret Miller (born 1856) Furry, members of the German Baptist Brethren. Her siblings included Dora Furry (born 1880); Sherman Furry (born 1882); Cameron Furry (born 1887); Edgar Furry (1889–1975); Frank M. Furry (born 1891); and Margaret Furry (born 1897). The family moved to Altoona when Elda was three. Her father was a butcher who owned a shop.

Career

Acting

She eventually ran away to New York City and began her career in the chorus on the Broadway stage. Hopper was not successful in this venture, even getting the axe by the renowned Shubert Brothers. Florenz Ziegfeld called the aspiring starlet a "clumsy cow" and brushed off her pleas for a slot in the Follies. After a few years, she joined the theater company of matinee idol DeWolf Hopper, whom she called "Wolfie."

In her words, "Dancing came easy to me. And in singing, what my voice lacked in quality it made up for in volume." Thus, she remained in the chorus and they toured the country from one end to the other. While in the Hopper company, she realized that chorus and understudy jobs were not acting. She wanted to act, and she knew she would have to prove herself before she could hope to get anywhere in the theater. Hearing that Edgar Selwyn was casting his play The Country Boy for a road tour, she went to his office and talked him into letting her audition for the lead. She was given the role and the show toured for thirty-five weeks through forty-eight states. She studied singing during the summer and, in the fall, toured with The Quaker Girl in the second lead, the prima donna role. The show closed in Albany.

with Carole Lombard in The Racketeer (1929)

In 1913, she became the fifth wife of DeWolf Hopper, whose previous wives were named Ella, Ida, Edna and Nella. The similarity in names caused some friction, as he would not always call Elda by her proper name but rather by the names of one of his previous wives. Consequently, Elda Hopper paid a numerologist $10 to tell her what name she should use, and the answer was Hedda.

Hopper began acting in silent movies in 1915. Her motion picture debut was in The Battle of Hearts (1916) with William Farnum. She appeared in more than 120 movies over the following twenty-three years, usually portraying distinguished-looking society women.

Writing

As her movie career waned in the mid-1930s, Hopper looked for other sources of income. In 1937, she was offered the chance of a lifetime and embarked on a career doing something she was quite adept at: gossip. Her gossip column called "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" debuted in the Los Angeles Times on February 14, 1938. After years of struggling as an actress, she had finally found her niche. She christened the home she purchased in Beverly Hills "The House That Fear Built". She maintained a notorious feud with the long-established Louella Parsons, who had been friendly to her in print and to whom she had sometimes passed information. Hopper and Parsons became arch rivals competing fiercely, and often nastily, for the title "Queen of Hollywood", although those who knew both declared that Hopper, a former actress, was more sadistic.

Hopper was noted for her hats, considered her trademark, mostly because of her taste for large, flamboyant ones; and her hats were so famous that, in the 1946 movie, Breakfast in Hollywood, Del Porter, backed by Spike Jones and his City Slickers, sang a novelty song, "A Hat for Hedda Hopper" while Hopper was sitting in the audience wearing an extraordinary milliner's creation.

She was known for hobnobbing with the biggest names in the industry, for getting a "scoop" before almost anyone else most of the time, and for being vicious in dealing with those who displeased her, whether intentionally or not. Fictional columnist J.J. Hunsecker, played by Burt Lancaster in the film Sweet Smell of Success, is said to have been inspired at least in part by Hedda Hopper. Hopper courted controversy as well for "naming names" of suspected or alleged Communists during the Hollywood Blacklist. Her frequent attacks against Charlie Chaplin in the 1940s for his leftist politics and love life contributed to his departure from America in 1952. After publishing a blind item on Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's relationship, Tracy confronted her at Ciro's and kicked her in the bottom. Similarly, after she had printed a story about an extramarital affair between Joseph Cotten and Deanna Durbin, Cotten ran into Hopper at a social event and pulled out her chair, only to continue pulling it out from under her when she sat down.

She spread rumors that Michael Wilding and Stewart Granger had a sexual relationship; Wilding later sued Hopper for libel and won. ZaSu Pitts compared Hopper unfavorably with "a ferret". Joan Bennett sent Hopper a skunk one Valentine's Day.

Politics

Hopper was a fervent Republican. In 1944, for instance, she spoke before the massive rally organized by David O. Selznick in the Los Angeles Coliseum in support of the Dewey-Bricker ticket as well as Governor Earl Warren of California, who would become Dewey's running mate in 1948 and later the Chief Justice of the United States. The gathering drew 93,000, with Cecil B. DeMille as the master of ceremonies and Walt Disney as one of the speakers. Among the others in attendance were Ann Sothern, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Adolphe Menjou, Gary Cooper, Eddy Arnold, William Bendix, and Walter Pidgeon.

Hopper strongly supported the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings and was a guest and speaker of the Women's Division at the 1956 Republican National Convention held in San Francisco to renominate the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket.

Radio and television

Hopper debuted as host of her own radio program, The Hedda Hopper Show, November 6, 1939. Sponsored by Sunkist, she was heard on CBS three times a week for 15 minutes until October 30, 1942. From October 2, 1944 to September 3, 1945, Armour Treet sponsored a once-a-week program. On September 10, 1945, she moved to ABC, still sponsored by Armour, for a weekly program that continued until June 3, 1946. Hopper moved back to CBS October 5, 1946, with a weekly 15-minute program, This Is Hollywood, sponsored by Procter & Gamble. It ran until June 28, 1947.

Expanding to 30 minutes on NBC, she was host of a variety series, The Hedda Hopper Show, broadcast from October 14, 1950 to November 11, 1950 on Saturdays, then from November 19, 1950 to May 20, 1951 on Sundays, This program featured music, talk and dramatized excerpts from movies with well-known guests, such as Broderick Crawford doing a scene from All the King's Men.

On January 10, 1960, a television special, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood, aired on NBC. Hosted by Hopper, guest interviews included a remarkably eclectic mix of then-current and former stars: Lucille Ball (a longtime friend of Hopper), Francis X. Bushman, Liza Minnelli, John Cassavetes, Robert Cummings, Marion Davies (her last public appearance), Walt Disney, Janet Gaynor, Bob Hope, Hope Lange, Anthony Perkins, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, and Gloria Swanson.

Hopper also had several acting roles during the latter part of her career, including brief cameo appearances as herself in the movie Sunset Boulevard (1950) and The Patsy (1964), as well as episodes of The Martha Raye Show, I Love Lucy, The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, and The Beverly Hillbillies, starring Buddy Ebsen. Her autobiography, From Under My Hat (Doubleday, 1952) was followed by The Whole Truth and Nothing But (1962), also published by Doubleday.

Hopper remained active as a writer until her death, producing six daily columns and a Sunday column for the Chicago Tribune syndicate, as well as writing countless articles for celebrity magazines such as Photoplay.

Personal life

On May 8, 1913, she married actor and singer DeWolf Hopper in New Jersey. They had one child, William, who later portrayed the role of Paul Drake in the Perry Mason series. They were divorced in 1922.

Death

Hopper died February 1, 1966, of double pneumonia at the age of 80 in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood. She is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Altoona, Pennsylvania.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Hopper has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6313½ Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.

Selected filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1916	The Battle of Hearts	Maida Rhodes	Credited as Elda Furry
1917	Her Excellency, the Governor	Sylvia Marlowe	Credited as Elda Milar
1917	Seven Keys to Baldpate	Myra Thornhill	Credited as Elda Furry
1917	Nearly Married	Hattie King
1918	By Right of Purchase	Society Woman	Uncredited
1918	Virtuous Wives	Irma Delabarre	Credited as Mrs. DeWolf Hopper
1919	The Third Degree	Mrs. Howard Jeffries, Sr	Lost film
1919	Sadie Love	Mrs. James Wakeley
1919	The Isle of Conquest	Mrs. Harmon	Lost film
1920	The New York Idea	Vida Phillimore
1921	Heedless Moths	His Wife
1921	The Inner Chamber	Mrs. Candor	Lost film Credited as Mrs. DeWolf Hopper
1921	Conceit	Mrs. Agnes Crombie	Credited as Mrs. DeWolf Hopper
1922	Sherlock Holmes	Madge Larrabee
1922	What's Wrong with the Women?	Mrs. Neer	Credited as Mrs. DeWolf Hopper
1923	Has the World Gone Mad!	Mrs. Adams
1923	Reno	Mrs. Kate Norton Tappan
1924	Gambling Wives	Madame Zoe
1924	Why Men Leave Home	Nina Neilson
1924	Happiness	Mrs. Chrystal Pole
1924	Miami	Mary Tate
1924	Another Scandal	Cousin Elizabeth MacKenzie
1925	Her Market Value	Mrs. Bernice Hamilton
1925	Declassée	Lady Wildering
1925	Dangerous Innocence	Muriel Church	Lost film
1925	Zander the Great	Mrs. Caldwell
1925	Raffles	Mrs. Clarice Vidal
1925	The Teaser	Margaret Wyndham	Lost film
1925	Borrowed Finery	Mrs. Bordon	Lost film
1926	Dance Madness		Lost film
1926	The Caveman	Mrs. Van Dream
1926	Pleasures of the Rich	Mona Vincent	Lost film
1926	Skinner's Dress Suit	Mrs. Colby
1926	Don Juan	Marchesia Rinaldo
1926	Obey The Law	Society Woman
1927	Orchids and Ermine	The Modiste
1927	Matinee Ladies	Mrs. Aldrich	Lost film
1927	Children of Divorce	Katherine Flanders
1927	Wings	Mrs. Powell	Uncredited
1927	The Cruel Truth	Grace Sturdevant
1927	The Drop Kick	Mrs. Hamill
1927	A Reno Divorce	Hedda Frane	Lost film
1928	Companionate Marriage	Mrs. Moore	Lost film
1928	The Port of Missing Girls	Mrs. C. King
1928	Green Grass Widows	Mrs. Worthing	Lost film
1929	Girls Gone Wild	Mrs. Holworthy	Lost film
1929	The Last of Mrs. Cheyney	Lady Maria
1929	His Glorious Night	Mrs. Collingswood Stratton
1929	The Racketeer	Mrs. Karen Lee
1929	A Song of Kentucky	Mrs. Coleman	Lost film
1930	High Society Blues	Mrs. Divine
1930	Holiday	Susan Potter
1930	Let Us Be Gay	Madge Livingston
1930	Our Blushing Brides	Mrs. Weaver
1930	War Nurse	Matron
1931	The Easiest Way	Mrs. Clara Williams	Uncredited
1931	A Tailor Made Man	Mrs. Stanlaw
1931	The Mystery Train	Mrs. Marian Radcliffe
1931	Flying High	Mrs. Smith
1932	The Man Who Played God	Mrs. Alice Chittendon
1932	Night World	Mrs. Rand
1932	As You Desire Me	Ines Montari
1932	Skyscraper Souls	Ella Dwight
1932	Downstairs	Countess De Marnac
1932	Speak Easily	Mrs. Peets
1933	Men Must Fight	Mrs. Chase
1933	The Barbarian	Mrs. Loway, American Tourist
1933	Pilgrimage	Mrs. Worth (Gary Worth's mother)
1933	Beauty for Sale	Madame Sonia Barton
1934	Little Man, What Now?	Nurse	Uncredited
1935	One Frightened Night	Laura Proctor
1935	Alice Adams	Mrs. Palmer
1935	I Live My Life	Alvin's Mother
1935	Ship Cafe	Tutor
1936	The Dark Hour	Mrs. Tallman
1936	Dracula's Daughter	Lady Esme Hammond
1936	Bunker Bean	Mrs. Dorothy Kent
1937	You Can't Buy Luck	Mrs. Agnes White
1937	Topper	Mrs. Stuyvesant
1937	Artists and Models	Mrs. Townsend
1937	Vogues of 1938	Mrs. Van Klettering	Uncredited
1937	Nothing Sacred	Dowager on Ship	Uncredited
1938	Tarzan's Revenge	Penny Reed
1938	Maid's Night Out	Mrs. Harrison
1938	Dangerous to Know	Mrs. Emily Carson
1938	Thanks for the Memory	Polly Griscom
1939	Midnight	Stephanie
1939	The Women	Dolly Dupuyster
1939	What a Life	Mrs. Aldrich
1939	That's Right - You're Wrong	Hedda Hopper - Newspaper Columnist	Uncredited
1939	Laugh It Off	Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rockingham
1940	Queen of the Mob	Mrs. Emily Sturgis
1940	Cross-Country Romance	Mrs. North
1941	Life with Henry	Mrs. Aldrich
1941	I Wanted Wings	Mrs. Young	Uncredited
1942	Reap the Wild Wind	Aunt Henrietta Beresford
1950	Sunset Boulevard	Herself
1960	Pepe	Herself, Cameo appearance
1964	The Patsy	Herself
1966	The Oscar	Herself

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1951-1963	What's My Line?	Herself - Mystery Guest	7 episodes
1953	Goodyear Television Playhouse	Hostess	Episode: "A. Fadeout"
1955	I Love Lucy	Herself	Episode: "The Hedda Hopper Story"
1955	The Colgate Comedy Hour	Herself - Gossip Columnist	2 episodes
1956	The Bob Hope Show	Herself	2 episodes
1956	The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show	Herself	Episode #1.19
1957	Playhouse 90	Various roles	2 episodes
1957	The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour	Herself	Episode: "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana"
1958	The Garry Moore Show	Herself	Episode #1.5
1959	Small World	Herself	Episode #2.8
1959	Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse	Herself	Episode: "The Desilu Revue"
1960	Hedda Hopper's Hollywood	Host	Television special
1960	The Steve Allen Show	Herself	Episode: "The Movie Premiere of 'Can-Can'"
1961	Here's Hollywood	Herself	October 31, 1961 episode
1964	The Beverly Hillbillies	Herself	Episode: "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood"
1966	The New Alice in Wonderland	Hedda, the Mad Hatter (Voice)	Television film

In popular culture

Portrayals

Jane Alexander received an Emmy nomination portraying Hopper in the 1985 TV film Malice in Wonderland opposite Elizabeth Taylor as Louella Parsons.

She was also portrayed by Katherine Helmond in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story, a 1995 made for TV movie, by Joanne Linville in James Dean, a 2001 made for TV movie, and by Jenn Colella in Chaplin: the musical on Broadway in 2012.

See also

• Jimmie Fidler

Further reading

• Frost, Jennifer. "Hedda Hopper, Hollywood Gossip, and the Politics of Racial Representation in Film, 1946–1948,” Journal of African American History, 93 (Winter 2008), 36–63.

External links

• Hedda Hopper at the Internet Broadway Database
• Hedda Hopper at the Internet Movie Database
• Hedda Hopper at AllRovi
• Hedda Hopper and others on Orson Welles' 1944 radio show