Biography

As a child she studied at Seattle's Cornish School. Still in her early twenties, after several years of stock work in New York, she joined Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theater where she won critical praise for her title role in "Alice in Wonderland." She came to Hollywood in 1934 under contract with Warners, debuting in Happiness Ahead (1934). She co-starred with Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and played in many small roles, both in films - e.g., the phony U.N. ambassador's wife in North by Northwest (1959) - and television: The Twilight Zone (1959), Gunsmoke (1955), and Perry Mason (1957) in the fifties and sixties. She died at Manhattan's Florence Nightingale Nursing Home, aged 94.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Josephine Hutchinson was born on October 12, 1903 in Seattle, Washington. Her mother was actress Leona Roberts. Josephine made her film debut as an extra in the 1917 film The Little Princess. She attended the Cornish School in Seattle where she studied music and dance. After graduating she moved to New York City and began acting in the theatre. She said "My mother brought me up with the idea that I someday would go on the stage. I never really thought of doing anything else". Josephine married stage director Robert W. Bell in 1924. She appeared in several hit Broadway shows including The Bird Cage, The Cradle Song, and Twelfth Night. In 1926 she became a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre. Josephine started a passionate lesbian affair with Eva and left her husband. During their divorce trial in 1930 Robert Bell claimed that Josephine spent all her time with Eva. The press began to refer to her as Eva's "shadow". Josephine's romance with Eva lasted for several years and they remained close friends. In 1934 she was offered a contract at Warner Brothers and starred in the drama Happiness Ahead. Josephine costarred with Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur and with George Brent in The Right To Live.

She was becoming a popular actress and appeared on the cover of Screen Play magazine. Josephine married James F. Townsend, her press agent, in 1935. The couple lived in a ten-room home in Pacific Palisades. After Warner Brothers dropped Josephine's contract her film career stalled. During the 1940s she took a five year break from making movies and worked as an acting coach at Columbia Studios. She returned to the screen playing small parts in films like Cass Timberlane and Ruby Gentry. Josephine also appeared in numerous television shows including The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, and Wagon Train. She was happily married to her husband James until his death in 1970. They never had any children. She married actor Staats Cotsworth in 1974 and retired from acting. Staats passed away in 1979. Josephine spent her final years living at the Florence Nightingale Nursing Home in Manhattan. She died on June 4, 1998 at the age of ninety-four. Her ashes were scattered in Oregon.
- IMDb mini biography by: Elizabeth Ann

Her first husband was a nephew of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone.

Popular red-headed actress of the 1930s and 1940s who also appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs.

Daughter of actress Leona Roberts.

Niece of actress Edith Roberts.

In the film "North by Northwest", Josephine Hutchinson played the character, Mrs. Townsend. She was, in fact, Mrs. Townsend in real life as well. Her husband at the time was James Franklin Townsend.