Vera Pogorelsky Gordon (June 11, 1886 – May 8, 1948) was a Russian-born American stage and screen actress.

Early life

Vera Pogorelsky was born in

Ekaterinoslav Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...

, Russia, on June 11, 1886, the daughter of Boris Pogorelsky and Teigan Nemirovsky. She emigrated with her family to the United States when she was seven.

Career

Pogorelsky was a child actor but she was fired by the directors of the Shevchenko Imperial Company when they learned she was of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

heritage. After emigrating to the United States, Pogorelsky, now Gordon, appeared in smaller theater like the Liberty and the Lyric in New York’s

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

. In 1916 Gordon went on a tour in England, appearing in vaudeville and theatre. Gordon starred in several motion pictures such as ''

Humoresque Humoresque (or Humoreske) is a genre of Romantic music characterized by pieces with fanciful humor in the sense of mood rather than wit. History The name refers to the German term ''Humoreske'', which was given from the 1800s (decade) onward to h ...

'' and ''

The Cohens and Kellys ''The Cohens and Kellys'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Harry A. Pollard and starring Charles Murray, George Sidney, Kate Price, and Jason Robards Sr. The film is the first of the ''Cohens and Kellys'' film serials. The f ...

''. She represented the archetypical Jewish mother. She contributed to newspapers and magazines on marriage and children, and supported Jewish children orphanages. She was a member of

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

, Russian-American Art Club of Los Angeles, and Grand Street Boys, N.Y.

Personal life

In 1904, in Russia, Vera Pogorelsky married Nathan A. Gordon, a producer and writer at the Ostoffersk Acting Company, and had two children: William (b. 1904) and Nadje (b. 1907). In 1905 the Gordons moved to New York City and in 1926 to California, living at 364 S. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. She moved to Beverly Hills, died there on May 8, 1948, and is buried at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

, Hollywood.

Filmography

* 1920 ''

'' (Mama Kantor) * 1920 ''The North Wind's Malice'' (Rachel Guth) * 1920 '' The Greatest Love'' (Mrs. Lantini) * 1922 '' Your Best Friend'' (Mrs. Esther Meyers) * 1922 ''

The Good Provider ''The Good Provider'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Frank Borzage and written by Fannie Hurst and John Lynch. The film stars Vera Gordon, Dore Davidson, Miriam Battista, Vivienne Osborne, William Collier, Jr., John Roche, and ...

'' (Becky Binswanger) * 1923 ''

Potash and Perlmutter ''Potash and Perlmutter'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger. The film is based on an ethnic Jewish comedy with characters created by Montague Glass and Charles Klein for a 1913 Broadway play of the same name ...

'' (Rosie Potash) * 1924 ''

In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter ''In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, released through Associated First National Pictures, and directed by Alfred E. Green. A sequel of sorts, the Jewish ethnic comedy ...

'' (Rosie Potash) * 1926 ''

'' (Mrs. Cohen) * 1926 ''

Sweet Daddies ''Sweet Daddies'' is a 1926 American silent comedy crime film directed by Alfred Santell and starring George Sidney, Charles Murray, and Vera Gordon. The film foregrounds positive relationships between Jewish and Irish American characters, despi ...

'' (Rose Finklebaum) * 1926 ''

Kosher Kitty Kelly ''Kosher Kitty Kelly'' is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film directed by James W. Horne, produced by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. (Robertson-Cole), and distributed by Film Booking Offices of America (FBO). Based on the stage musical ''Kosher Ki ...

'' (Mrs. Feinbaum) * 1926 ''

Millionaires A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short sc ...

'' (Esther Rubens) * 1926 ''

Private Izzy Murphy ''Private Izzy Murphy'' is a 1926 American silent comedy-drama film with Vitaphone sound effects, starring George Jessel, and Patsy Ruth Miller. The film was released by Warner Bros. It is unknown if a copy survives meaning it could be a lost ...

'' (Sara Goldberg) * 1927 ''

An Affair of the Follies ''An Affair of the Follies'' is a lost film, lost 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Millard Webb and distributed by First National Pictures.

'' * 1928 ''

The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris ''The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris'' is a 1928 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine. It was the first sequel to ''The Cohens and Kellys''. The film title is sometimes listed as ''The Cohens and Kellys in Paris''. It was an early ...

'' (Mrs. Cohen) * 1928 '' Four Walls'' (Benny's Mother) * 1929 ''

The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City ''The Cohens and the Kellys in Atlantic City'' is a 1929 American silent comedy film directed by William James Craft and starring George Sidney, Vera Gordon and Mack Swain. It is the third entry in the series which began with ''The Cohens and K ...

'' (Melitta Cohen) * 1930 ''

The Cohens and the Kellys in Scotland ''The Cohens and the Kellys in Scotland'' is a 1930 American comedy film. It is one of ''The Cohens and Kellys'' series, and is also the series' first sound film. It was directed by William James Craft and produced and released by Universal Pict ...

'' (Mrs. Cohen) * 1930 ''

Madame Satan ''Madam Satan'' or ''Madame Satan'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical comedy film in black and white with Multicolor sequences. It was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starred Kay Johnson, Reginald Denny, Lillian Roth, and Rolan ...

'' (uncredited) * 1930 ''

The Cohens and Kellys in Africa ''The Cohens and the Kellys in Africa'' is an American pre-Code comedy film.

'' (Mrs. Cohen) * 1931 '' 50 Million Frenchmen'' (Jewish Tourist's Wife) * 1934 ''When Strangers Meet'' (Mrs. Sarah Rosinsky) * 1937 '' Michael O'Halloran'' (Mrs. Levinsky) * 1938 '' You and Me'' (Mrs. Abie Levine aka Mama) * 1938 ''

Having Wonderful Time ''Having Wonderful Time'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film, based on the Broadway play of the same name, starring Ginger Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and directed by Alfred Santell. It was Red Skelton’s film debut. Plot summary Bo ...

'' (Tenement Neighbor (uncredited)) * 1942 ''

The Big Street ''The Big Street'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the 1940 short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced it. It was directed by Irving Reis from a screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass. ...

'' (Mrs. Lefkowitz) * 1942 ''

The Living Ghost ''The Living Ghost'' is a 1942 American mystery-drama film directed by William Beaudine and produced by Monogram Pictures. Starring James Dunn and Joan Woodbury, the film incorporates elements of the horror genre as it follows an ex-private dete ...

'' (Sister Lapidus) * 1943 ''

Stage Door Canteen The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...

'' (Vera Gordon) * 1946 ''

Abie's Irish Rose ''Abie's Irish Rose'' is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premise involves an Irish Catholic girl ...

'' (Mrs. Cohen)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Vera 1886 births 1948 deaths American stage actresses 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers American film actresses Actors from Dnipro People from Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States