Helen Wood (1917-1988) was an American actress active in film and radio primarily during the 1930s. She is not to be confused with the actress and performer Helen nnWood (1935-1998), who later appeared in ''Deep Throat'' and other adult films as "Dolly Sharp."

Biography

Wood was born in

Clarksville, Tennessee Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 2020 United States ce ...

, to Edwin Wood (who worked in real estate and insurance) and Hazel Case. She had a younger sister, Mary Martha. After winning a beauty contest at Clarksville's Capitol Theatre in 1933 as a teenager, Wood earned a trip to Hollywood, where she was cast in ''

Roman Scandals ''Roman Scandals'' is a 1933 American black-and-white pre-Code musical film starring Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, Edward Arnold and David Manners. It was directed by Frank Tuttle. The film features a number of intricate production ...

'' (1933). She then returned to Clarksville to finish high school; upon her return to Hollywood after graduation, she signed a contract with MGM. She reportedly spent $4,000 on a vocal coach who helped her drop her Southern accent. She later signed at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, where she was made to compete for parts against fellow actresses

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

(then Margarita Cansino) and

Dixie Dunbar Christina Elizabeth "Dixie" Dunbar (January 19, 1919 – August 29, 1991) was an American singer, film actress, and dancer. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Dunbar grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She began studying dancing as a child and went on to si ...

. On-screen, she was frequently paired with actor Thomas Beck. Supposedly she had to back out of a big role due to an illness early on in her career. She worked in radio after her on-screen roles dried up in the late 1930s. In 1942, she married Earl Henriksen.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1933) * ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (P ...

'' (1934) * ''

Kid Millions ''Kid Millions'' (1934) is an American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and starring Eddie Cantor. Its elaborate "Ice Cream Fantasy Finale" production number was filmed in three-strip Technicolor, one ...

'' (1934) * ''

Gold Diggers of 1935 ''Gold Diggers of 1935'' is an American musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart and Alice Brady. Winifred Shaw, Hugh Herbert and Glenda Farrell are also featured. The son ...

'' (1935) * ''

Mary Jane's Pa ''Mary Jane's Pa'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Tom Reed and Peter Milne. The film stars Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Tom Brown, Robert McWade, Minor Watson, and Nan Grey. The film was released by ...

'' (1935) * ''

In Caliente ''In Caliente'' (also known as ''Viva Señorita'') is a 1935 American romantic musical comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Dolores del Río and Pat O'Brien. The film was written by Ralph Block and Warren Duff. The musical numbers were ...

'' (1935) * ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writte ...

'' (1935) * ''

She Married Her Boss ''She Married Her Boss'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Claudette Colbert. Plot Julia Scott (Claudette Colbert) is a very efficient secretary at a department store. She is in love with her boss, Richard ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Goose and the Gander ''The Goose and the Gander'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Kay Francis, George Brent and Genevieve Tobin. A woman finds out her ex-husband's new wife is cheating on him and decides to expose he ...

'' (1935) * ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' (1935) * '' My Marriage'' (1936) * '' Champagne Charlie'' (1936) * ''

High Tension ''High Tension'' (French: ''Haute Tension'', ; released in the United Kingdom as ''Switchblade Romance'') is a 2003 French slasher film directed by Alexandre Aja, co-written with Grégory Levasseur, and starring Cécile de France and Maïwenn, ...

'' (1936) * ''

Charlie Chan at the Race Track ''Charlie Chan at the Race Track'' is the 12th film in the 20th Century Fox-produced Charlie Chan series starring Warner Oland in the title role. Plot When a prominent racehorse owner winds up dead-allegedly kicked to death by his prized stall ...

'' (1936) * ''

Sing, Baby, Sing ''Sing, Baby, Sing'' is a 1936 American film. Richard A. Whiting and Walter Bullock received an Academy Award nomination in Best Original Song at the 9th Academy Awards for their song "When Did You Leave Heaven". Plot After Joan Warren (Alice ...

'' (1936) * ''

Can This Be Dixie? ''Can This Be Dixie?'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and featuring child star Jane Withers along with Slim Summerville and Helen Wood. In 1937 and 1938, Withers became one of the top 10 box-office stars i ...

'' (1936) * '' Crack-Up'' (1936) * '' Almost a Gentleman'' (1939) * ''

Sorority House North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Pilgrimage Play ''The Pilgrimage Play'' is a 1949 historical drama film directed by Frank Strayer, from an original screenplay by Arthur Pierson. It was adapted from the play by Christine Wetherill Stevenson. The film stars Nelson Leigh, Stephen Chase, and Le ...

'' (1949)

References

External Links

* Entry for Helen Wood (1) (1917-1988) at the Internet Movie Database: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0789032/ * American film actresses American radio actresses Actresses from Tennessee People from Clarksville, Tennessee 1917 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American actresses {{US-film-actor-1910s-stub