Miriam Hopkins

She married four times but all culminated in divorce. These were with actor Brandon Peters (1926–27); screenwriter and aviator Austin Parker (1928-31); director Anatole Litvak (1937–39); and war correspondent Raymond B. Brock (1945-51).

She adopted a son Michael T. Hopkins in 1932 who passed away on October 5, 2010.

On October 9, 1972, she succumbed to heart attack and was interred in the ‘Oak City Cemetery’ in Bainbridge, U.S.

She was born on October 18, 1902, in Savannah, Georgia, in the wealthy family of Homer A. Hopkins and Ellen Cutter. The marriage of her parents was not a happy one that would often see her accompanying her mother and only sister Ruby to her maternal grandfather’s house, who was the fourth mayor of Bainbridge.

Later her parents divorced and little Miriam moved with her mother and sister to Bainbridge for good. She spent happy times there acting, directing and writing several plays that she would perform with her friends in the woods, an early knack that culminated into a full-fledged acting career. She also used to sing in children's choir held at the Episcopal church of the town.

At thirteen years of age she relocated with her mother and sister to Syracuse, New York where her maternal uncle, who wanted to support the family, was a wealthy businessman.

She attended ‘Goddard Seminary’ in Barre, Vermont (at present the ‘Goddard College’ in Plainfield, Vermont), an officially recognized private liberal arts college, from where she completed her graduation. There she studied music, participated in several plays, took extra lessons in singing and piano and remained actively involved in extracurricular activities. She also turned heads there by becoming the first student to flaunt a bob-cut hair.

Thereafter she joined ‘Leboska Dance Troupe’ and performed with them till the time she broke her ankle.

At 20 she stepped into show business as a chorus girl in dancing and productions of ‘Broadway’ in New York City. After performing in local musicals she gradually started doing dramatic roles.

Her excellent stage presence and charisma added with favourable reviews she received on Broadway soon made ‘Paramount Pictures’ eager to sign her to a contract that materialised in 1930. This led to her official film debut that year with Fred C. Newmeyer directed romantic comedy ‘Fast and Loose’.

Her film career took off swiftly within a year of joining Paramount that saw her starring opposite Maurice Chevalier, the biggest actor of Paramount during that time, in the 1931 American Pre-Code musical comedy ‘The Smiling Lieutenant’, directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

She tasted her first success with the American Pre-Code horror drama film ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ in 1931. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian, where she essayed the role of a prostitute Ivy Pearson who gets involved with Jekyll and Hyde. Although she received rave reviews, many of her shots were removed prior to official release of the film due to potential controversy about the film as also her part in it.

After a couple of films she landed up with her breakthrough film in 1932, ‘Trouble in Paradise’, her second film with Ernst Lubitsch, where she proved her mettle by portraying the character of a charming yet jealous pickpocket Lily.

‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ has two stars on her, for television at 1708 Vine Street and for motion pictures at 1701 Vine Street.