Hedda Hopper

Hedda Hopper was a famous writer.

She wrote about movie stars in her columns.

She was once an actress in movies.

She appeared in over 120 films.

Later, she wrote stories for many magazines. She could not type her own words. She told her stories to a helper over the phone.

She was known for wearing very large, fancy hats. Many people loved to read her news.

She even had a rival writer. They were both very famous in Hollywood.

Hedda Hopper was a famous American writer.

She was best known for her Hollywood gossip columns. In the 1940s, more than 35 million people read her work. Her stories appeared in many magazines and on the radio.

Before she was a writer, she was an actress.

She appeared in more than 120 movies. She even spent a large part of her pay on fancy clothes for her roles. She was known for wearing very large, expensive hats. These hats were so much a part of her look that she could use them as a work expense for taxes.

Hopper had many powerful friends in the film world. She used these contacts to find news for her columns. She often spoke her stories over the phone to a helper. This was because she could not type or spell very well.

She also had a famous rival named Louella Parsons. The two women were both very powerful gossip writers. They often competed to see who could share news first.

Together, their readers reached 75 million people.

Hedda Hopper was a famous American actress and gossip columnist.

She was born Elda Furry in 1885 in Pennsylvania. People knew her best for her stories about Hollywood stars. In the 1940s, her work reached over 35 million readers. Her writing appeared in many magazines and on the radio. She lived a very rich life in a Beverly Hills mansion.

Hopper began her career as an actress in the theater. She worked in the chorus before getting lead roles. She appeared in more than 120 movies over 23 years. One famous movie was Virtuous Wives in 1918. She spent $5,000 of her salary on fancy clothes for it. Hopper was also known for her very large, expensive hats. She even used these hats as a work expense for her taxes.

Her second career as a writer started in the 1930s. She wrote a column called "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" for the Los Angeles Times. This column debuted on February 14, 1938. Hopper could not type or spell very well. Instead, she spoke her stories over the phone to a typist. She used her many friends in Hollywood to find news. One big story was about the son of President Franklin Roosevelt.

Hopper was a very powerful and sometimes controversial person. She supported the House Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC. She helped name people suspected of being Communists. This led to the Hollywood blacklist. She also used her influence to help actors win awards. She helped actress Joan Crawford win an Oscar. She also spoke up for the actor James Baskett.

She had a long and famous rivalry with Louella Parsons. The two women were both famous gossip writers. They often competed to see who could share news first. Together, their readers reached 75 million people. This was a huge part of the American public. Their rivalry was very well known in the film industry. Some people even said they were like monsters that escaped a lab.

Hedda Hopper was a highly influential American actress and gossip columnist.

Born Elda Furry in 1885 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, she eventually became a household name. At the peak of her career in the 1940s, her columns reached more than 35 million readers. She used her platform to shape public opinion about Hollywood stars. Her work appeared in various magazines and on the radio. Hopper's life was marked by both great wealth and intense professional rivalries.

Hopper's professional journey began on the Broadway stage as a chorus member. She initially struggled to find success in musical theater. However, she eventually joined the theater company of DeWolf Hopper. She later married him in 1913, becoming his fifth wife. To avoid confusion with his former wives, she consulted a numerologist. The expert suggested the name "Hedda," which she adopted professionally.

Her acting career transitioned from the stage to the silver screen. She began appearing in silent movies in 1915. In the 1918 film *Virtuous Wives*, she established her specialty of playing society women. She famously spent her entire $5,000 salary on a wardrobe from the boutique Lucile. By 1920, she earned $1,000 per week as a freelance actress. She eventually moved to Hollywood in 1923 to work for Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Over a 23-year career, she appeared in more than 120 motion pictures.

As her acting roles declined in the mid-1930s, Hopper pivoted to journalism. In 1937, she began writing for the *Los Angeles Times*. Her column, "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood," debuted on February 14, 1938. Because she could not type or spell well, she dictated stories via telephone. She relied on the extensive network of contacts she built while acting. One major scoop involved the divorce of James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Roosevelt.

Hopper wielded significant power through her writing and political stances. She was a fervent Republican and spoke at a massive 1944 political rally. This event in the Los Angeles Coliseum drew 93,000 attendees. She also supported the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Hopper named individuals suspected of being Communists, which contributed to the Hollywood blacklist. Her influence even extended to the Academy Awards. She was credited with helping Joan Crawford win an Oscar. She also advocated for African American actor James Baskett to receive an honorary award.

Her lifestyle was as famous as her writing. She earned an annual income of $250,000 and lived in a Beverly Hills mansion. Hopper was well known for wearing extravagant, expensive hats. These hats were so central to her image that the Internal Revenue Service allowed a $5,000 annual tax deduction for them. However, her fashion became a target for international propaganda. During World War II, the Nazis used photos of her hats to symbolize "American decadence."

Hopper's career was defined by a fierce rivalry with Louella Parsons. The two women were competing gossip columnists with massive reach. Together, their combined readership was 75 million people in a nation of 160 million. While they once had a mutually beneficial arrangement, they became bitter enemies. They frequently competed to "scoop" each other on major celebrity news. Some industry insiders compared their power to "Frankenstein monsters escaped from the labs."

This rivalry often led to personal conflict and legal battles. For example, Hopper faced a libel lawsuit after spreading rumors about actors Michael Wilding and Stewart Granger. Other celebrities expressed their dislike for her through symbolic gestures. Actress Joan Bennett once sent Hopper a skunk as a Valentine's Day gift. Hopper's influence and controversial methods left a lasting impact on the history of celebrity journalism. She continued writing her column until her death in 1966.