Acting
Gertrude Astor
EN, FR, XX cinema · 223 credits
Born
9 November 1887
Died
9 November 1977 (aged 89)
Birthplace
Lakewood, Ohio, USA
Also known as Gertrude Aster · Gertrude Irene Eyster
Gertrude Astor (Born Gertrude Eyster November 9, 1887 – November 9, 1977) was an American motion picture character actress, who began her career playing trombone on a riverboat. Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Astor at the age of 12 ran off and joined a woman's band as a trombone player and toured the states. In New York she left the band to obtain film work and got a job as an extra before her career took off. Astor was a prolific performer, between 1915 and 1962 she appeared in over 250 movies. Her first known credit is in a Biograph short in 1915. She then became a contract player at Universal. A tall, angular and beautiful woman, Astor frequently towered over the leading men of the era; thus, she was most frequently utilized in comedy roles as aristocrats, golddiggers and "heroine's best pal". Her best-known silent appearances were as the visiting stage star in Stage Struck (1925) with Gloria Swanson, as the vamp who plants stolen money on Harry Langdon in The Strong Man (1926), and as Laura LaPlante's wisecracking travelling companion in The Cat and the Canary (1927). Astor worked prolifically at Hal Roach studios with such headliners as Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, and especially Charley Chase. She was also kept busy at Columbia Pictures' short subjects unit. She continued to play bits in feature films throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. She was briefly glimpsed as the first murder victim in the Sherlock Holmes adventure The Scarlet Claw and was among the ranks of dress extras in 1956's Around the World in Eighty Days. Her last appearance was in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. In her later years, Astor was a welcome guest at several Sons of the Desert gatherings, and became an honorary member of the Way Out West tent. She died in Woodland Hills, California from a stroke. She is interred in the Abbey of Psalms in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.
Known for
Filmography
The Sound of Music
as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
as Denver Party Guest (uncredited)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Townswoman (uncredited)
The Devil's Hand
as The Elderly Cultist
All in a Night's Work
as Customer (uncredited)
Two Rode Together
as Mrs. Wringle (uncredited)
Sergeant Rutledge
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Best of Everything
as Leading Woman in Play (uncredited)
The Tingler
as Member of Silent Movie Audience (uncredited)
The Horse Soldiers
as Townswoman (uncredited)
The Female Animal
as Actress on Movie Set (uncredited)
My Man Godfrey
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Around the World in 80 Days
as Extra (uncredited)
The Virgin Queen
as Lady-in-Waiting - 2nd Group
Daddy Long Legs
as Art Gallery Patron (uncredited)
Wichita
as Saloon Madam (uncredited)
Deep in My Heart
as Dorothy's Nurse (uncredited)
A Star Is Born
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Angel Face
as Matron (uncredited)
Scared Stiff
as Man with Spaghetti's Wife (uncredited)
Fort Osage
as Townswoman (uncredited)
The Old West
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Scandal Sheet
as Neighbor (uncredited)
Paula
as Mrs. Brown (uncredited)
The Merry Widow
as Reception Guest (uncredited)
When Worlds Collide
as Traveler (uncredited)
A Place in the Sun
as Bit Part (uncredited)
Thunder on the Hill
as Village Woman (uncredited)
Apache Drums
as Townswoman (uncredited)
All About Eve
as Sarah Siddons Awards Guest (uncredited)
Again Pioneers
as Mrs. Jans
Woman in Hiding
as Woman in Drugstore (uncredited)
Sunset Boulevard
as Courtier (uncredited)
Bunco Squad
as Club Patron (uncredited)
Caged
as Inmate (uncredited)
Montana
as Townswoman (uncredited)
The File on Thelma Jordon
as Juror (uncredited)
The Doolins of Oklahoma
as Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Here Comes Trouble
as Woman with Dog (uncredited)
Sitting Pretty
as Townswoman (uncredited)
My Dear Secretary
as Miss Gee (uncredited)
3 Godfathers
as Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Music Man
as Mrs. Larkin
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
as Mrs. Howard
Monsieur Verdoux
as Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
Fun on a Weekend
as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Best Years of Our Lives
as Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Dragonwyck
as Nurse (uncredited)
Calcutta
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Sister Kenny
as Doctor (uncredited)
Crack-Up
as Nagging Wife on Train (Uncredited)
An Angel Comes To Brooklyn
as Eva Tanguay (uncredited)
Girls of the Big House
as Railroad Matron
Leave Her to Heaven
as Prison Matron (uncredited)
Swingin' on a Rainbow
as Bit Part (uncredited)
Dick Tracy
as Woman (uncredited)
The Climax
as Woman in Audience Behind Franz (Uncredited)
Weird Woman
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Idaho
as Party Guest
The Kansan
as Blonde Townswoman
The Avenging Rider
as Martha
Reap the Wild Wind
as Ball Guest (uncredited)
Lost Canyon
as Mrs. Anson
Moontide
as Woman (uncredited)
The Wolf Man
as Townswoman (uncredited)
Hold Back the Dawn
as Young Woman in Bar (uncredited)
Misbehaving Husbands
as Gossiping Friend
The Doctor Takes a Wife
as Extra (uncredited)
The Llano Kid
as Saloon Hostess
The Women
as Mud Bath Nurse (uncredited)
Dust Be My Destiny
as Dame (uncredited)
$1,000 a Touchdown
as McGlen Wife (uncredited)
The Big Broadcast of 1938
as Woman (uncredited)
Tassels in the Air
as Louella Pindell (uncredited)
Easy Living
as Saleswoman (uncredited)
All Over Town
as Mamie
Wells Fargo
as Pioneer Woman
Empty Saddles
as Eloise Hayes
Postal Inspector
as Woman with Drumsticks (uncredited)
San Francisco
as Drunk's Girl (uncredited)
Great Guy
as Party Guest (Uncredited)
Wives Never Know
as Mrs. Merchant (uncredited)
The Drunkard
as Peggy
I Don't Remember
1935
I Don't Remember
as Sophie Glick
Here Comes the Band
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Cappy Ricks Returns
1935
Cappy Ricks Returns
as Speaker (uncredited)
It's in the Air
as (uncredited)
Border Brigands
as Big Six -Saloon Girl
Honeymoon Limited
as Lady Devonshire
No More Ladies
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Manhattan Monkey Business
as Gwendolyn
Bad Boy
Actor
The Chases of Pimple Street
as Gertrude Astor - Lucas' Fiancee (uncredited)
Guilty Parents
as Marie
Washee Ironee
as Woman at Party
Wine, Women and Song
as Jennie Tilson
The Plumber and the Lady
1933
The Plumber and the Lady
as Mrs. Otto Mauser
Carnival Lady
as Zandra, Fortune Teller
I Have Lived
as Harriet Naisson
Crook's Tour
as Mrs Dorigan
High Hats and Low Brows
as Mrs. Billingsgate
Running Hollywood
1932
Running Hollywood
as Gertrude Astor
In Walked Charley
as Gertrude Henderson
Western Limited
1932
Western Limited
as Mrs. Winters
Flaming Gold
as Escort Service Madam
Come Clean
as Mrs. Hardy
Poker Widows
1931
Poker Widows
as Mrs. Thomas Regan
Hell Bound
as Rosie
Be Yourself!
as Lillian
Live and Learn
1930
Live and Learn
as Mrs. Brown
Dames Ahoy
as The Blonde
Frozen Justice
as Moosehide Kate
Untamed
as Mrs. Mason
Synthetic Sin
as Sheila Kelly
Twin Beds
as Mrs. Solari
Two Weeks Off
as Agnes
The Fall of Eve
as Mrs. Ford
The Butter and Egg Man
as Fanny Lehman
Five and Ten Cent Annie
as Blonde
A Woman of Affairs
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Rose-Marie
as Wanda
Stocks and Blondes
as Goldie
Hit of the Show
as Trece
Uncle Tom's Cabin
as Mrs. St. Clare (uncredited)
The Small Bachelor
as Fanny
The Cat and the Canary
as Cecily
Oh, What a Man!
as The Bandit
Ginsberg the Great
as Sappho
The Taxi Dancer
as Kitty Lane
The Irresistible Lover
as Dolly Carleton
The Old Soak
as Sylvia De Costa
The Strong Man
as Lily de Broadway
Don Juan's 3 Nights
as Baroness von Minden
Wife Tamers
as Mrs. Barry
Kiki
as Paulette Mascar
Dizzy Daddies
as A Former Flame
The Boy Friend
as Mrs. White
Behind the Front
as French barmaid
Tell 'Em Nothing
as Mrs. Gladstone
The Country Beyond
as Mrs. Andrews
Sin Cargo
as Mary Wickham
Stage Struck
as Lillian Lyons
Kentucky Pride
as Mrs. Beaumont
The Charmer
as Bertha Sedgwick
The Reckless Sex
1925
The Reckless Sex
as Lucile Dupré
Satan in Sables
as Dolores Sierra
Laughing Ladies
as The Married Man's Wife
Ship of Souls
1925
Ship of Souls
as Doris Barnes
Pursued
as Madame La Grande
The Verdict
as Mrs. Ronsard
Folly of Youth
as Evelyn Cartwright
Broadway or Bust
as Mrs. Dean Smythe
The Ridin' Kid from Powder River
as 'Kansas' Lou
Secrets
as Mrs. Manwaring
The Torrent
1924
The Torrent
as The Cast-Off
The Silent Watcher
as Mrs. Steele
Hollywood
as Gertrude Astor
The Wanters
as Mrs. Van Pelt
Rupert of Hentzau
as Paula
The Ne'er-Do-Well
as Edith Cortlandt
Alice Adams
as Mildred Palmer
The Six-Fifty
as Christine Palmer
Flaming Youth
as Annie
The Ninety and Nine
as Kate Van Dyke
Skin Deep
as Mrs. Carlson
You Never Know
as Miriam Folansbee
Lorna Doone
as Countess of Brandir (uncredited)
The Kentucky Derby
as Helen Gordon
Beyond the Rocks
as Morella Winmarleigh
Hurricane's Gal
as Phyllis Fairfield
Seeing's Believing
as Aunt Sue
The Wall Flower
as Pamela Shiel
The Impossible Mrs. Bellew
as Alice Granville
Her Mad Bargain
as Ruth Beresford
Through the Back Door
as Louise Reeves
The Concert
as Eva
The Branding Iron
as Betty Morena
Burning Daylight
as Lucille
What Am I Bid?
as Diana Newlands
Loot
as Lady Gwendolyn
The Wicked Darling
as Adele Hoyt
The Delicious Little Devil
as Auditioning Dancer (uncredited)
Pretty Smooth
as Mrs. Hanson
The Lion Man
as Celeste La Rue
The Brazen Beauty
as Mrs. Augusta Van Ruysdael
The Girl Who Wouldn't Quit
as Stella Carter
Vamping the Vamp
1918
Vamping the Vamp
as Thedeska - The Vamp
The Scarlet Crystal
as Helen Forbes
The Price of a Good Time
as Mis Schyler
The Lash of Power
as Phyllis Ward
The Girl Who Won Out
as Mrs. Walsh
Bombs and Banknotes
1917
Bombs and Banknotes
as His Daughter
Bucking Broadway
as Gladys (uncredited)
Cheyenne's Pal
as Dancehall girl
Polly Redhead
as Lady Caroline
Bondage
as Eugenia Darth
The Devil's Pay Day
as Hazel Davidson
The Rescue
as Mrs. Hendricks
The Little Orphan
as Emmeline Warren
The Gray Ghost
as Lady Gwendolyn
Under Two Flags
as Venetia