Louise Dresser was a renowned American actress, singer, and vaudeville performer, born Lulu Josephine Kerlin on October 5, 1878, in Evansville, Indiana. She grew up in a musical family, singing as a child and later performing in various choirs and shows. After her father's death in a railroad accident, Dresser ran away from home at the age of 16 to pursue a career in entertainment, eventually changing her stage name to Louise Kerlin.
She became the protégée of Tin Pan Alley composer Paul Dresser, who helped her introduce his song "My Gal Sal" to American audiences. Dresser's affiliation with Paul Dresser earned her the billing "The Girl from the Wabash." She married Jack Norworth, a performing monologist, and made her Broadway debut in "About Town" in 1906, starring alongside her husband.
Dresser specialized in light operettas and musical comedy, appearing in numerous New York shows, including "The Girls of Gottenberg" (1908),"The Candy Shop" (1909),"A Matinee Idol" (1910),and "From Broadway to Paris" (1912). She married Jack Gardner, a Broadway singing star, in 1908, and the couple went on to headline in vaudeville.
In the 1920s, Dresser transitioned to film, making her debut at age 44 in "The Glory of Clementina" (1922). She became a reliable character actress in silents, starring in films such as "The Goose Woman" (1925),"The Eagle" (1925),and "A Ship Comes In" (1928),for which she received a "Citation of Merit" at the first Academy Awards ceremony.
Dresser continued to work in films throughout the 1930s, often opposite comedian Will Rogers in films such as "Lightnin'" (1930),"State Fair" (1933),"Doctor Bull" (1933),"David Harum" (1934),and "The County Chairman" (1935). After Rogers' death, Dresser made only one more film, "Maid of Salem" (1937),before retiring to her home in Glendale, California.
Louise Dresser passed away on April 24, 1965, at the age of 86, and was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. Despite being less remembered today, she left a lasting legacy as a talented actress, singer, and vaudeville performer.
