Miriam Hopkins was a talented and versatile actress who starred in many films and plays in the 1930s and 1940s. She was known for her roles in Trouble in Paradise, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Story of Temple Drake, and Becky Sharp, for which she received an Oscar nomination. She also had a long-running feud with Bette Davis, who often competed with her for roles and recognition. But how did Miriam Hopkins die, and what was her life like before her death?
Contents
Early Life and Career
Miriam Hopkins was born as Ellen Miriam Hopkins on October 18, 1902, in Savannah, Georgia. She was raised in Bainbridge, near the Alabama border, by her mother, Ellen Cutler, after her parents separated. She had an older sister, Ruby, who later became a journalist. Miriam Hopkins showed an interest in acting and singing from an early age, and joined the choir of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bainbridge.
She attended Goddard Seminary in Barre, Vermont, and Syracuse University in New York, where she studied geology under her uncle, Thomas Cramer Hopkins. She also performed in various plays and musicals during her college years. She moved to New York City in 1921, and became a chorus girl in Broadway shows. She also acted in several plays, including the 1926 stage adaptation of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy.
She made her film debut in 1930, in the short film Fast and Loose, directed by Fred C. Newmeyer. She signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, and soon became one of their leading ladies. She worked with some of the best directors of the time, such as Ernst Lubitsch, Rouben Mamoulian, and William Wyler. She also co-starred with some of the most popular actors, such as Fredric March, Gary Cooper, Joel McCrea, and Edward G. Robinson.
She was praised for her versatility, as she could play a variety of roles, from comedy to drama, from romance to horror. She was also known for her beauty, charm, and intelligence. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character in Becky Sharp, the first feature film made in Technicolor. She also won a Golden Globe for her role as Catherine Sloper in The Heiress, based on the novel by Henry James.
Personal Life and Feud with Bette Davis
Miriam Hopkins was married four times, but none of her marriages lasted long. Her first husband was Brandon Peters, a socialite, whom she married in 1926 and divorced in 1927. Her second husband was Austin Parker, a writer, whom she married in 1928 and divorced in 1931. Her third husband was Anatole Litvak, a director, whom she married in 1937 and divorced in 1939. Her fourth and final husband was Raymond B. Brock, a pilot, whom she married in 1945 and divorced in 1951.
She had one son, Michael Hopkins, whom she adopted in 1942 with Litvak. She was also romantically involved with several other men, such as Howard Hughes, Errol Flynn, and David O. Selznick. She was a supporter of the Democratic Party, and a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. She was also interested in art, literature, and music, and was a patron of the arts.
One of the most notorious aspects of Miriam Hopkins’s life was her feud with Bette Davis, another famous actress of the same era. The two women first met in 1932, when they were both auditioning for the role of Ivy in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hopkins won the part, and Davis was cast as a minor character. Davis later claimed that Hopkins tried to upstage her and steal her scenes, and that she was rude and unprofessional. Hopkins denied this, and said that Davis was jealous and insecure.
The rivalry between the two actresses continued for years, and they often competed for the same roles and awards. They also clashed over their political views, as Davis was a Republican and Hopkins was a Democrat. They worked together again in 1939, in The Old Maid, and in 1943, in Old Acquaintance. Both films were based on novels by Edith Wharton, and featured the two women as friends who become enemies. The tension and animosity between them was evident on and off the screen, and they often argued and insulted each other. They never reconciled, and remained enemies until their deaths.
Miriam Hopkins Cause of Death
Miriam Hopkins’s health began to decline in the 1950s, as she suffered from various illnesses, such as arthritis, asthma, and diabetes. She also struggled with alcoholism, and became depressed and isolated. She continued to act in films, television, and theater, but her roles became less frequent and less prominent. She made her last film appearance in 1970, in Savage Intruder, a low-budget horror film.
She died on October 9, 1972, at the age of 69, in her hotel suite in New York City. The cause of death was a massive heart attack, according to IMDb. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the Hudson River. She was survived by her son, Michael, and her sister, Ruby.
Miriam Hopkins was a talented and versatile actress who left a lasting legacy in Hollywood. She starred in many memorable films and plays, and worked with some of the best directors and actors of her time. She was also a complex and controversial figure, who had a turbulent personal life and a bitter feud with Bette Davis. She was a woman of many facets, and her life and death are worth remembering.
