Gwili Andre ~ The Tragic Alcoholic

Gwili Andre was Danish actress who became an alcoholic and died in a tragic fire

 She was born Gurli Ingeborg Elna Andresen on February 4, 1907 in Copenhagen, Denmark. During her childhood her parents divorced. Gwilie began her career modeling in Europe. While on a vacation in 1929 she met Stanislaw Mlotkowski, a wealthy realtor who was twenty-seven years older than. The couple eloped and moved to Manhattan. She quickly became one of the top models in the country earning $25,000 a year. David O'Selznick discovered her and signed her to a film contract at RKO. In 1932 she made her film debut in the drama Roar Of the Dragon. The beautiful blonde was promoted as next Greta Garbo. Gwili appeared in the films Secrets Of The French Police and No Other Woman. Unfortunately her performances got bad reviews and RKO dropped her in 1933. She wouldn't get another film role for four years. Her marriage to Stanislaw ended in 1935. Then she had a serious romance with screenwriter Willis Goldbeck.

Gwili landed supporting roles in the films Meet the Boyfriend and A Woman's Face with Joan Crawford. She married William Cross, an engineer, in 1940. The couple had a son named Peter. Her final film was the 1942 film-noir The Falcon's Brother. Depressed over her failed film career she began drinking. After divorcing William in 1948 she moved back to Denmark. A few years later she returned to California and moved into a modest apartment in Venice. Gwili surrounded herself with scrapbooks filled with photos from her career. Sadly she was now suffering from alcoholism and lost custody of her son. In February of 1959 her apartment caught on fire. Rescuers took her to a hospital but tragically on February 5 she died from smoke inhalation. She was only fifty-two years old. Gwili was cremated and her ashes were sent to her family in Denmark. There were rumors that she may have set the fire herself as a way to commit suicide.