Loretta Young

Learn about Loretta Young (1913–2000), the American actress who transitioned from child star to Oscar winner and television pioneer. Explore her life, career highlights, personal struggles, and the mark she left on Hollywood.

Introduction

Loretta Young, born Gretchen Michaela Young on January 6, 1913, and passing on August 12, 2000, was one of Hollywood’s most elegant and enduring figures. She began her career as a child actor in silent films and successfully navigated the transition to talkies, becoming renowned for her grace, dignified presence, and moral persona onscreen. Later she made a bold transition to television, with The Loretta Young Show, influencing the growing medium. Her life encompassed both great triumphs and complex personal challenges—with scandals, secrecy, and reinvention woven into her story.

In this article, we’ll trace her journey—from early years, to silver screen stardom, to television success, her personal life and controversies, and the lessons we can draw from her legacy.

Early Life and Family

Loretta Young was born Gretchen Michaela Young in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her parents were Gladys (née Royal) and John Earle Young. Her parents separated when she was very young, and when she was about three years old, her mother moved the family to Southern California.

Young had sisters, Polly Ann Young and Sally Blane, who also acted. As a child, she and her sisters took small roles in films to help the family.

Because of her early move to Hollywood, her formative years were spent amid film culture and ambition. Her mother operated a boarding house for income.

She attended Ramona Convent Secondary School during her youth.

Youth & Early Career

Loretta’s screen debut came at a very young age—she had uncredited child roles in silent films, beginning perhaps around age three. She was billed as Gretchen Young in early roles.

By her mid-teens, she began getting more substantial roles. Around 1927, she appeared in Naughty But Nice, which had been intended for her sister. In 1928 she first used the name Loretta Young onscreen in The Whip Woman.

She made the transition from silent to sound films fairly smoothly, taking on more leading roles in the 1930s.

During these years, she worked prolifically, often appearing in several films a year.

Career & Achievements

Film Stardom

In the 1930s and 1940s, Loretta Young earned a reputation for playing virtuous, dignified, “good woman” roles—characters whose strength was combined with grace and morality. Some notable films include:

• Born to Be Bad (1934)

• The Crusades (1935)

• Call of the Wild (1935)

• The Unguarded Hour (1936)

• The Stranger (1946)

• The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

Her greatest film triumph came in 1947, when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Farmer’s Daughter, playing a Swedish maid who becomes a U.S. Congresswoman. She received another Oscar nomination for Come to the Stable (1949).

Her film career wound down in the early 1950s; her last theatrical film was It Happens Every Thursday (1952).

Television Pioneer

In 1953, Loretta Young transitioned to television with Letter to Loretta, which was soon retitled The Loretta Young Show. It ran until 1961. She both hosted and acted in the episodes. A signature feature was her dramatic entrance—she would appear in a glamorous gown through a door—and at the end, she often gave a brief inspirational or moral message (frequently a Bible verse or a quotation).

She earned three Primetime Emmy Awards for that show. Later she starred in The New Loretta Young Show (1962–1963). In the 1980s she made a television comeback in TV movies—Christmas Eve (1986), for which she won a Golden Globe, and Lady in a Corner (1989).

Honors & Legacy

• Loretta Young holds two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures and one for television.

• Over her long career, she received many accolades: her Oscar, her Emmys, Golden Globes, and widespread respect for bridging film and TV.

• Her show helped elevate television drama and gave a template for anthology formats tied to a star personality.

Personal Life & Controversies

Marriages, Children & Secrets

Loretta Young married Grant Withers in 1930 when she was 17; the marriage was annulled in 1931. From 1940 to 1969 she was married to Tom Lewis, with whom she had two sons: Christopher and Peter. In 1993, she married Jean Louis, a fashion designer; they remained married until his death in 1997.

One of the most significant and controversial aspects of Loretta Young’s life was her secret daughter, Judy Lewis. Judy was born in 1935; the father was Clark Gable, with whom she had filmed The Call of the Wild. The pregnancy was concealed to protect both careers. Judy was publicly said to be adopted. Years later, Judy Lewis claimed that the conception occurred from date rape. Loretta Young later acknowledged Judy as her daughter.

Loretta Young was a devout Roman Catholic, and her faith played a central role in her public persona and her choice of roles and public statements.

Health & Final Years

For many years she smoked (since childhood), though she reportedly quit in the mid-1980s. Loretta Young died from ovarian cancer on August 12, 2000 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 87. She was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Historical & Cultural Context

Loretta Young’s career spanned the silent film era, the golden age of Hollywood, and the rise of television. She provides a living bridge between cinema’s early years and modern entertainment media.
Her screen image often embodied wholesome virtue, especially in an era when Hollywood moral codes were under scrutiny (Production Code / Hays Code era). Her integrity, grace, and moral persona were consistent with public expectations and her own personal religious convictions.
Her move into television at a time when many film stars balked at the small screen showed forward thinking and adaptability. She helped legitimize dramatic television programming anchored by star personalities.

Legacy & Influence

Loretta Young remains remembered for:

• Her polished, dignified image of womanhood in classical Hollywood cinema

• Successfully moving from film to television when few stars did

• Her television anthology show, which allowed her a measure of creative control and a direct connection with audiences

• Her resilience in face of personal scandal and secrecy

• Her strong identification with faith and morality as part of her public brand

Even today, her films are watched by classic cinema fans, and her TV show is remembered for its elegance, heartfelt drama, and the memorable way she framed each episode with a moral touch.

Memorable Quotes

Loretta Young is not primarily known as a quotable figure like authors, but several lines and reflections attributed to her reveal her character:

“Faith makes all things possible … not easy.”
“It’s what you believe in and how much you believe in it that will make you or break you.”
“You do your best, then you trust in the Lord.”
On beauty: “Beauty is several things: It is the soul’s expression. It must be through grace and kindness, not just outward.”

These reflect her belief in faith, moral resolve, and inner character as foundations.

Lessons from Loretta Young’s Life

1. Adaptability matters
   Young’s shift from child actor to leading lady to television host demonstrates the importance of evolving as one’s industry changes.

2. Maintain integrity despite pressures
   Her insistence on upholding a moral persona—even amid Hollywood’s temptations—helped her build a lasting reputation.

3. Balance public image and private complexity
   Her life reminds us that public personas often mask behind-the-scenes struggles. Compassion and understanding are needed.

4. Embrace faith or principles as anchor
   For Loretta, her Catholic faith was foundational in guiding her choices and sustaining her.

5. Legacy through consistency
   Her long career—spanning silent film through the 1980s—was built on consistent grace, professionalism, and reinvention.

Conclusion

Loretta Young’s life is a tapestry of artistry, grace, scandal, faith, and reinvention. She moved from child performer to silver screen star to television pioneer, always striving to project dignity and moral depth. While her life had secret pains and complexities, her public legacy remains luminous: she remains a symbol of classic Hollywood elegance, personal resilience, and the power of navigating change with integrity.