Louise Platt

Louise Platt (1915–2003)[1] was an American theater, film, and TV actress.

Louise Platt
Born	August 3, 1915 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	September 6, 2003 (aged 88) Greenport, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1936–1963
Spouse(s)	Jed Harris (1939–1941) (divorced) 1 child Stanley Gould (1950) 1 child

Early years

Platt was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and grew up in Annapolis, Maryland.[1] Her father was a dental surgeon in the Navy.[2]

Career

Platt's first professional acting experience came in stock theater in Suffern, New York.[3] She went on to act in stock productions "from Maine to Virginia to Minnesota".[4] Her Broadway credits include The Traitor (1949), Anne of the Thousand Days (1948), Five Alarm Waltz (1941), In Clover (1937), Promise (1936), Spring Dance (1936), and A Room in Red and White (1936).[5]

George Bancroft, John Wayne and Louise Platt in Stagecoach (1939)

Platt is best remembered for her role as the officer's pregnant wife in John Ford's Stagecoach (1939). After two years on Broadway, she came to Hollywood in 1938. She returned to the New York stage in 1942 after acting in a half-dozen movies. She worked with Rex Harrison in Anne of the Thousand Days on Broadway in 1948 and in the 1950s played a variety of roles on television, including two appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and a recurring role as Ruth Holden on The Guiding Light.[1]

Personal life

Platt was first married to theater director Jed Harris, who abused her.[6] On August 25, 1950, she married director Stanley Gould in North Guilford, Connecticut.[7] They remained together until his death. Both marriages each produced a daughter.[6]

Death

On September 6, 2003, Platt died at a hospital in Greenport, New York, at age 88. The cause of her death was not disclosed.[1]

Filmography

Year	Title	Co-stars	Role	Notes
1938	I Met My Love Again	Joan Bennett, Henry Fonda	Brenda Wayne
	Spawn of the North	George Raft, Henry Fonda	Dian 'Di' Turlon
1939	Stagecoach	Claire Trevor, John Wayne	Mrs. Lucy Mallory
	Tell No Tales	Melvyn Douglas	Ellen Frazier
1940	Forgotten Girls	Robert Armstrong	Judy Wingate
	Captain Caution	Victor Mature	Corunna Dorman
1942	Street of Chance	Burgess Meredith, Claire Trevor	Virginia Thompson

References

1. "Louise Platt, 88: Last Survivor of Passengers in Movie 'Stagecoach'". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. September 25, 2003. p. B 12. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Harrison, Paul (May 22, 1939). "Harrison Turns Hollywood Spotlight On Three New Faces Facing Cameras". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. Utah, Ogden. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 8. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Lovely Stage Star Saw World As Child of Navy Surgeon". Sunday Times Signal. Ohio, Zanesville. November 26, 1950. p. Section 4 - Page 3. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Harrison, Paul (June 12, 1940). "Louise Platt Climbs on Play Flops". The Salt Lake Telegram. Utah, Salt Lake City. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 16. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Louise Platt". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
6. Vallance, Tom (October 2, 2003). "Louise Platt". The Independent. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
7. "Marriages". Billboard. September 9, 1950. p. 63. Retrieved 12 September 2018.

External links

• Louise Platt at IMDb
• Louise Platt at the Internet Broadway Database
• Louise Platt at Find a Grave
• Portraits of Louise Platt from Stagecoach by Ned Scott