Hedda Hopper (1885–1966,) born Elda Furry, was an American actress and gossip columnist. A former actress with considerable Tinseltown connections, her syndicated column 1938–66 for the Los Angeles Times intimidated Hollywood.
Born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Hopper studied piano and voice in Pittsburgh before making her stage début in 1907 with the Aborn Light Opera Company. After that, she went on the New York stage before moving to Hollywood. She established a successful silent film career, appearing in as many as 50 productions a year.
When her acting career waned, Hopper found work as a gossip columnist in 1938 and was built up as a rival to movie columnist Louella Parsons. Hopper’s Hollywood gossip column was syndicated to an estimated 3,000 daily newspapers and 2,000 weeklies. Her luxurious Beverly Hills mansion was called “The House That Fear Built.”
A determined right-wing exponent, Hopper named alleged communists during the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings and was a major proponent of the Hollywood blacklist.
Hopper frequently appeared on radio and published two bestselling books, From Under My Hat (1952) and The Whole Truth and Nothing But (1963.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Hedda Hopper
Nobody’s interested in sweetness and light.
—Hedda Hopper
Topics: Gossip
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