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Shirley Grey

Shirley Grey
Grey in 1933
Born
Agnes Evangeline Zetterstrand

(1902-04-03)April 3, 1902
Naugatuck, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedAugust 12, 1981(1981-08-12) (aged 79)
Jacksonville Beach, Florida, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1930–1935
Spouses
Foster Williams
​
​
(m. 1921; div. 1925)​
​
​
(m. 1936; died 1951)​
[1]

Shirley Grey (born Agnes Evangeline Zetterstrand;[2] April 03, 1902 – August 12, 1981) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1930 and 1935.

Early years

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Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, Grey was the daughter of Ernst Adrian Zetterstrand, a minister,[3] who died when she was eight years old. Thereafter, her mother raised Grey and her six siblings.[4] She graduated from Waterbury High School, where she was active in the Dramatic Club.[3]

Career

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Grey began her acting career with the Poli Players.[5] She went on to act with companies in New Orleans, Louisiana; Jacksonville, Florida; San Francisco, California, and Nova Scotia.[3] She had her own acting troupe, the Shirley Grey Players, in the late 1920s.[6] In 1931, she starred in the comedy-drama Chicago at the Fulton Theater in Oakland, California. It was the third play of Grey's "limited season".[7]

Grey's work in stock theater led to her career in films. A talent scout who worked for film producer Samuel Goldwyn saw Grey performing in a stock production in Oakland and arranged for her to take a screen test, which led to her signing a contract with Goldwyn.[8]

Personal life

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On August 28, 1921, Grey married actor Foster Williams,[9] known professionally as Frank McCarthy.[10] They had one son. She filed for divorce from him on September 30, 1925.[9] In 1936, Grey married English actor Arthur Margetson, who died in 1951.[2]

In her later years, Grey was a semi-recluse, living with her sisters before moving to a Jacksonville Beach, Florida, convalescent home where she died.[11]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Maxford, Howard (2018). Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company. McFarland. p. 537. ISBN 9781476629148.
  2. ^ a b Maxford, Howard (2018). Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company. McFarland. p. 537. ISBN 9781476629148. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Shirley Grey, Leading Lady Here, Began Dramatic Work While Yet in High School". The Courier-News. New Jersey, Bridgewater. October 17, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Coons, Robbin (October 5, 1931). "Long Shots and Close-Ups". Star-Gazette. New York, Elmira. p. 17. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Cotter, Robert Michael “Bobb” (2014). The Women of Hammer Horror: A Biographical Dictionary and Filmography. McFarland. p. 93. ISBN 9781476602011. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  6. ^ "Reade's Plainfield". The Courier-News. New Jersey, Bridgewater. October 29, 1928. p. 13. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Fulton Bills Shirley Grey in 'Chicago'". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. March 11, 1931. p. 21. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Shirley Grey Making Good In Pictures". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. Universal Service. August 23, 1931. p. 31. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Wife Sues Stock Actor for Divorce". Hartford Courant. Connecticut, Hartford. October 1, 1925. p. 5. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Shirley Grey". Films of the Golden Age (94): 38, 45. Fall 2018.
  11. ^ Begg, Paul (2014). Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea. Routledge. ISBN 9781317865308. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
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