Alden Gay Thomson #19

Tall, slender, and stylish, she graced many a cover of Vogue and Vanity Fair as a model in the 1920's, and took to the stage, appearing in Broadway productions like "Fashions of 1924," "House of Shadows," and "So This is London." Alden made headlines in March, 1928 when the British Ministry of Labor refused her a permit to perform a role she'd signed for in an experimental London theatre (because it would deprive an English actress of the opportunity), and Actors' Equity publicly rallied to her defense. The case made such good "copy" that, when engaged to Kenneth Thomson in May, 1928, the Los Angeles Times ran a photo of the couple, sensationally and inaccurately captioned "Bride to Be Once Banned in England." In Hollywood, Alden was an active member of the Dominos club (the all female counterpart to the all-male Masquers club), participating in many of their stage productions. In March, 1933, she and Ken would offer their home as the main "secret" location for the earliest pre-Guild meetings. Later that year, Alden appeared in an independent feature film "The Big Bluff", starring Reginald Denny, and this is the one and only motion picture credit we have found for her.