Anita Louise is worth watching for her poise in romantic and historical supporting parts. We are less persuaded by the films around her, which too often treat a delicate appearance as sufficient characterisation.
Fi1m perspective
In Anthony Adverse (1936), Anita Louise and Louis Hayward play lovers in scenes lit almost entirely by candles and windows. Gaudio leaves the space behind them black, so their faces hold our attention rather than the furnishings. We were drawn into those scenes because the lighting makes their meetings feel private. Louise's poise suits this intimate scale; the trouble comes when the film moves on and its title character proves less interesting than the people around him. We would not recommend the whole sprawling film on the strength of its opening, but her Maria belongs to the stretch that works.
Her profile rose in the mid-1930s, in Warner Bros. costume and prestige pictures. William Dieterle was a recurring director, and he and Max Reinhardt directed her as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935). Annette Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) was another supporting part, this time in a biographical drama. These parts called for the composed presence she could supply. They also suggest the limitation of casting her for delicacy: it could become a reason not to ask anything more of her.
Judge Priest (1934) needs a different kind of caution. Louise plays Ellie May Gillespie in John Ford's comedy-drama, but our pleasure in that thin, loosely assembled film comes chiefly from Will Rogers. There is no reason to turn its weaknesses into a verdict on her, or to recommend it simply because she is in the cast. Later prominent parts such as Rose in The Little Princess (1939) kept her in supporting work rather than changing that pattern.
During the 1940s her film roles became smaller and shifted towards B pictures. Television gave her a regular part as Nell McLaughlin, the mother in My Friend Flicka (1956–1957), a different setting from the historical and literary productions with which she had become associated. Our starting point would still be the early Louise–Hayward scenes in Anthony Adverse. Take the candlelit romance as the recommendation, with a warning that the rest of the film does not sustain it.
Biography
Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault) was an American actress. She made her Broadway debut at the age of seven in Peter Ibbetson and began appearing in films as a child. By her late teens she had roles in major productions and was named a WAMPAS Baby Star.
Her film credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) as Titania, The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) as Annette Pasteur, Anthony Adverse (1936) as Maria, Marie Antoinette (1938), and The Little Princess (1939) as Rose. In the 1950s she appeared on television, notably as Nell McLaughlin in the series My Friend Flicka (1956–1957). She also had guest roles in Mannix (1969) and The Mod Squad (1970). She died in 1970.
