Gloria Dickson

Gloria Dickson was born Thais Alalia Dickerson on August 13, 1917, in Pocotello, Idaho. After her father died her mother took Gloria and her sister to California. During high school she started acting in local theater productions. When she was nineteen a Warner Brothers talent scout saw one of her performances and offered her a contract. For her first film she was given the leading role in the 1937 drama They Won't Forget. Her performance got rave reviews and she was called the "luckiest girl in Hollywood". Gloria continued to get good roles in Gold Diggers In Paris, They Made Me A Criminal, and I Want A Divorce. In 1938 she married make-up artist Perc Westmore. He wanted her to be more glamorous and convinced her to have a nose job. After leaving MGM Gloria's career stalled. She could only only get small roles in B-movies like Lady Of Burlesque and The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine. Gloria divorced Perc and married director Ralph Murphy in 1941. Unfortunately Ralph had a wandering eye and their marriage only lasted two years. By 1944 Gloria was unemployed and overweight. She was also struggling with a serious alcohol problem. Gloria married former boxer William Fitzgerald and rented a house in West Hollywood. On April 10, 1945 Gloria was taking a nap when the house caught on fire. She tried to escape but ended up trapped in a bathroom. Gloria suffered second degree burns and died from asphyxiation. She was only twenty-eight years old. Gloria is buried at Hollywood Forever cemetery with a tombstone reading "Thais A. Dickerson, My Baby".