Dorothy McGuire is a famous American actress who began her creative career on the stage. She got into more cinema in the early 1940s. She was nominated for an Oscar several times, as well as for an Emmy award. On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there is her name star at number 6933.
Dorothy McGuire made a huge contribution to the development of American cinema in the 20th century. Having started her career in the era of the "Golden Age of Hollywood", during her career, she managed to appear in 55 projects, among which were both successful feature films and television series.
Biography facts
The future star of theater and cinema was born in 1916. Her birthday: June 14. The artist's full name sounds like Dorothy Hackett McGuire. Place of birth: Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Dorothy's father was Johnson McGuire, and her mother was Flaherty McGuire. Unfortunately, there is no additional information about who the parents of the film star were, what they did. Dorothy was the only and very long-awaited child in the family. Father and mother tried to give her a decent upbringing, to develop her natural talents. Johnson McGuire passed away when Dorothy was a teenager.
From an early age, the girl was interested in art and creativity. She was especially attracted to the theater. Even before Dorothy went to receive basic education, she already dreamed of becoming an artist. In her youth, the girl took an active part in amateur performances, studied in drama circles and diligently honed her natural acting talent.
Dorothy received her education first at Omaha Junior College. When her father passed away, the girl entered the Ladywood Convent convent school in Indiana. Then she continued her studies at Pine Manor Junior College, which is located in Massachusetts. At Pine Manor Junior College, Dorothy was president of the theater studio. The girl graduated from the walls of this educational institution at the age of 19.
After receiving her education, Dorothy McGuire decided to come to grips with the development of her acting career. She did not even think about mastering any other profession. It did not work for the aspiring artist to immediately sleep in the cinema, on television or in the theater troupe. Therefore, Dorothy worked for a while on the radio. She took part in radio performances. Although by this moment the girl already had a little experience of working on the theatrical stage. As a teenager, she appeared in the production of "A Kiss for Cinderella". This performance was staged at the Omaha Community Playhouse.
Dorothy McGuire began her professional career as an actress by taking part in performances that were shown in summer theaters. Over time, the young talented actress attracted attention and was able to get on Broadway. This happened in the late 1930s.
Initially in Broadway productions, Dorothy acted as a stunt double for the famous actress Martha Scott. She replaced the artist in such plays as "Claudia" and "Our Town". However, soon Scott refused to further participate in the performances, because the role was officially given to Dorothy.
Before getting into big movies, McGuire managed to take part in such Broadway productions as "My Dear Children", "Swingin 'the Dream", "Medicine Show", "The Time of Your Life", "Kind Lady". In the early 1940s, she received an offer from Hollywood producers to play the lead role in the film "Claudia", which became a film adaptation of the acclaimed performance. Dorothy McGuire willingly agreed, and from that moment her film career in Hollywood began.
Career development in film and television
Dorothy McGuire's film "Claudia" was released on the big screens in 1943. A year later, the artist performed a new main role in the short film "Reward Unlimited". By that time, she had already attracted the attention of producers and Hollywood directors, who appreciated the girl's talent.
In 1945, two full-length films with McGuire's participation were released at once: "Charming House" and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". The second film was particularly successful with the audience.
The next very successful projects for Dorothy were the films "Spiral Staircase" (1946) and "Gentlemen's Agreement" (1947).
In 1950, the already famous and highly demanded artist tried her hand at television. She joined the cast of Robert Montgomery Presents. This television series has been aired for 7 years. In the same 1950 premieres of new full-length films with Dorothy McGuire: "Mother Didn't Tell Me" and "Mister 880". A year later, the filmography of the actress was replenished with roles in the series "The Red Skelton Show" and "Lux Video Theater".
In subsequent years, the talented actress starred in many successful films, among which were: "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Friendly Exhortation", "The Old Liar", "The Swiss Robinson Family", "The Greatest Story Ever Told."
In 1973, the movie Jonathan Livingston The Seagull was released. As part of this project, Dorothy McGuire first tried herself as a voice actress. The next time in this role, she performed only in 1984, having worked on the Summer Heat project.
Since the mid-1970s, Dorothy has starred in television films and serials. She can be seen in projects such as Fantasy Island, Little Women, American Theater, Hotel, Way to Heaven.
The famed actress's last television film, released in 1990, was Caroline? and "The Last Best Year".
Personal life and death
Dorothy was married to John Swope. They became husband and wife in 1943. John was a photographer who later founded his own airline. In the spring of 1979, he passed away, leaving Dorothy a widow.
In this marriage, 2 children were born. The first was born a son, Mark. Growing up, he took an example from his father and connected his life with art, getting the profession of an artist and photographer. The second was a daughter, whom her parents named Topo. She was an actress.
In the late 1990s, Dorothy McGuire's health began to deteriorate. Doctors diagnosed her with heart failure. In 2001, the actress fell unsuccessfully and broke her leg, after which her health became even worse.
The Hollywood film star died in early September 2001. The doctors named the cause of death as a heart attack. McGuire died in a hospital in Santa Monica. At that time she was 85 years old.
