Gloria Holden Biography

British-born Gloria Holden came to the U.S. early on, where she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Art and worked as a model. The sad-faced beauty made her film debut in the title role of Dracula's Daughter (1936); this and her subsequent appearance as the title-character's wife in The Life of Emile Zola (1937) would remain her most memorable screen roles. Adept at portraying icy society matrons, Holden provided the "loyal opposition" to the sugary sweetness of Shirley Temple in Miss Annie Rooney (1942) and A Kiss For Corliss (1949). Gloria Holden's last film was 1958's This Happy Feeling. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi