Claudia Morgan

Claudia Louise Morgan (June 12, 1911 – September 17, 1974)[1] was an American film, television, and radio actress. She was best known for debuting the role of Vera Claythorne in the first Broadway production of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians and for her portrayal of Nora Charles on the 1940s radio series, The Adventures of the Thin Man.

Claudia Morgan
Born
Claudia Louise Morgan

(1911-06-12)June 12, 1911
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 1974(1974-09-17) (aged 63)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Resting placeGreenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn
OccupationActress
Years active1932–1964
Spouses
Talbott Cummings
​
​
(m. 1931; annul. 1932)​
  • Robert Shippee
    (m. 1934; div. 19??)
Charles Hornburg Jr
​
​
(m. 1937; div. 1938)​
  • Phil Ormsby
    (m. 1938; div. 19??)
  • W. Kennneth Loane
    (m. 19??)
Parent(s)Ralph Morgan and Grace Arnold
RelativesFrank Morgan (uncle)

Early years

Morgan was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1911 to actors Ralph Morgan (né Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann) and Grace Arnold (née Georgiana Louise Iverson). Some sources indicate she was born Claudia (or Claudeigh) Louise Wuppermann,[2] but other sources indicate her father had already changed his surname to Morgan by the time of her birth. Actor Frank Morgan was her uncle. She attended Ely Court School in Greenwich, Connecticut.[3]

Stage

A member of the cast of more than 30 Broadway plays, Morgan starred in The Man Who Came to Dinner and Ten Little Indians.[4] She eventually was dismissed from her role in Ten Little Indians because her work in The Adventures of the Thin Man on radio caused a delay in the stage production every Friday night.[5] She also appeared in The Apple Cart,[6] and The Sun Field.[7]

Film/Television

Morgan's first film role was in 1932, and her last was in 1964 (The World of Henry Orient). She appeared on Kraft Television Theatre[8] and Robert Montgomery Presents.[9]

Radio

Morgan was known for playing Nora Charles in The Adventures of the Thin Man.[4] She was married to radio announcer and actor Ernest Chappell, and performed with him on the late 1940s radio program, Quiet Please.[10] In 1941, she joined the cast of The O'Neills, in the role of Laura Penway.[11] She was also a regular on Ford Theatre, David Harum, Joyce Jordan, M.D., Lone Journey,[12] We Love and Learn,[13] and The Right to Happiness.[14]

Personal life

Morgan was married five times; all of the unions were childless. In 1931, she married Talbott Cummings.[3] They had been married only about a year when she sought a divorce.[15] She wed aviator Robert Shippee on July 22, 1934; that marriage also ended in divorce.[16][17] She married Charles H. Horburg Jr. on May 14, 1937; the couple divorced in 1938. She married Phil Ormsby, an actor and architect, on August 2, 1938.[18] She was survived by her fifth husband, Kenneth Loane.

Death

Morgan died in New York City on September 17, 1974,[4] aged 63, from undisclosed causes. She was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York (Section 168, Lot 14447 Wupperman Family Plot).

Radio appearances
YearProgramEpisode/source
1952Grand Central StationEverything I Longed For[19]
1953Grand Central StationCount Your Chickens[20]
1953Grand Central StationThe Sly Professor[21]
1955 The Adventures of the Abbotts Series

References
  1. "Claudia Morgan". Playbill Vault. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  2. Archives, nypl.org. Accessed June 22, 2023.
  3. "Cummings-Morgan". The Indianapolis News. The Indianapolis News. October 21, 1931. p. 10. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Deaths in News: Claudia Morgan". The Progress. September 18, 1974. p. 15.
  5. Cox, Jim (2010). Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age. McFarland & Company. p. 36. ISBN 9780786443246. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  6. Gaver, Jack (June 24, 1956). "Up and Down Broadway". The Terre Haute Tribune. The Terre Haute Tribune. p. 4. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. Burr, Eugene (December 19, 1942). "New Plays on Broadway: The Sun Field". Billboard. p. 11. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  8. Buhrman, Margaret (June 29, 1955). "TV-Radio Highlights". The Kokomo Tribune. The Kokomo Tribune. p. 43. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. Tops, T.V. (August 23, 1954). "To Be Seen and Heard". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. "Quiet, Please - Episode". Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  11. "Joins "O'Neills"". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. December 6, 1941. p. 28. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press; ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3, pp. 193, 257, 376, 404.
  13. "(KTUC advertisement)". Tucson Daily Citizen. Tucson Daily Citizen. September 28, 1943. p. 8. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. "(photo caption)". The Daily Reporter. Greenfield Daily Reporter. August 3, 1945. p. 2. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  15. "Just a Year". The Southeast Missourian. November 28, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  16. "Actress to Wed". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. July 22, 1934. p. 16. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  17. "Actress Weds Aviator". The Evening Sun. The Evening Sun. July 27, 1934. p. 7. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  18. "(photo caption)". The Pittsburgh Press. December 16, 1938. p. 38. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  19. "(radio listing)". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. June 8, 1952. p. 44. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. "(radio listing)". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. July 19, 1953. p. 44. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  21. "(radio listing)". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. March 8, 1953. p. 46. Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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