Loretta M. Young

Loretta Young

A hero is an ordinary person who has accomplished extraordinary things. Many people have been classified as heroes over time. Any one person can become a hero. The definition of a hero to one person may be different to another person. I feel a hero is a person who has worked with charities to help people in need. From these requirements, I choose Loretta Young as my hero.

Loretta Young’s birth name was Gretchen Michaela Belzer. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 6, 1913, to Gladys Royal Young and John Earl Young. When she was three years old, her mother moved with her and her sisters to Hollywood and established a boarding house. Loretta, at the age of 4, and her sisters, Polly Ann and Elizabeth Jane, were appearing on screen as child extras. She starred in “The Primrose Ring” film with Mae Murray. Mae wanted to adopt her, but Loretta’s mother said no. However, Loretta did stay with the Murrays for a year and a half. While living there, she and her sisters were educated in a school located in a Catholic community.

As she approached womanhood, she became a movie star. “The Magnificent Flirt” was the first of many outstanding films for her. Later, she starred in “The Head Man.” She appeared in six to nine films per year. She overtook both of her sisters’ careers early on.

In 1947, she won an Academy Award for best actress in “The Farmers Daughter” and she was best remembered for that film. She starred in several other films including “The Bishop’s Wife,” “Mother Is A Freshman” and “Come To The Stable.” “Lady In The Corner” was her final motion picture.

In 1955, Loretta Young started helping Catholic charities. She sent out important messages on television and the radio by sharing stories about family, community, and personal conviction. She added a quote from the Bible or other recognized sources in her closing. She won three Emmys and was honored by numerous civic and religious groups for her efforts.

Although she is most remembered for her films, Loretta Young is also known for her religious faith and work with Catholic charities. For these accomplishments, I feel she should be recognized as a hero, and she is my personal hero.