There’s a very nice tribute site to the memory of classic Hollywood actress Ann Dvorak, a strong-willed individual that often clashed with movie studio bosses concerning quality movie roles. I’ve always been fascinated by her unique beauty and her acting still seems years ahead of her contemporaries.

She was born in New York City on August 2, 1912, with parents already established in the motion picture business, both actors. She actually appeared as a small child in some productions. Around 1929-30, she began to show up as a dancer in some films, until her friend Joan Crawford introduced her to mogul Howard Hughes, a meeting that led the way to some impact roles in 1932, mainly in Scarface (as the young sister in a quasi-incestuous relationship with the title gangster), Sky Divers with Spencer Tracy and Three on a Match alongside Bette Davis and Joan Blondell. For the latter, when Ann learned that a child actor was making as much money as herself, she confronted the bosses… and found herself suspended.

Ann continued working mainly as a freelancer, but studios were more or less inclined to give solid parts to people with no studio attachments (especially a female). She went to England during WWII with her first husband, British actor Leslie Fenton (where she actually became an ambulance driver!) but they divorced soon after. Back in Hollywood, Ann married Russian dancer Igor Dega but this lasted until 1951, the year she retired from films, last appearing in a couple of television shows in 1952. She remarried a third time, now with TV producer Nicholas Wade. Ann Dvorak passed away on December 10, 1979, in Honolulu. Her contribution to Scarface is a personal favorite: a sensual interpretation of a most complex role.

A note on the tribute site: well done, but aren’t we a bit paranoid with the branding on the images?