Marjorie Gateson

Natalie Moorhead isn’t the only actor/actress I like, there are plenty of them, but a lot of them have biographies out there, plenty of info, and some I’m just not that interested in, I just like their movies. But for some reason Natalie fascinated me, there’s something about her I just love, the same goes with Marjorie Gateson. I was watching a movie the other day with her in a bigger role than usual, and it just hit me, she’s fantastic. Like Natalie, she did plenty of movies where she had small roles, sometimes just a very quick scene, but again like Natalie she was almost always the best, over shadowing the stars, another wasted talent in Hollywood. She had a unique look, I find her very beautiful, and very talented, from serious roles to ditsy woman, always perfect, very much like the great Alice Brady. I’m thinking of starting some research on Ms Gateson, sadly she passed away in 1977, and like Natalie she wasn’t a star so info may be hard to come by. She had a long career, her first movie was in 1931 and went into TV in the 50’s until retiring in 1958. She played along side some of the biggest names, Loretta Young, Ruth Chatterton, James Cagney, Marion Davies, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Harold Lloyd, William Powell, Jean Harlow, just to name a few. I’m not sure why, but I find her fascinating, stay tune, I may start another blog.

What’s in a name? is it Messner or Moorhead??

So what is Natalie’s real last name? Everything I’ve seen says her given name is Nathalia Messner, yet her death record claims her father’s name was Moorhead and her mothers maiden name is Messner. So does that would make her father James Vincent Moorhead, but everything I have read says Messner, I don’t get it. Since her father is said to have died when Natalie was around 10 years old, maybe Natalie and her Mother switched back to her maiden name. Then when Natalie got into acting and had to chose a stage name she took her father’s name, a lot of actors back then took names from relatives, so it’s very possible. Also one little story I have claims Natalie had a sister Regina, who is this woman, is she older, younger, did she have kids, grandkids, could a relative of Natalie still be alive? I wish I can find someone who knew Natalie who can answer these questions.