Geraldine Wall Biography

Geraldine Wall (June 24, 1912 " June 22, 1970) was an American actress who had numerous stage, film and television credits. Her career involved mainly character roles but encompassed a wide range of roles.

Early life

Geraldine Wall, daughter of Robert G. Wall and Anna Callahan, became attracted to show business at an early age, and while still in her teens, she began pursuing a career as an actress, with roles on Broadway where she made her stage debut at 15 in The Love Nest at the Comedy Theatre. After success in other minor roles, including romantic comedies, Little Accident (1928), Blind Mice (1930), Child of Manhattan (1932) and Domino (1932). She was also in the cast of the drama, Heat Lightning (1933) and the musical Merrily We Roll Along (1934).

Acting career

Wall married diplomat and financier Franklin "Wolfram" Day (his second marriage), on April 23, 1936 in Manhattan but it was a short-lived marriage, ending in divorce on November 9, 1937 in Nevada. Resuming her career as an actress in Hollywood at the age of 30, her first roles were uncredited and not until Winged Victory (1944) did Wall receive an on-screen credit, albeit far down in the "other" players. She received credit in Charlie Chan's "Meeting At Midnight" (1944) series film.

Proving to be a versatile actress, Wall took on many different roles including working women, secretaries, mothers and wives, acting in 47 films. Although predominately known from her drama, comedy and romance roles, she also would be featured in a wide variety of genres including: mystery, crime, family, adventure, thriller, western, war, action, film-noir, musical, biography, as well as dabbling in fantasy, history, horror, sport and even sci-fi films. Wall was the original choice for the role of Dolly Tate in the 1950 MGM film Annie Get Your Gun. When Betty Hutton replaced Judy Garland in the role of Annie Oakley, Benay Venuta took over the role of Dolly Tate.

With the dawn of television, like many other actors, Wall began working in the new medium in the 1950s. Finding not only recurring roles but a number of other "one-offs", she would appear in 17 television series, acting until 1970.

In Wall's lengthy stage, screen and television career, are notable character roles including, One Man's Way, The Song of Bernadette, Charlie Chan in Black Magic, The Fountainhead, Black Widow and Please Don't Eat the Daisies. She made six guest appearances on the popular series, Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr. Perhaps her most memorable role was as murderer Abigail E. Leeds in the 1957 episode, "The Case of the Baited Hook." She also made three appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show TV series. Her final television appearance was in a 1970 episode of Here Come the Brides.

Death

Wall's death from pneumonia in 1970, at the age of 57, occurred in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. She was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, Los Angeles.

Partial filmography

• One Man's Way (1964) Mae Michaels
• Let's Make Love (1960) Miss Hansen
• Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) Dr. Sprouk
• Heller in Pink Tights (1960) Madam
• This Earth Is Mine (1959) Maria
• Some Came Running (1959) Mrs. Stevens
• Mardi Gras (1958) Ann Harris
• Party Girl (1958) Day matron
• Perry Mason (1957) The Case of the Baited Hook
• An Affair to Remember (1957) Miss Webb
• Crime of Passion (1957) Justice of the Peace, Marriage Ceremony (uncredited)
• The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) Miriam
• By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) Mrs. Emily Harris (uncredited)
• Green Grass of Wyoming (1948) Nell McLaughlin
• High Barbaree (1947) Mrs. Martha Brooke
• Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946) Miss Geeves

Partial television credits

• Here Come the Brides (1970)
• Mrs. Hobbs (1970) Mrs. Hobbs
• Mannix (1968)
• Perry Mason (1959-1965) Abigail E. Leeds / Mrs. Cartwright / Mrs. Perkins / ?
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962-1964) Mrs. Meehan / Miss Glasser
• The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) Mrs. Hurley
• The Lone Ranger (1952) Clara Bentley
• Kraft Television Theatre (1951) Edith