Katherine Marlowe (actress)

Katherine Marlowe
Publicity Photo of Katherine Marlowe
Born
Kathryn Irene Rea

(1914-05-25)May 25, 1914
Corydon, Iowa, U.S.
DiedJanuary 2, 2010(2010-01-02) (aged 95)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Other namesKea Rea
Kathryn Marlowe
EducationDrake University
OccupationsActress, singer
Spouse
Les Clark
​
​
(m. 1937; div. 1940)​

Katherine Marlowe (born Kathryn Irene Rea; May 25, 1914 – January 2, 2010) was an American singer and film actress in the 1930s, most notably in Dodsworth, which starred Walter Huston, Mary Astor and Ruth Chatterton. Other films included Bridal Grief, Artists and Models and China Passage. She was also known as Kea Rea. Her film name was also seen as Kathryn Marlowe, which was "assigned to her after she lost a battle to retain her own" name.

Early years

Marlowe was born in Corydon, Iowa. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rea. During part of her childhood she lived with her grandparents in Benton Harbor, Michigan. She attended Stephens College, where she studied piano, and graduated from Drake University in 1935. While she was at Stephens she sang in weekly sessions with Red Johnson's orchestra; after finishing at Drake, her victory in a contest gained her a contract with Glen Lee's orchestra in Chicago. At Drake she studied dramatics and music and was active in concert tours, operettas, and plays.

Career

Marlowe sang with Lee and his orchestra at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago inthe summer of 1935. The performances were broadcast. In the spring of 1936 she sang with Dick Messner's orchestra at the Park Central Hotel in New York City. She left her position with Messner that year to sign a contract with United Artists film company.

Marlowe's career was interrupted in 1943 when a dog bit her, causing injuries that she said would mean being unable to work in films for at least six months. She sued the dog's owner for $31,425 in damages. In 1956, Marlowe starred in an episode of the Highway Patrol (S2, E3), as the wife to her accomplice husband who was a robber who committed murder in "Trailer Story".

Other activities

Marlowe owned a 50-acre farm near Monroe, Iowa, on which she raised corn and pedigreed animals. Her activities there resulted in prizes at county fairs.

Personal life and death

Marlowe married actor Les Clark in 1937; they were divorced on January 20, 1940. She died at the age of 95 in Tampa, Florida, after a long period of ill health.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ Katherine Marlowe at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
  2. ↑ "Kea Rea visits parents". Des Moines Tribune. December 21, 1937. p. 1 A. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Kathryn Marlowe". The News-Palladium. Michigan, Benton Harbor. January 1, 1938. p. Section 8, p. 2. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Kea Rea Starts Divorce Action". Des Moines Tribune. January 11, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Kea a Success In Chicago, But Longs for Iowa". The Des Moines Register. July 21, 1935. p. Iowa News, p. 7. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Kathryn Rea, film actress, is kin of B. H. people". The News-Palladium. Michigan, Benton Harbor. June 15, 1936. p. 3. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 "Kathryn Rea to Hollywood". The Columbia Missourian. May 26, 1936. p. 3. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "Kea Rea Sings With Orchestra". Des Moines Tribune. July 9, 1935. p. 1 A. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Facing the Music". Radio Mirror. September 1936. p. 69. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Katherine Marlowe Sues for Dogbite (sic)". The Minneapolis Star. United Press. September 17, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Lewellyn, Joseph (August 17, 1936). "Kea Rea Shocks Movie Capital: With Glib, Accurate Talk of Farming". The Des Moines Register. p. 2. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Kea Rea Gets Iowa Divorce: Actress Given Back Maiden Name". Des Moines Sunday Register. January 21, 1940. p. Iowa News, p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.