Victoria Horne (November 1, 1911 – October 10, 2003) was an American character actress, appearing in 49 films (uncredited in 25 of these) during the 1940s and 1950s.
Early years
Horne was born on November 1, 1911, in New York City, to Ignatz Hornstein (who emigrated from
Braila, Romania) and Mary Louise Schoenwetter Hornstein. She was the second of four children. The family name was changed to "Horne" when she was a child.
She was a graduate of the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...
.
[
]
Career
The films in which she appeared included '' Blue Skies'', ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' is a 1947 American romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. I ...
'', and ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff'' is a 1949 horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello and Boris Karloff.
In 1956, the film was re-released by Realart Pictures as a double feature with ...
''. Perhaps her best-known film roles were as James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
's love-searching niece Myrtle Mae Simmons in the 1950 film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of Mary Chase's play ''Harvey
Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit
* Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...
'', as Roberta in the 1952 Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...
short subject
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
''Cuckoo on a Choo Choo
''Cuckoo on a Choo Choo'' is a 1952 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 143rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starri ...
'', and as Nabura, a villainous Japanese agent in the 1945 serial ''Secret Agent X-9
''Secret Agent X-9'' is a comic strip created by writer Dashiell Hammett ('' The Maltese Falcon'') and artist Alex Raymond (''Flash Gordon''). Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996.
Premise and publ ...
''.
Personal life
She married actor Jack Oakie
Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on Theatre, stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin's ''T ...
in 1950 and remained with him until his death on January 23, 1978. After his death, she arranged the posthumous publication of her late husband's book, ''Jack Oakie's Double Takes'' and also published a number of other books about him.
Victoria and Jack Oakie lived their entire married life at "Oakridge", their estate at 18650 Devonshire Street (just west of Reseda Boulevard) in Northridge, Los Angeles, California
Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, and the Northridge Fashion Center.
Originally named Zelzah by settlers in 1908, the com ...
. Victoria Oakie continued to live there after her husband's death and bequeathed the estate to the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
. After two failed attempts to develop the property, Oakridge was acquired by the City of Los Angeles. The city plans to use the property as a park and community event center. Oakridge was originally commissioned by Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...
and designed by Paul Williams, and is considered to be one of the last remnants of the large Northridge estates famed for thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
breeding. The house and grounds are Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.
History
The Historic-Cult ...
#484.
Death
Horne died on October 10, 2003, in a retirement home in Beverly Hills, California. She was 91.Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
.
Legacy
The Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation underwrites "lectures on comedy and scholarships for deserving film and theater students at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country." An official of Syracuse University said that money provided by the foundation "was a godsend" in helping the university establish its semester-in-Los-Angeles program.
Filmography
References
Bibliography
* Autobiography published posthumously by Oakie's widow on January 1, 1980. 240 pages.
* A history of the Oakie family home, "Oakridge". 126 pages.
* Letters of congratulation and reminiscence sent from almost 150 celebrities to Jack Oakie in celebration of his 70th birthday. Compiled & edited by Mrs Oakie to commemorate his 90th birthday. 140 pages.
*
*
External links
*
*
Aerial view of the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne "Oakridge" estate
- (''circa 2006-07'')
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horne, Victoria
1911 births
2003 deaths
20th-century American actresses
American film actresses
Actresses from California
People from Northridge, Los Angeles
21st-century American women