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Louella Parsons dead

(N.Z Press Assn.—Copyright) HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 9. Louella Parsons, the first and most famous of the Hollywood gossip columnists, died today at the age of 91, United Press International reported.

Death was apparently due to the infirmities of old age. The last syndicated column under her byline appeared on December 1, 1965, when she retired. Her daughter, Harriet. an independent film producer, is her only close survivor.

The columnist, who since 1922 had peered across the back fence of the movie colony to report its scandals and romances to 15 million readers, had a history of heart disease dating back to 1955. ENTHUSIASM She reported with enthusiasm and energy the chit-chat of the movie industry. Because she was the dean of gossips, many stars considered her favourable comment a major factor in their success.

Frequently Miss Parsons reported news of births and marriages seconds after they took place. She had pipelines into nightclubs, hospitals, law firms, and doctors’ offices.

In addition to her gossipy column, she was a bold, competitive reporter who chased down stories with tenacity. Among her biggest stories was the announcement of Ingrid Bergman’s expected child by an Italian director, Robert Rosselini, when the actress was still married to Dr Peter Lindstrom. Miss Parsons was born Louella Oettinger in Free-

port, Illinois on August 6,1 1881. She always refused to reveal the year of her birth,} but records in Dixon, Illinois, j show she gave her age as 24 when she married the late John Parsons, a real estate man, in 1905. LOWLY START

Her journalistic career be-: gan with a $5 a week job as: society editor of the “Dixon [ Morning Star.” She later wrote publicity for Essanay! Film Studios in Chicago and! a book, “How to Write fori the Movies,” in 1914. Miss Parsons wrote the “Chicago Herald’s” first movie column in 1914 and [then switched to the New York “Morning Telegraph” for five years. She began writing film news for the “New York American” in 1922. Three years later she moved to Hollywood for reasons of health and decided to stay. At the height of her popu-

.ilarity she was syndicated in[ [407 daily and Sunday papers ■ as the $U552,000 a year mo- , tion picture editor of Inter- ,[ national News Service. 1 Shortly after the death of 1 her first husband, she mar- ! ried Dr Harry Martin, studio physician at 20th CenturyFox. Dr Martin died in 1951.

One of the last social events the couple attended together was a testimonial dinner at which Miss Parsons wept when presented with a plaque engraved: “Courage, accuracy, fairness and curi-

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19721211.2.41.4

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 6

Word Count
435

Louella Parsons dead Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 6

Louella Parsons dead Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 6