Sirki’s Summons – September 26: A Rose, Picked

Only one year ago, Prince Sirki picked a Rose from the Titanic. Gloria Stuart, as the older incarnation of Kate Winslett’s Rose who so  famously dropped the diamond necklace into the ocean at the film’s conclusion, passed away two months after her 100th birthday. Among her earliest works, in a 72 year career, were two of Universal Studios’ classic horror films: The Old Dark House (1932) and opposite Claude Rains in The Invisible Man (1933). These two films for James Whalen were the only large parts she got in a promised ‘big plan’ for her from Universal. It didn’t prove to be the case, as she was put into many small roles or large roles in shorts or b-projects. These parts varied from the wronged wife of a cheating husband in Street of Women (1932), (a pre-code one-reeler which was her film debut) to the Queen of France in The Three Musketeers (1939) (the comical version with the Ritz Brothers & Don Ameche), to a snooping wife-turned-detective (It Could Happen To You (1939)) to prove her husband innocent of murder. After the same thing happened at Fox, she retired from acting in film in the 1940’s. She returned to film in the 1970’s, though mostly brief appearances, or parts on television.  Of notable Hollywood distinctions, she was a founding member of SAG, and she holds the record for being the oldest actress ever nominated for an Oscar.