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Katherine Grant — Actress, American

Katherine Grant

Born
May 1, 1904
nationality
American

Career

Active 1922 – 1926

1920
1921
1922
Debut
1923
1924
1925
1926
Last credit
1927
1928

Biography

About Katherine Grant

Edited by the community

Katherine Grant's life ended on Friday the 2nd of April, 1937, after years of struggle, yet her time in silent comedy left a lasting mark. Born on Sunday the 1st of May, 1904, in Los Angeles, she was American by nationality and Caucasian by ethnicity. Her parents divorced, and her father died in 1921. At eighteen, she won the Miss Los Angeles beauty contest and went on to compete in the Miss America pageant. To earn extra money as a professional dancer, she posed nude for an art study project.

Her film debut came in the comedy short Saturday Morning, which led to a contract with Hal Roach. In 1923 alone she appeared in over a dozen films, including A Man About Town and Frozen Hearts. The photographer who took her nude photos later tried to extort her, but she reported him to the police, and the scandal did not hurt her career. By 1925 she had become one of Hal Roach's favorite comedy vamps, signing a new five-year contract. She worked with Oliver Hardy in Wild Papa and with Charley Chase in The Uneasy Three, and the two also performed together in a vaudeville act.

Katherine struggled with her weight and went on starvation diets. On December 8, 1925, she was hit by a car, and though doctors advised rest, she returned to work days later. In the spring of 1926, she suffered a nervous breakdown on set and was placed in a sanitarium, with newspapers blaming her extreme dieting. She never made another film. Her health declined, leading to dementia, and she spent the rest of her life at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino. She died at thirty-two from pulmonary tuberculosis. She was buried in an unmarked grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, but fans honored her with a marked headstone in a ceremony on August 27, 2016.

Record

Profile details

Personal

Died
Friday 2nd of April 1937 (age 32)
Years Active
1922-1926 (started around 18 years old; 4 years active)
Birthplace
United States
Ethnicity
Caucasian
Sexuality
Straight

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Frequently asked

What happened to the photographer who tried to extort Katherine Grant over her nude photos?

Katherine reported the man to the police, and the scandalous photos did not hurt her career.

How did Katherine Grant's career end?

She suffered a nervous breakdown on set in the spring of 1926, was placed in a sanitarium, and never made another film.

Where was Katherine Grant buried, and what later happened to her grave?

She was buried in an unmarked grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles. In 2016, fans honored her with a marked headstone in a special ceremony.

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