Claire Trevor
Biography
Claire Trevor (née Wemlinger; March 8, 1910 – April 8, 2000) was an American actress born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. She began her stage career in the summer of 1929 with a repertory company in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went on to work in film, radio and television for more than seven decades. Trevor appeared in 65 feature films between 1933 and 1982, receiving top billing ahead of John Wayne in the 1939 western Stagecoach. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Key Largo (1948) and earned nominations for Dead End (1937) and The High and the Mighty (1954). Known for portraying hard‑boiled blondes and various “bad girl” characters, she remained active in the entertainment industry until the early 1980s.
Career overview
Claire Trevor was born on March 8, 1910, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, and died on April 8, 2000 at the age of ninety. Her professional acting career began with a stage debut in the summer of 1929, when she joined a repertory company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. From that point she worked across stage, radio, television and film, maintaining an active presence for more than seven decades. In cinema she appeared in sixty‑five feature films between 1933 and 1982, establishing a reputation for portraying hard‑boiled blondes and a wide range of “bad girl” characters.
Trevor’s film work earned her considerable recognition. She received top billing ahead of John Wayne in the 1939 western Stagecoach. Her performance in Dead End (1937) garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and she won that award for her role in Key Largo (1948). A later nomination followed for The High and the Mighty (1954). Throughout her long career she continued to appear in television productions as well as on stage, demonstrating versatility that kept her in demand across multiple media. Her body of work, spanning from the early sound era through the early 1980s, reflects a sustained contribution to American entertainment and a legacy marked by both critical acclaim and popular success.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
90 titles- 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008) as Self
- Breaking Home Ties (1987) as Grace Porter
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Judith Harlan
- Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984) as (archive footage)
- Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) as Charlotte
- The Cape Town Affair (1967) as Sam Williams
- How to Murder Your Wife (1965) as Edna
- The Stripper (1963) as Helen Baird
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Two Weeks in Another Town (1962) as Clara Kruger
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Nurse Veronica Johnson
- The Investigators (1961) as Kitty Harper
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- Marjorie Morningstar (1958) as Rose Morgenstern
- Wagon Train (1957) as C.L. Harding
- If You Knew Elizabeth (1957) as Elizabeth Owen
- The Mountain (1956) as Marie
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Mary Prescott
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Mrs. Meade
- Man Without a Star (1955) as Idonee
- Lucy Gallant (1955) as Lady MacBeth
- Climax! (1954) as Phyllis Talbot
- The High and the Mighty (1954) as May Holst
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Cora Leslie
- The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953) as Josie Sullivan
- Stop, You're Killing Me (1952) as Nora Marko
- My Man and I (1952) as Mrs. Elena Ames
- Hoodlum Empire (1952) as Connie Williams
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Mary Hunter
- Best of the Badmen (1951) as Lily
- Hard, Fast and Beautiful! (1951) as Millie Farley
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Ellen Creed
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Mary Scott
- Borderline (1950) as Madeleine Haley
- The Lucky Stiff (1949) as Marguerite Seaton
- Key Largo (1948) as Gaye Dawn
- Raw Deal (1948) as Pat Cameron
- The Velvet Touch (1948) as Marian Webster
- The Babe Ruth Story (1948) as Claire Hodgson Ruth
- Born to Kill (1947) as Helen Brent
- The Bachelor's Daughters (1946) as Cynthia Davis
- Crack-Up (1946) as Terry Cordell
- Johnny Angel (1945) as Lilah 'Lily' Gustafson
- Murder, My Sweet (1944) as Helen Grayle
- The Desperadoes (1943) as Countess Maletta
- Good Luck, Mr. Yates (1943) as Ruth Jones
- The Woman of the Town (1943) as Dora Hand
- Crossroads (1942) as Michelle Allaine
- The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942) as Connie Dawson
- Street of Chance (1942) as Ruth Dillon
- Honky Tonk (1941) as "Gold Dust" Nelson
- Texas (1941) as Michael 'Mike' King
- Dark Command (1940) as Miss Mary McCloud
- Stagecoach (1939) as Dallas
- Allegheny Uprising (1939) as Janie MacDougall
- I Stole a Million (1939) as Laura Benson
- Five of a Kind (1938) as Christine Nelson
- The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) as Jo Keller
- Valley of the Giants (1938) as Lee Roberts
- Walking Down Broadway (1938) as Joan Bradley
- Dead End (1937) as Francey
- Time Out for Romance (1937) as Barbara Blanchard
- One Mile from Heaven (1937) as Lucy 'Tex' Warren
- Big Town Girl (1937) as Fay Loring
- King of Gamblers (1937) as Dixie Moore
- Second Honeymoon (1937) as Marcia
- My Marriage (1936) as Carol Barton
- Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs (1936)
- 15 Maiden Lane (1936) as Jane Martin
- Song and Dance Man (1936) as Julia Carroll
- Star for a Night (1936) as Nina Lind
- Human Cargo (1936) as Bonnie Brewster
- Career Woman (1936) as Carroll Aiken
- To Mary - with Love (1936) as Kitty Brant
- Spring Tonic (1935) as Betty Ingals
- Black Sheep (1935) as Janette Foster
- Navy Wife (1935) as Vicky Blake
- Dante's Inferno (1935) as Elizabeth "Betty" McWade Carter
- Baby Take a Bow (1934) as Kay Ellison
- Hold That Girl (1934) as Tonie Bellamy
- Elinor Norton (1934) as Elinor Norton
- Wild Gold (1934) as Jerry Jordan
- The Mad Game (1933) as Jane Lee
- Jimmy and Sally (1933) as Sally Johnson
- The Last Trail (1933) as Patricia Carter
- Life in the Raw (1933) as Judy Halloway
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Claire Trevor best known for?
Claire Trevor is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Murder, She Wrote (1984), Kiss Me Goodbye (1982), How to Murder Your Wife (1965), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).
When and where was Claire Trevor born?
Claire Trevor was born on March 8, 1910 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. They passed away on April 8, 2000.
How many credits does Claire Trevor have?
Claire Trevor has accumulated over 90 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1933 to 2009.
What is Claire Trevor's background in cinema and television?
Claire Trevor (née Wemlinger; March 8, 1910 – April 8, 2000) was an American actress born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. She began her stage career in the summer of 1929 with a repertory company in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went on to work in film, radio and television for more than seven decades. Trevor appeared i...
Claire Trevor by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self — aged about 44
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Mary Prescott — aged about 45
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Mrs. Meade — aged about 45
- Stagecoach (1939) as Dallas — aged about 29
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Judith Harlan — aged about 74
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self — aged about 52
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