Helen Vinson (born Helen Rulfs, September 17, 1907 – October 7, 1999) was an American film actress who appeared in 40 films between 1932 and 1945.

Early life

Vinson was born in

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

, the daughter of oil man Edward Rulfs. She developed a passion for horses during her youth. She studied at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Theater

In Austin, she met March Culmore, director of the Little Theater in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. Culmore took her as a pupil and she was soon playing lead roles with the theater. From Texas, she moved quickly to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, where her credits included ''Los Angeles'' (1927), ''Death Takes a Holiday'' (1931), ''Berlin'' (1931), and ''The Fatal Alibi'' (1932). A succession of performances followed and led to a contract with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Later, she regretted her quick leap to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

and motion pictures, saying, "If I'd stayed in New York longer, I'd be getting a much bigger salary out here now."

Film career

Vinson's

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

screen roles often featured her as the 'other' woman with an active romantic life. Her first film role was ''

Jewel Robbery ''Jewel Robbery'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy heist film, directed by William Dieterle and starring William Powell and Kay Francis. It is based on the 1931 Hungarian play ''Ékszerrablás a Váci-utcában'' by Ladislas Fodor and ...

'' (1932), which starred

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

and

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

. She appeared as Doris Delafield in ''

The Kennel Murder Case ''The Kennel Murder Case'' is a 1933 murder mystery novel written by S. S. Van Dine with fictional detective Philo Vance investigating a complex locked-room mystery. Plot summary One of the Coe brothers is found dead in his bedroom, locked f ...

'', starring Powell as

Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish— ...

. One of her memorable roles was in ''

The Wedding Night ''The Wedding Night'' is a 1935 American romantic drama film directed by King Vidor and starring Gary Cooper and Anna Sten. Written by Edith Fitzgerald and based on a story by Edwin H. Knopf, the film is about a financially strapped novelist who ...

'' (1935), when she played the wife of

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

's character and the rival of

Anna Sten Anna Sten ( ua, А́нна Стен; born Anna Petrivna Fesak, December 3, 1908November 12, 1993) was a Ukrainian-born American actress. She began her career in stage plays and films in the Soviet Union before traveling to Germany, where she st ...

, in a story about the

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

tobacco fields. In the

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

film ''

In Name Only ''In Name Only'' is a 1939 romantic film starring Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Kay Francis, directed by John Cromwell. It was based on the 1935 novel ''Memory of Love'' by Bessie Breuer. The fictional town where it is set, Bridgefield, Co ...

'' (1939), she was cast as the treacherous friend of

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

's characters. She played an undercover federal agent posing as a

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

opposite

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...

in the anti-

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

drama '' Enemy Agent'' (1940). She followed that role with that of Helen Draque in ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 comedy- mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles and his ...

''. Vinson's film career ended in 1945. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 1560

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into ...

Private life and death

Vinson married Harry Nelson Vickerman, a carpet manufacturer, in Houston, Texas, in May 1925. They divorced on February 7, 1934. In 1935, she married

Fred Perry Frederick John Perry (18 May 1909 – 2 February 1995) was a British tennis and table tennis player and former world No. 1 from England who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slam tournaments and two Pro Slams single titles, as well ...

, a British tennis champion. They lived in England before moving to Hollywood. They divorced in 1938, after which she married Donald Hardenbrook, a "wealthy New York socialite". Away from film-making and following her retirement, Vinson made frequent trips to New York City to see Broadway shows, visited friends in her home state of Texas, and enjoyed the

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. She loved horses and had a private mount named ''Arrabella''. Helen Vinson died in

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...

in 1999, aged 92.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1932) – Marianne * '' Two Against the World'' (1932) – Corinne Walton * '' The Crash'' (1932) – Esther Parrish (uncredited) * ''

They Call It Sin ''They Call It Sin'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Loretta Young as a farmer's daughter who follows a traveling salesman to New York City, only to discover he already is engaged. Plot Small-to ...

'' (1932) – Enid Hollister * ''

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang ''I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime-drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted man on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. It was released on November 10, 1932. The f ...

'' (1932) – Helen * ''

Lawyer Man ''Lawyer Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Dieterle, based on the novel by Max Trell. The film stars William Powell and Joan Blondell. It was produced by Warner Bros. By the time of the release, several actors we ...

'' (1932) – Barbara Bentley * ''

Second Hand Wife ''Second Hand Wife'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film written and directed by Hamilton MacFadden. The film stars Sally Eilers, Helen Vinson, Ralph Bellamy, and Victor Jory. The film was released on January 8, 1933 by Fox Film Corporation ...

'' (1933) – Betty Cavendish * ''

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

'' (1933) – Lola Starr * '' The Little Giant'' (1933) – Polly Cass * ''

Midnight Club ''Midnight Club'' is a series of Racing video game#Arcade-style racers, arcade-style racing video games developed by Rockstar San Diego (formerly known as Angel Studios) and published by Rockstar Games. ''Midnight Club'' is similar to the ''Mid ...

'' (1933) – Iris Whitney * ''

The Power and the Glory ''The Power and the Glory'' is a 1940 novel by British author Graham Greene. The title is an allusion to the doxology often recited at the end of the Lord's Prayer: "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen." ...

'' (1933) – Eve Borden * ''

'' (1933) – Doris Delafield * ''

As Husbands Go ''As Husbands Go'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and written by S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien. It is based on the 1931 play ''As Husbands Go'' by Rachel Crothers. The film stars Warner Baxter, Helen Vin ...

'' (1934) – Lucille Lingard * ''

The Life of Vergie Winters ''The Life of Vergie Winters'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code film, starring Ann Harding and John Boles. Plot From her Parkville jail cell, Vergie Winters watches the funeral procession of Senator John Shadwell and remembers her twenty-year past ...

'' (1934) – Laura Shadwell * '' Let's Try Again'' (1934) – Ann (Credits) / Nan Blake * '' Gift of Gab'' (1934) – Nurse * ''

The Captain Hates the Sea ''The Captain Hates the Sea'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a ''Grand Hotel''-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notab ...

'' (1934) – Janet Grayson * '' Broadway Bill'' (1934) – Margaret * ''

A Notorious Gentleman ''A Notorious Gentleman'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Edward Laemmle and written by Leopold Atlas, Rufus King and Robert Tasker. The film stars Charles Bickford, Helen Vinson, Onslow Stevens, Dudley Digges, Sidney Blackmer and Joh ...

'' (1935) – Nina Thorne * ''

'' (1935) – Dora Barrett * ''

Private Worlds ''Private Worlds'' is a 1935 Drama (film and television), dramatic film which tells the story of the staff and patients at a mental hospital and the chief of the hospital, who has problems dealing with a female psychiatrist. The film stars Claud ...

'' (1935) – Claire Monet * ''

Age of Indiscretion ''Age of Indiscretion'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Leon Gordon and Otis Garrett. The film stars Paul Lukas, Madge Evans, Helen Vinson, May Robson, David Holt and Ralph Forbes. Plot Cast *Paul Luk ...

'' (1935) – Eve Lenhart * '' The Tunnel'' (1935) – Varlia Lloyd * ''

King of the Damned ''King of the Damned'' is a 1935 British prison film directed by Walter Forde and starring Conrad Veidt, Helen Vinson, Noah Beery and Cecil Ramage. Plot summary Convict 83 is a prisoner on an island, where the harsh regime of the Governor push ...

'' (1935) – Anna Courvin * ''

Love in Exile ''Love in Exile'' is a 1936 British romantic adventure film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Helen Vinson, Clive Brook and Mary Carlisle. Production The film was shot at Isleworth Studios in west London by the independent producer M ...

'' (1936) – Countess Xandra St. Aurion * ''

Reunion Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, U ...

'' (1936) – Gloria Sheridan * ''

Vogues of 1938 ''Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938'' (also known by its shortened form, ''Vogues of 1938'') is a 1937 musical comedy film produced by Walter Wanger and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Irving Cummings, written by Bella Spewack and S ...

'' (1937) – Mary Curson * ''

Live, Love and Learn ''Live, Love and Learn'' is a 1937 romantic comedy film starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, and Robert Benchley. The movie was directed by George Fitzmaurice. Cast * Robert Montgomery as Bob Graham *Rosalind Russell as Julie Stoddard ...

'' (1937) – Lily Chalmers * ''

'' (1939) – Suzanne * '' Married and in Love'' (1940) – Doris Wilding * '' Curtain Call'' (1940) – Charlotte Morley * '' Enemy Agent'' (1940) – Irene Hunter * '' Beyond Tomorrow'' (1940) – Arlene Terry * ''

Torrid Zone The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

'' (1940) – Gloria Anderson * ''

Bowery Boy ''Bowery Boy'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by William Morgan (director), William Morgan and written by Robert Chapin, Harry Kronman and Eugene Solow. The film stars Dennis O'Keefe, Louise Campbell (actress), Louise Campbell, Jimmy Lyd ...

'' (1940) – Peggy Winters * '' Nothing But the Truth'' (1941) – Linda Graham * ''

Chip Off the Old Block ''Chip Off the Old Block'' is 1944 American comedy musical film starring Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Ann Blyth. It was Blyth's film debut. The son of a strict Navy man, O'Connor falls in love with a girl from a performing family (Ann Blyt ...

'' (1944) – Glory Marlow Jr. * ''

The Lady and the Monster ''The Lady and the Monster'' is a 1944 American science fiction horror film directed by George Sherman, and starring Vera Ralston, Richard Arlen, and Erich von Stroheim. The film is about the attempts to keep alive the brain of a multimillionaire ...

'' (1944) – Chloe Donovan * '' Are These Our Parents?'' (1944) – Myra Salisbury * ''

'' (1945) – Helena Draque (final film role)

References

* *

External links

* *
Helen Vinson
and Fred Perry New York Public Library Digital Gallery image (1935) *
Helen Vinson
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Vinson, Helen 1907 births 1999 deaths Actresses from Texas American film actresses American stage actresses People from Beaumont, Texas University of Texas at Austin alumni 20th-century American actresses