Irene Hervey

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Birthday:

11 July 1909, Venice, California, USA

Birth Name:

Beulah Irene Herwick

Height:

163 cm

Attractive, blond, dimple-cheeked artist's daughter, Irene Hervey was trained at the MGM School of Acting before being signed as a contract player in 1933. Often on loan to other studios, she was assigned bit parts until meatier co-starring roles came along in The Girl Said No (1937) and Say It in French (1938). While at MGM, Irene was briefly engaged to Robert Taylor, an affair which was stymied by Louis B. Mayer, who saw it as detrimental to Taylor's career.After briefly free-lancing, Irene signed with Universal (joining her then-husband, actor/singer Allan Jones) in 1938 and remained with that studio until 1943. Her best-known film was the classic James Stewart-Marlene Dietrich western Destry Rides Again (1939) in 1939. In the 1940's, Irene became a leading lady of B-movies. In the crime melodramas San Francisco Docks (1940) and Frisco Lil (1942), she was, respectively, a barmaid and a law student, trying to clear her nearest and dearest of murders they hadn't committed. In the adventure yarn Bombay Clipper (1942), she was William Gargan's obligatory girlfriend - more decorative than active; and in the potboiler, Night Monster (1942), a Dr. Phibes-like tale of revenge and murder, she played second-fiddle to those great characters, Lionel Atwill and Bela Lugosi.A charming, smart and like-able actress, who some reviewers compared to Myrna Loy, Irene put her family above her career and never made the breakthrough to A-grade pictures. In 1943, she was injured in a car accident and sidelined for five years. When she returned to the screen, it was as a character actress in the fantasy Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), as the titular character's sophisticated wife. From the 1950's, Irene concentrated on television work with a recurring role as "Aunt Meg" in the series Honey West (1965) (with Anne Francis), and numerous guest-starring spots in top shows like Peter Gunn (1958), Perry Mason (1957), Ironside (1967) and The Twilight Zone (1959). She was nominated for an Emmy Award for a performance on My Three Sons (1960) in 1969. Her final motion picture role was as radio station owner "Madge Brenner" in Play Misty for Me (1971). Show less «

[on not remarrying] I discovered solitude, something I had never experienced. I found it very much to my liking.

I did so many pictures (and later TV shows), it seemed as though I was shoved into those things - I almost didn't know what I was doing.

[on Night Monster (1942)] That was with Don Porter and also Ralph Morgan, who was in Gang Busters (1942). Don and I spent a lot of time toge...Show more »

[on Night Monster (1942)] That was with Don Porter and also Ralph Morgan, who was in Gang Busters (1942). Don and I spent a lot of time together - laughing and having a good time with the picture. It was fun, doing that one. Show less «

Hard Rock Harrigan (1935) wasn't the greatest thing to remember! I do recall George [George O'Brien] as very nice - and that the film didn't...Show more »

Hard Rock Harrigan (1935) wasn't the greatest thing to remember! I do recall George [George O'Brien] as very nice - and that the film didn't have much story or even dialogue. Show less «

[on working with Marlene Dietrich on Destry Rides Again (1939)] Marlene was standoffish. About the only communication I had with her was whe...Show more »

[on working with Marlene Dietrich on Destry Rides Again (1939)] Marlene was standoffish. About the only communication I had with her was when we were to have a fight scene and she sent word for me to take off my lipstick. Why, I can't imagine, unless she thought I'd get it all over her. Show less «

[on her retirement from acting] I felt it was time to start collecting my pension. I have dated some but have not remarried after my divorce...Show more »

[on her retirement from acting] I felt it was time to start collecting my pension. I have dated some but have not remarried after my divorce from Allan Jones. Robert Paige and I did go together to an opening at the Ambassador where my son Jack Jones was performing. I now let Jack do all the performing in this family! Show less «

I was originally under contract to MGM where I was known as the "test girl". Whenever someone was tested for a part in a picture, I would ap...Show more »

I was originally under contract to MGM where I was known as the "test girl". Whenever someone was tested for a part in a picture, I would appear in the test with them. Great experience and, of course, the studio heads kept looking at me over and over in each of those tests! Hedda Hopper brought her son [William Hopper] to MGM and told me she wanted him to test - with me. Years later, I appeared on Perry Mason (1957) and we did work together, although I don't think we had any scenes. Her son was, of course, William Hopper, who played Paul Drake. Show less «

[on Gang Busters (1942)] The main thing I remember were two of the cliffhangers. I was walking across a bridge. There was a hole and I was s...Show more »

[on Gang Busters (1942)] The main thing I remember were two of the cliffhangers. I was walking across a bridge. There was a hole and I was supposed to have my leg fall through this hole. I timed it so I wouldn't break my leg! And I made it! The other thing was about those two cars with running boards. I had one foot on one car and the other foot on the other car - just before the end of the chapter! Those were the days. Show less «

[on Play Misty for Me (1971)] That was a bad experience - I found out so many people working on it (I don't mean Clint Eastwood) were on dru...Show more »

[on Play Misty for Me (1971)] That was a bad experience - I found out so many people working on it (I don't mean Clint Eastwood) were on drugs! I was shocked. The cameraman [Bruce Surtees] , most everybody. They'd have a big pitcher of beer at dinner and get the giggles - laughing constantly like little girls. All grown men acting silly. I didn't like it. I thought Jessica Walter was a good actress but it certainly didn't help her career. Show less «

In San Francisco Docks (1940), there's a terrific battle between me and Esther Ralston - with hair-pulling, kicking, the works. We both cut ...Show more »

In San Francisco Docks (1940), there's a terrific battle between me and Esther Ralston - with hair-pulling, kicking, the works. We both cut our fingernails down - one part has us falling over a bed. Those nails could have been dangerous! Show less «

[on Destry Rides Again (1939)] We sat around a lot while shooting it. They'd run out of dialogue. We'd have to wait on a few pages and there...Show more »

[on Destry Rides Again (1939)] We sat around a lot while shooting it. They'd run out of dialogue. We'd have to wait on a few pages and there was no air conditioning. We were burning up on those hot stages hour after hour. Finally, someone would come down with a few pages and we'd shoot them. Then it was back to waiting in the heat again. Show less «