Here is the biography of Gale Storm:
Gale Storm, born Josephine Cottle on April 5, 1922, was the youngest of five children. She was only 17 months old when her father, William, passed away. Her family moved to McDade, Texas, where her mother, Minnie, worked as a seamstress and milliner.
Gale developed an interest in acting and dancing, and she performed in high school dramatics. She entered a local radio talent contest, Jesse L. Lasky's "Gateway to Hollywood," and won, which led to her moving to Hollywood with her mother.
Gale was soon under contract to RKO Pictures, but was dropped after six months. She went on to work at Monogram and Universal, appearing in a number of "B" musicals, mysteries, and westerns. She made her film debut in "Tom Brown's School Days" (1940) and went on to appear in films such as "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" (1947),"The Dude Goes West" (1948),and "The Underworld Story" (1950).
Gale's breakthrough in television came with the sitcom "My Little Margie" (1952),which became one of the most watched shows of the early 1950s. She then starred in the hit series "The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna" (1956),which lasted for four seasons.
In addition to her acting career, Gale also launched a singing career, producing a number of Billboard chart makers, including "I Hear You Knocking," "Memories Are Made of This," and "Dark Moon." She also appeared on the summer stock and dinner theater circuit, performing in shows such as "Cactus Flower," "Forty Carats," and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."
Gale's later years were marked by a struggle with alcoholism, but she eventually recovered and became an outspoken advocate for those suffering from the disease. She died on June 27, 2009, at the age of 87.
