Biography

Glenn Anders was born September 1, 1889 in Los Angeles, California. He attended the Wallace dramatic school in California and began a career as a performer in vaudeville on the Orpheum circuit. He arrived in New York in 1919 and attended Columbia University from 1919 until 1921. He made his Broadway debut in 1919 in a play entitled Just Around the Corner. Mr. Anders had a very long and distinguished career on Broadway and during his career appeared in three Pulitzer Prize winning plays. Those plays were: Hell Bent for Heaven (1924) written by Hatcher Hughes; They Knew What They Wanted (1924) written by Sidney Howard and Strange Interlude (1928) written by Eugene O'Neill. Most of his career was spent on stage but he also had some noteworthy film appearances. He made approximately eight movies from 1925 to 1951. His most memorable film role was that of Grisby the lawyer in Lady from Shanghai, The (1948) starring Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. After retiring from the stage he resided for several years in Mexico. He returned to the United States to reside at the Actor's Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey. He resided at the Actor's Fund Home until his death in 1981 at the age of 92.
- IMDb mini biography by: Gregory Riley

He famously did not see his contract for "The Lady From Shanghai" until his first day of filming, which involved his playing dead whilst on a stretcher. He was still on the stretcher when he signed the contract, and claimed it was only then that he noted (with pleasure) that his salary for the film was to be $1250 per week.

Made his film debut in Sally of the Sawdust (1925). This movie was the first starring film for W.C. Fields and was directed by the legendary D.W. Griffith.

His leading ladies on the stage included Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Claudette Colbert, Judith Anderson, Gladys Cooper and Ruth Gordon.

[on Orson Welles]: I knew Orson pretty well, after meeting him at a benefit radio broadcast. Rita Hayworth was there, too, and I remember that they hadn't met as yet.