Hedda Painting by Red Skelton
HOPPER BIOGRAPHY was ON A&E JUNE 15th, 2000!! This has been postponed since October 12, 1998!!! Watched it. Learned a lot more about Hedda.
Brown Derby caricature
Hedda Hopper was an actress, radio show host, journalist, and gossip columnist. She was also a single working mother. Hedda's trademark was her flashy (and often large and outrageous) hats.
March 1858: - William DeWolf Hopper born (Hedda's future husband) June 2, 1890 - Hedda Hopper born in Pennsylvania (Hollidaysburg) (or 1885) as Elda Furry, daughter of a dirt farmer (later became a butcher). Her parents were David (a butcher) and Margaret [Miller] Furry. She was the fifth of nine children. (Hedda's rival, Louella Parsons was born 8/6/1880)
???? - Quit school after 8th grade to join a theatrical group also worked as a chorus girl in New York City
1913 - Marries William DeWolfe (his 5th wife of 6) (he was 32 years older, a matinee idol) (he was also 5 years older than Hedda's father!) (they met during production of "The Pied Piper", a musical comedy).
January 26, 1915 - Son William DeWolf Hopper Jr. born in NY City
1915 - Moved to Hollywood, CA
1916 - First movie (silent) "The Battle of Hearts"
1922 - Divorces and becomes a single mom
September, 1935: - William DeWolf Hopper dies. Buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York
1931-1951 - The Hedda Hopper Show on radio (about 40 episodes now exist). It was a 15 minute show where she discussed Hollywood divorces and "who's marrying who". When she went on vacation, she'd designate stars to do her show for her.
February 14, 1938 - Hedda Hopper starts her gossip column in the Los Angeles Times: "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood"
1940: William Hopper marries Jane Gilbert
1942 or 1947: William & Jane Gilbert Hopper have a daugther Joan (William also has a stepson named Gordon Williams)
1942: Bill Hopper joins the Coast Guard, worked as frogman
1945: Bill Hopper comes home from the War
October 26, 1946 - "Lover Come Back" broadcast with George Brent [he starred in the movie with Lucy] on Hedda's show
1947 - Discovered "Mr. Blackwell" (of the famous best and worst dressed lists) was really Richard Selzer, who had been in "Dead End Kids". He had just been cast in "Vendetta", and signed to a contract by Howard Hughes. Vendetta was recast.
June 28, 1947 - Final broadcast of "This is Hollywood, The Hedda Hopper Show" (radio)
July 28, 1947 - Hedda in Time Magazine
195? - Hedda appeared on "What's My Line" as a panelist, along with Ronald Reagan.
September 1953 - Hedda reported Desi's line about Lucy: "The only thing red about her is her hair and even that is not legitimate", the day after the press conference regarding the communist charges.
1954: - Hedda appears on the Colgate Variety Hour
March 14, 1955 - The I Love Lucy episode "The Hedda Hopper Story" airs for the first time. It features Desi and Lucy staging publicity stunt to get in Hedda's column. Lucy Ricardo's mother had sat with Hedda on her flight to CA.
February 14, 1957 - Hedda is guest on the Tennessee Ernie Ford show
Sept. 21, 1957 - `Perry Mason' begins. Hedda's son William portrays Paul Drake, detective.
November 6, 1957 - Hedda interviews Lucy and Ricky about how they met on "Lucy Desi Comedy Hour" episode `Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana'. On reruns, Hedda's lines are always cut out.
1960 - Awarded Journalistic Merit Award
??? - William Hopper divorces 1960's - William Hopper marries new wife, Jan January 10, 1960 - Tv special "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" on NBC, 8pm. First of 5 promised specials. Tied with Ed Sullivan in ratings. Lucy appeared in a short interview, standing outside the Desilu Workshop. Also Bob Cummings and Bob Hope among others.
1962 - Hedda's book "The Whole Truth and Nothing But!" discusses three generations of Hollywood, and 50 years of headlines.
1963: Hedda's Autobiography "The Whole Truth and Nothing But"
October 14, 1964 - Appears on The Beverly Hillbillies in the episode: "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood". [She joins the battle to save Mammoth Studios.] Jed and Jethro pave over the footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater! Hedda posts their bail.
February 1, 1966 - Hedda Hopper dies in Hollywood of double pneumonia She worked up until her death. Buried (cremated?) at Rose Hill Cemetery, Altoona, Pennsylvania (left her black&blue Rolls Royce to Lucy. Hedda was "Lucy's best girlfriend next to Vivian".) (Louella Parsons died 12/9/72)
March 30, 1966 - Hedda's voice is heard on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon special "Alice in Wonderland" (or "What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?). Hedda was "Hedda Hatter" a counterpart of the Mad Hatter.
May 22, 1966 - "The Case of the Final Fade-Out" Perry Mason airs, marking the end of the original series. It would return later in 1985 without Paul Drake.
March 6, 1970 - Hedda's son Wm. DeWolf Hopper Jr. dies of pneumonia in Palm Springs, CA Buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park Cemetery, Whittier, California, Urn Garden
1985: Jane Alexander portrays Hedda in "Malice in Wonderland" to Elizabeth Taylor's Louella Parsons
1995: Katherine Helmond ("Who's the Boss") portrays Hedda in "Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story"
1996: Jayne Meadows plays "Hedda Hopper" in the movie James Dean: a Portrait (CBS).
March, 1998 - Nick-at-Nite lists "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" episode of the Beverly Hillbillies as #62 in it's list of TV's Top 100 episodes of all time.
QUOTES:
MISCELLANEOUS
When Hedda stayed at the Hearst Castle, she found a piece of fine jewelry on her plate at every meal.
Did you know that Michi Sohma, past president of Sanyo Corporation was once Hedda's house-boy?
A Biography of Hedda was set to be shown on 10/12/98, but has been taken off the schedule (A&E). Still not shown a year later 10/11/99. Finally shown June 15, 2000.
"Her virtue was that she said what she thought, her vice that what she thought didn't amount to much." -Peter Ustinov on Hedda
"Timid? As timid as a buzzsaw." -George Ellis on Hedda Hopper
On the advice of a numerologist, she changed her first name to HEDDA.
She loved designer clothes, especially Mainbocher.
Called her Beverly Hills home "the house that fear built".
Acted in over 120 movies.
Hedda couldn't type.
Actress Joan Bennett once sent Hedda a skunk.
There is a species of goldenrod named after Hedda: S. canadensis, "crown of rays", Hedda Hopper. It has a topping of bright yellow flowers, and grows up to 2 feet high.
Hedda accompanied Lucy and Gary Morton to The World's Fair "Lucy Day" on August 31, 1964.
Hedda and Lucy were both in the movies "Bunker Bean" (1936) and "That's Right, You're Wrong" (1939).
Hedda Hopper was in the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour episode "Cruise to Havana", but her scenes are never shown in re-runs. Hedda is being told how Lucy and Desi met. (Maybe when this gets to DVD we will see Hedda's scenes.)
Red Skelton painted an oil portrait of Hedda Hopper. (See above.) When she happened to see it, she asked if she could have it. Of course Red gave it to her! After her death, her son kept the portrait until his death. The 17 inches x 12 inches painting is now worth $22,000 (1998).
Hedda Hopper once lived in "Little Neck" in Queens.
Hedda had a house built in England in the late 1920's. It's known as "Romney Bay House", located in Littlestone-on-Sea, New Romney, and is now a bed and breakfast. Originally it was painted bright yellow and was known as "The Mustard Pot"!
Hedda Hopper gave the struggling unknown Ida Lupino some advice that saved her career. She told her to "take that junk off your face, let your eyebrows grow in, and first and foremost, remember you are an actress." After that Ida began to get parts that mattered.
"Hedda" is Old English for `Hidden Weapon'.
The famous tenor Mario Lanza once shattered a mirror at Hedda Hopper's home with his voice.
Hedda's face appeared on a foreign stamp without her hat!
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Updated 3/2/05