Helen Gahagan Douglas
Helen Gahagan Douglas (born Helen Mary Gahagan; November 25, 1900 – June 28, 1980) was an American actress and politician. Her career included success on Broadway, as a touring opera singer, and in Hollywood films. Her portrayal of the villain in the 1935 movie She inspired Disney's Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
Helen Gahagan Douglas | |
|---|---|
Douglas, c. 1945 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 14th district | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas F. Ford |
| Succeeded by | Sam Yorty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Helen Mary Gahagan November 25, 1900 Boonton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1980 (aged 79) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Melvyn Douglas (m. 1931) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
| Alma mater | Barnard College (did not graduate) |
| Occupation |
|
In politics, she was the third woman and first Democratic woman elected to Congress from California; her election made California one of the first two states (along with Illinois) to elect female members to the House from both parties. In the 1950 United States Senate election in California, she unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate, losing to Republican Richard Nixon. The campaign became symbolic of modern political vitriol, as both Gahagan's primary opponent Manchester Boddy and Nixon referred to her as "pink right down to her underwear", suggesting Communist sympathies.
She was married to fellow actor Melvyn Douglas, and they had two children, Peter and Mary.