Christine Larson (born Marjorie Goss; 1925–1973) was an American film and television actress. From 1948 to 1953 she played the female lead in a number of films produced by

Monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, gradually transitioning into television. She particularly appeared in

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

s.Pitts p. 24, p. 43, p. 73, p. 107, p. 246 & p. 316 She was sometimes credited as Christine Larsen.

Early years

Larson, born Marjorie Goss in Durand, Wisconsin, was the daughter of Galen Goss. Larson shared her father's interest in horses, winning ribbons and trophies for "her excellence as a horsewoman." As a student at Durand High School, she focused on commercial art and organized the school's first drama club. She wrote and starred in plays there. Larson acted in little theatres in her home state. After her father's death, she and her mother moved to Beverly Hills, California, after Larson finished high school. She attended the

Art Center School Art Center College of Design (stylized as ArtCenter College of Design) is a private art college in Pasadena, California. History ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 in downtown Los Angeles as the Art Center School. In 1935, Fred R ...

in Los Angeles, the

University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

, and the Los Angeles School of Design.

Career

In California she designed greeting cards and first worked in the film industry as a designer of men's costumes, including those for the films '' The Dolly Sisters'', '' Dragonwyck'', and ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

''. Hoping to become an actress, she moved to New York, where she worked as a commercial artist and studied acting at the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

. She moved back to California and began to work in television and eventually in films. Winning a Los Angeles television contest "over a large and accomplished field of actresses" gave Larson the opportunity to act in motion pictures.

Personal life

Larson married John Frederick Cook on August 12, 1956, in Beverly Hills, California. He was an engineer with Pacific Telephone Company.

Selected filmography

* '' Hidden Danger'' (1948) * ''

Silver Trails ''Silver Trails'' is a 1948 American Western (genre), Western film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, and Christine Larson (actress), Christine Larson, and was released on August 28, 1948. The film starred ''Whip W ...

'' (1948) * ''

Partners of the Sunset ''Partners of the Sunset'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, Christine Larson, Steve Darrell, Marshall Reed and Jay Kirby. The film was r ...

'' (1948) * ''

Outlaw Brand ''Outlaw Brand'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Jimmy Wakely, Dub Taylor, Kay Morley, Christine Larson, Tom Chatterton and Leonard Penn. The film was released on Octob ...

'' (1948) * ''

Devil's Cargo ''Devil's Cargo'' is a 1948 American mystery film directed by John F. Link Sr. It was the fourteenth of the sixteen Falcon films produced in the 1940s, and the first of the three featuring the magician and actor John Calvert. The film was r ...

'' (1948) * '' The Fighting Ranger'' (1948) * ''

Belle Starr's Daughter ''Belle Starr's Daughter'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring George Montgomery, Rod Cameron and Ruth Roman. Plot After the town marshal of Antioch is shot by Bob Yauntis, the newly appointed Tom Jackso ...

'' (1948) * '' Crashing Thru'' (1949) * ''

Trial Without Jury ''Trial Without Jury'' is a 1950 American mystery film directed by Philip Ford and starring Robert Rockwell, Barbra Fuller and Kent Taylor.Pierce p.352 The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Hotaling Frank Hotaling (April ...

'' (1950) * ''

Valley of Fire Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly located south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sa ...

'' (1951) * ''

The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL, was launched in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annual income of $2 million. ...

'' (1951) * ''

Brave Warrior ''Brave Warrior'' is a 1952 Technicolor American Western film, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. It stars Jon Hall and Christine Larsen. The story is based on events during the War of 1812 and the Battle of Tippecanoe, but contains historical ...

'' (1952) * ''

Last Train from Bombay ''Last Train from Bombay'' is a 1952 American drama film starring Jon Hall, Christine Larson and Lisa Ferraday. Plot An American diplomat is accused of murder during an Indian civil war and becomes involved in an assassination plot. Cast * Jo ...

'' (1952) * ''

Valley of the Head Hunters ''Valley of the Head Hunters'' (reissued as ''Valley of Head Hunters'') is a 1953 adventure film directed by William Berke and starring Johnny Weissmuller in his eleventh appearance as Jungle Jim. Plot The District Commissioner sends out his rep ...

'' (1953)

References

Bibliography

* Pitts, Michael R. ''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films''. McFarland, 2012.

External links

* 1925 births 1973 deaths American film actresses American television actresses People from Durand, Wisconsin Actresses from Wisconsin {{US-actor-stub