Gigi Parrish (born Katherine Gertrude McElroy; August 30, 1912 – February 8, 2006) was an American

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

who had a short career beginning in 1933, appearing only in nine films before retiring in 1937.

Early life

She was born in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, as Katherine Gertrude McElroy and raised in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. Her mother died in 1918, and McElroy and her siblings were put up for adoption. After adoption by a wealthy family, she and her step-siblings were tutored by author Dillwyn Parrish. Although he was eighteen years her senior, the two fell in love, and at the age of fifteen she married Parrish, under the name Gertrude McElroy. For their honeymoon, she and her husband started out on

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s from his family's home in

Claymont, Delaware Claymont is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware. The estimated 2017 population of the 19703 ZIP code, which Claymont encompasses, was 15,292. History The community now known as Claymont started on the banks of Naamans C ...

, intending to drive across the country to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Parrish was severely injured in an accident in the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

and, once she was physically able, they completed the remainder of the journey via train.

Career

In 1929, she and her husband moved permanently to California, where, a few years later, Parrish was signed to a contract with

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

's motion picture company. In 1933 she made her film debut in ''Roman Scandals'', starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

and

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose ...

. Parrish became a " WAMPAS Baby Star", touring the country to promote motion pictures through the

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

sponsorship. In 1934 she appeared in secondary roles in six more films.

Personal life

Gigi and Dillwyn Parrish rented a beach house in

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

, next door to Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher and her husband Alfred Fisher, with whom they became good friends. Her husband fell in love with Mary Fisher at a point when the marriage was already in difficulty. By the time both couples divorced, Parrish had already fallen in love with

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

John Weld John Weld (February 24, 1905 – June 14, 2003) was an American newspaper reporter and writer. Weld was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He had an early career in Hollywood in the 1920s as a stunt double for Tom Mix, Buck Jones and other stars. ...

(1905-2003). After appearing in nine films, she gave up her acting career and married Weld in 1937. From 1949 to 1965 she and her husband published ''The Laguna Beach Post'', at which time she was known as Katherine Weld.

Death

Her husband John Weld died in 2003 in

Dana Point, California Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...

, aged 98, after 66 years of marriage. Parrish died three years later, aged 93.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parrish, Gigi 1912 births 2006 deaths American film actresses American publishers (people) Actresses from Hartford, Connecticut People from Orange County, California 20th-century American actresses WAMPAS Baby Stars 21st-century American women