Nancy Drexel

Nancy Drexel (born Dorothy Kitchen,[2] April 6, 1910 – November 19, 1989) was an American film actress of the late silent and early sound era. She was sometimes credited by her birth name in films. She appeared in 29 films, generally B-film Westerns.

Nancy Drexel
Born
Dorothy Kitchen

April 6, 1910
New York City, US
DiedNovember 19, 1989 (aged 79)
Orange County, California[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1926–1932 (film)
Spouse(s)Thomas H. Ince Jr. (1932–1947)
John O. Stornes (1953–1971)

Drexel was the daughter of George P. Kitchen, who was described in a newspaper article as "a pioneer of the film industry."[3] Her professional debut came when she was 8 years old, performing in The Royal Vagabond comic opera.[4] She ventured to Hollywood after winning a Miss New York contest that had 10,000 competitors.[5]

In 1931, she appeared in one of the earliest Spanish-language sound films, Hollywood, City of Dreams, as a glamorous movie star who is the idol of the film's hero, José Bohr. Drexel is presented as one of the leading stars of Hollywood, rather than the B-movie leading lady she was in real life.[6]

On September 28, 1932, Drexel married Thomas H. Ince Jr., son of film producer Thomas H. Ince, in Beverly Hills. Both of them were students at Antioch College in Antioch, Illinois, and resumed their studies after the wedding.[3] The couple had two daughters.[7] Drexel sued for divorce in 1947 and married John Stornes in 1953.[8][1][9]

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Nancy Kitchen Stornes in the California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997". ancestry.com. Retrieved Sep 9, 2021.
  2. Pedersen, Jeannine L. (2008). Catalina by Air. Arcadia Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-7385-5936-0. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  3. "Young Ince and Nancy Drexel wed; on way back to school". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Associated Press. September 29, 1932. p. 21. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Little actress won't cut hair". The Pasadena Post. California, Pasadena. January 9, 1929. p. 10. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "New to Films". The Indianapolis Star. June 3, 1928. p. 62. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Jarvinen, Lisa (5 June 2012). The Rise of Spanish-Language Filmmaking: Out from Hollywood's Shadow, 1929-1939. Rutgers University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-0-8135-5328-3. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  7. "Thomas Ince Jr. Sued for Divorce". Valley Times. California, North Hollywood. May 17, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved September 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1959". ancestry.com. Retrieved Sep 10, 2021.
  9. "Nancy Kitchen Stornes in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007". ancestry.com. Retrieved Sep 9, 2021.


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