THEY LIVED HERE – HEDDA HOPPER

Careers in show business are often followed by gossip. For Hedda Hopper, this took on a more literal meaning. Hopper had a mildly successful career as an actress. However, she made a name for herself as a gossip columnist. Though she spent most of her life on the West Coast, Hopper lived in Douglaston when she started her career on Broadway.
On May 2, 1885 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Hopper was born Elda Furry. She was the third of nine children of David and Margaret Furry. Growing up, Hopper developed a great interest in singing and dancing. She studied singing at the Carter Conservatory of Music in Pittsburgh during high school.
As her flair for entertainment developed, Hopper decided to pursue a career in musical theatre. This decision did not sit well with her Quaker parents so Hopper ran away from home at 18 and settled in Queens. She began working in amateur theatre productions. Shortly thereafter, she started working as a chorus line dancer on Broadway. Hopper's dreams of becoming an actress were rapidly becoming more of a reality. She made her Broadway debut in 1909 playing a small role in &#8220The Motor Girl.” Hopper said of her talent, &#8220Dancing came easy to me. And in singing, what my voice lacked in quality it made up for in volume.”
In 1913, Hopper performed alongside DeWolf Hopper in a musical comedy called &#8220A Matinee Idol.” DeWolf, a popular comedic actor, captivated Hopper with his charisma and the couple married later that year in New Jersey; for DeWolf it was his fifth marriage. The couple had one child together, William DeWolf Hopper Jr., who went on to become an actor himself. The marriage would not last, however; the couple divorced in January 1924. Hopper decided to keep her married name and chose not to marry again.
As she searched for a stage name, Hopper paid a numerologist $10 to advise her, and thus the name Hedda. She began her acting career in 1915, appearing in silent films. A year later, she made her motion picture debut in &#8220Battle of Hearts.” Over the years, Hopper appeared in over 120 movies, usually playing roles of highly distinguished women. As her career fizzled in the mid 1930's, Hopper accepted a job with Elizabeth Arden cosmetics and later as a fashion commentator on a Hollywood radio station.
Accepting that her acting days were probably behind her, Hopper came across an opportunity that was ideal for her. The Esquire Feature Syndicate was looking for a Hollywood columnist and found one in Hopper. With her forthright personality and her connection to the industry, Hopper began her career as a gossip columnist in 1937.
Hopper immediately created a name for herself. She began a legendary feud with fellow columnist Louella Parsons. It quickly grew into a fierce rivalry for the title of &#8220Queen of Hollywood.” When Hopper's column began appearing in the Los Angeles Times, she instantly solidified her status in Hollywood. She was famous for her gossipy comments and celebrity interviews. Her column appeared in 85 metropolitan papers, 3,000 small-town dailies and over 2,000 weeklies.
Later in her career, when she replaced John Chapman at the New York Daily News, she picked up an additional audience of 5,750,000 daily and 7,500,000 on Sunday. She also began her own weekly radio program, &#8220The Hedda Hopper Show” in 1939 and wrote two best sellers, From Under My Hat and The Whole Truth and Nothing But.
Hopper died in February 1966, at the age of 80, from double pneumonia. She maintained her career as a journalist until her final days. She wrote Sunday columns for the Chicago Tribune syndicate and numerous articles for celebrity magazines. Her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 6313 Hollywood Boulevard.