Gale Storm 1922-2009

Actress Gale Storm died in Danville, California on June 27, 2009 at the age of 87.  She was best known for her 1950’s television role in My Little Margie.

Josephine Owaissa Cottle was born in Bloomington, Texas on April 5, 1922.  She won The Gateway to Hollywood Contest held at the CBS Radio Studio when she was 17-years old.  The prize was a one-year contract with a movie studio.  Her name was immediately changed to Gale Storm.

She made several films before her career skyrocketed from 1952-1955 as she starred in My Little Margie.  The television series was to be a summer replacement for I Love Lucy, but ended up running for 126 episodes.  She went on to star in The Gale Storm Show from 1956-1960, with 143 episodes.  Both shows enjoyed many years in reruns.

In 1981, Storm published her autobiography I Ain’t Down Yet, where she spoke of her battle with alcoholism.  She has four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions in radio, music, television and motion pictures.

Gale Storm lived alone in Monarch Beach, California, near her two sons and their families, until failing health necessitated her move to a nursing home in Danville, California where she died on Saturday.  She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

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Filed under: Across the Nation