Gertrude Irene Astor, born in Ohio, was the first actress to sign a contract with Universal in 1915, beginning her career playing trombone and saxophone on a riverboat. Standing at an impressive 5'11", she often played the roles of gold diggers, rich socialites, or a leading lady's best friend in one-reel films and feature-length silents such as Polly Redhead (1917),The Price of a Good Time (1917),The Girl Who Wouldn't Quit (1918),The Lion Man (1919),Mary Pickford's Through the Back Door (1921),The Wall Flower (1922),Alice Adams (1923),The Ne'er-Do-Well (1923),Stage Struck (1925),The Boy Friend (1926),Kiki (1926),The Strong Man (1926),Shanghaied (1927),The Cat and the Canary (1927),and Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927),where she played the role of Little Eva's mother.
She supported the careers of popular female stars such as Mary Pickford, Norma Talmadge, Gloria Swanson, Patsy Ruth Miller, Colleen Moore, Shirley Mason, Olive Borden, and Laura La Plante.
With the advent of sound, Astor continued her career, appearing in a number of two-reel comedies, mostly with the Hal Roach studio and occasionally with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the "Our Gang" gang, and Charley Chase. Her catchphrase seemed to be "I've never been so embarrassed in all my life!"
Astor continued acting until the 1960s, often in bit parts, and her last movie bit was for John Ford in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). She often shared her film memories with friends, fans, and historians. At one point in her career, she and actress Lilyan Tashman were known as the most elegant and best-dressed women in Hollywood.
Gertrude Astor passed away following a stroke on her 90th birthday at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills.
