Helen Amelia Gilbert American cellist and film actress Date of Birth: 04.07.1915 Country: USA

Biography of Helen Amelia Gilbert

Helen Amelia Gilbert was an American cellist and film actress. She was born on July 4, 1915, in Warren, Ohio. Her sister, Mari Finley, also became an actress. As a child, Helen enjoyed playing in her father's music store, and under the inspiration of Pablo Casals, she began to study the cello. She won a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music.

While performing in concerts and playing at the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater in California, Gilbert caught the attention of Herbert Stothart, who offered her a place in his orchestra at MGM. On November 28, 1936, Helen Amelia married Mischa Constantine Bakaleinikoff, a 46-year-old assistant music director, in Tijuana, Mexico. However, their marriage ended, and on October 9, 1939, she filed for divorce, citing her husband's mistreatment of her friends and relatives.

After her divorce, Helen Gilbert was rumored to be marrying Victor Orsatti, but in September 1940, it was reported that Bill Marshall had given her a ring. Their relationship ended in April 1941. On March 30, 1942, she married Seymour J. Chotiner, a 31-year-old Hollywood lawyer, in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, their marriage only lasted for five months, and on February 5, 1945, Gilbert filed for divorce. Chotiner passed away in 1981 in Los Angeles.

Not wanting to remain single, Gilbert married Victor A. Makzoume, a cafe owner on the Sunset Strip and the former husband of actress Claire Alexander. In June 1946, their home in Hollywood was robbed, and in June 1948, Makzoume died from a heart attack in Rome, Italy. In February 1949, Helen secretly married Johnny Stompanato, who was Mickey Cohen's bodyguard and the former husband of Turkish girl Sarah Utish. Gilbert divorced Stompanato, who later married actress Helen Stanley in 1953.

In February 1950, Gilbert became the wife of casino manager James E. Durant. Their marriage quickly ended due to Durant's alleged cruelty. According to Helen, Durant tried to throw her out of the window of their 11th-floor apartment. Additionally, Gilbert faced a legal dispute when Charles A. Hubbard, an heir to plantations in the Bahamas Islands, claimed that she broke off their engagement and did not return a $17,000 engagement ring.

Helen Amelia Gilbert's last husband was H. O. Bryant. She passed away on October 23, 1995, from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 80.