Una Merkel 1903 – 1986

The Fight!

A fine character actress, Una Merkel was nominated for an Oscar in 1962 for her portrayal of Geraldine Page’s mother in “ Summer and Smoke”. But she is probably best remembered for that knock-down, scratch-your-eyes-out fight with Marlene Dietrich on the barroom floor in 1939’s “Destry Rides Again”!

She was born on December 10 th, 1903 in Covington, Kentucky but spent her childhood on the move. Her father, a traveling saleman at the time, took his family on the road with him either by horse and buggy or train depending on the distance between customers. Una went to school first in Philadelphia and then in New York City where she took dancing lessons and studied dramatics taught by Tyrone Powers’ mother.

"Private Lives".

Una’s first job was modeling for True Story magazine. “I always hoped to be used in a serial because the job lasted longer”. She also got work in several movies made on the east coast including “Way Down East” (1920) as Lillian Gish’s stand-in and “The Wind” (released in 1928) as an extra. Broadway producer John Golden gave her a part in “Coquette” with Helen Hayes in 1927 that lasted 22 months and then took her on the road tour. When the tour ended she went to Hollywood to play Lillian Gish’s sister but the film ran out of money and was never finished.

"The Night is Young" 1935

D. W. Griffith, who had also saw her resemblance to Lillian, decided to try her as Mary Todd in his film “Abraham Lincoln. But after the movie was underway he decided she would be better in the role of Ann Rutledge. It was the beginning of Una’s film career. But it was the 1931 movie “Private Lives” that showed off Una’s comedic abilities.

The Merkels... Ma, Pa, Una and Ron!

Una’s personal life still centered on her parents. She was their only child and they built a life around the three of them. Her father was now associated with Dr. Lee DeForest who had been working on the development of sound in films since 1923. When she married

Ronald Burla, an aviator-turned-steel fabricator, it was in Tia Juana on January 1 st, 1932 while the two on anniversary trip with her parents. Her mother and father were witnesses and, when they came home, all four moved into the same house! The marriage lasted 13 years before ending in divorce. One year later she lost her mother and almost her life when her mother committed suicide by turning on the gas.

In the 1930s Una’s career was in high gear. She played supporting roles in comedies, musicals and melodramas. But by the early 1940s her roles diminished and the scripts sent to her were no longer quality roles. In 1944 she left Hollywood and went back to Broadway after a 15 year absence to work again for John Golden in “Three’s a Family” and also took on some radio work. In 1956 she won a Tony for “The Ponder Heart”.

Una and Charlie Butterworth, a frequent co-star.

Nelson Case, Una and Ray Bloch rehearse for radio

Then it was back to Hollywood for her role as Mrs. Dugan in “Bundle of Joy” with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher and as Verbena in “The Parent Trap” with Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith and Hayley Mills. Una made 3 more films after her Oscar nod in “Summer and Smoke. But her last appearance was as Aunt Alba in a television episode of “I Spy” in January, 1968. She remained in the Los Angeles apartment she had shared with her father until his death in 1977. Una Merkel died on January 2 nd, 1986 at the age of 82.

Films (99) also include “ 42 nd Street” (1933), “Bombshell” (1933), “The Merry Widow” (1934), “Some Like It Hot” (1939), “The Merry Widow” (1952) , “The Kentuckian” (1955) and “A Tiger Walks” (1964).

From Movie Mirror magazine, May 1936….