Antoinette Olympe Bradna (12 August 1920 – 5 November 2012) was a French dancer and actress, who emigrated to the United States where she lived for the rest of her life.
Early years
Bradna was born in a dressing room in the Olympic Theatre in Paris,[2] and her full name was Antoinette Olympe Bradna. Her father, Joseph Bradna, was a Bohemian Czech and her mother, Jana Bradna, was Austrian German. (Another source says that her mother was French.)[3] They were circus performers before Olympe began her career.[4] (Jana Bradna had been an opera singer before she joined her husband in the circus.)[3] Her aunt Ella Bradna also was in the circus, as an equestrienne.[5] An item in a newspaper in 1936 reported that Bradna "followed a line of trained dogs on the stage in France, when she was only 18 months old."[6]
Dancing
Bradna appeared at 18 months of age with her parents, who were world-famous bare back riders. By the time she was 8, Bradna "had attracted so much attention that agents were anxious to book her as a 'single.'"[3] Her parents accompanied her to Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France as she danced. She performed "an acrobatic dance" in the Paris, France, production of Hit the Deck.[3]
Later she joined the Folies Bergère.[7] She was with that group for eight months and danced at the French Casino in New York City for eight more months.[3]
Bradna started her film career in France, then, in 1934, moved to Hollywood, California where she saw her greatest success, [1] signing a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures.[8] In 1935, she was one of seven young women "named by Paramount ... as possible screen stars of the future."[9] She was one of six newcomers selected by Paramount in December 1935 to appear in a planned musical.[10] Her screen debut came in Three Cheers for Love (1936).[11] In 1936, she appeared in College Holiday.[12] Later, branching out from musicals to more serious films, she had roles in The Last Train from Madrid and Souls at Sea.[13]
In May, 1941 Olympe married Douglas Woods Wilhoit, at which point she retired from acting. For many years she and her family lived in Stockton, California, before ultimately settling in Lodi, California.[15] Together, she and Douglas would have four children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. They were married for over seventy years, with Douglas passing away in February, 2012, just nine months prior to Olympe's death.[16]
Death
Bradna died 5 November 2012, in Stockton, California, at age 92.[13] (Another source says, "... Bradna died at her home in San Joaquin, California ...)[14] She was survived by a son, two daughters, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.[13]
^ abcdeHarrison, Paul (16 April 1936). "Hollywood". The Post-Register. Idaho, Idaho Falls. NEA Service. p. 5. Retrieved 30 April 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"News of the Stage". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. 7 December 1934. p. 14. Retrieved 29 April 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Bits About 'Em". The Charleston Daily Mail. West Virginia, Charleston. 24 May 1936. p. 25. Retrieved 1 May 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Hollywood Roundup". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Wisconsin, Oshkosh. 23 October 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 30 April 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Young 'Unknowns'". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. 13 December 1935. p. 14. Retrieved 30 April 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^Dickstein, Martin (6 February 1936). "Picture Parade". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. p. 20. Retrieved 30 April 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^Burdett, Winston (24 December 1936). "The Screen". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. p. 6. Retrieved 1 May 2016 – via Newspapers.com.