- Born
- Died
- Birth nameAnita Louise Fremault
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- An actress from the age of 6, Anita appeared with Walter Hampden in the Broadway production of Peter Ibbetson. As a juvenile actor, Anita used the name Louise Fremault and made her film debut at 9 in the film The Sixth Commandment (1924). She continued to make films as a child actor, and in 1929, Anita dropped her "Fremault" surname, billing herself by her first and second names only. Unlike many child actors, her film career continued as a teenager, and as a blue-eyed blonde, Anita became a star in Warner Brothers costume dramas such as Madame Du Barry (1934), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), and Marie Antoinette (1938). Anita complained that her looks often interfered with her chances to obtain serious roles. With her ethereal beauty, she continued to appear in ingénue roles into the 1940s as she played girlfriends, sisters, and daughters. By 1940, Anita was only in her mid 20s, but her career had turned to 'B' movies, and her time on the big screen ended with the rehashed Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1947). In 1956, Anita was cast as Johnny Washbrook's mother, Nell McLaughin, on the Television series My Friend Flicka (1955), the story of a boy and his black horse. Anita was also the substitute host of The Loretta Young Show (1953) when Loretta Young was recuperating from surgery. Other shows Anita hosted included Theater of Time (1957) and Spotlight Playhouse (1958). Her television guest roles included Mannix (1967) and The Mod Squad (1968). Anita devoted her final years to various philanthropic causes.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>
- SpousesHenry Berger(April 21, 1962 - April 25, 1970) (her death)Buddy Adler(May 17, 1940 - July 12, 1960) (his death, 2 children)
- ChildrenMelanie Adler
- ParentsLouis FremaultAnn Fremault
- A long-time social lioness in the film community, her many parties were attended by most of the top names in Hollywood over the years.
- Anita is name-dropped in the Depression-era dance marathon movie They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), which is set in 1932. In one segment, Michael Sarrazin''s character Robert tells his partner Jane Fonda that he saw a movie starring Anita and Richard Cromwell wherein she goes blind and dies of a brain tumor. In truth, Anita and Cromwell did appear in two movies but they were post-1932 -- Most Precious Thing in Life (1934) and The Villain Still Pursued Her (1940). In neither of these two films, or in any other film Anita appeared in, did she ever go blind and die of a brain tumor. The film Dark Victory (1939), DOES have Bette Davis going blind and dying of a brain tumor with George Brent by her side, but it too was released much later than 1932.
- Auditioned and screen-tested for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), which went to Vivien Leigh.
- She appeared in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and Anthony Adverse (1936).
- A lifelong registered Republican she was one of the many notable names who were in attendance at the Inauguration Ceremony of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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