Lita Chevret (May 27, 1908 – May 23, 2001) was an American actress who began her career at the genesis of sound films. She appeared in over 60 films between 1929 and 1940, although in most of those she had small or non-billed parts.

Life

Chevret was born on May 27, 1908 in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, to show-business parents, who ensured that she received training in both singing and dance.

Career

Chevret began acting with a stock theater company when she was 16 years old. She also appeared in Berkeley productions of

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

and in Fanchon and Marco revues. Based on her dancing ability, Chevret broke into the film business in 1929's ''

Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 ''Fox Movietone Follies of 1929'', also known as ''Movietone Follies of 1929'' and ''The William Fox Movietone Follies of 1929'', is an American black-and-white and color pre-Code musical film released by Fox Film Corporation. Plot George Shel ...

'', with an uncredited role. The following year she appeared in '' Words and Music'' in a small unbilled role, in

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

's first film where he had a significant role (billed as Duke Morrison). That same year, she appeared in

RKO Radio Pictures 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-Orphe ...

' Rio Rita, their most successful picture of the year. In 1930, RKO would offer Chevret a 3-year contract, which would be renewed for an additional 3 years. However, she was relegated to mostly small and bit roles while under contract with RKO. When her contract expired in 1936, she made the decision not to renew, and to attempt to become a freelance actress. She continued acting for another five years, still in small and often unbilled roles, until her retirement in 1941. Her final role was a small part in '' The Philadelphia Story''.

After film

Disappointed with her continuing to be cast in smaller roles, Chevret retired in 1941. Although she had left the film industry, she remained in show business during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, touring with the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, finally retiring for good by the end of the war. She lived in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

until her death in 2001 four days before her 93rd birthday.

Personal life

Chevret was married to Alfred Hickman and Carlton Williams.

Filmography

(Filmography based on the

AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...

database, with supplemental information from Media Bang)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chevret, Lita 1908 births 2001 deaths Actresses from California People from Oakland, California Actresses from Palm Springs, California 20th-century American actresses