Marlene Dietrich said of her: "Every time she 'sins,' she builds a church. That's why there are so many Catholic churches in Hollywood.".
Aunt of Robert Foster who, from 1975 to 1978, played the role of Grimsley, the vampire-mortician horror host of "Fright Night" (1970) on Channels 9 (then KHJ-TV) and 5 (KTLA) in Southern California.
Cast members in the 1939 film The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) included not only Loretta Young but, portraying her character's sisters, her real-life, actress sisters as well: Polly Ann Young and Sally Blane. Further, portraying the fourth on-screen sister was a fourth real-life half sister, Georgiana Young, although the latter was not a professional actress. (Years later, Georgiana, whom Loretta dubbed "Georgie," would appear occasionally on Loretta's TV show "The Loretta Young Show" (1953) (better known as "The Loretta Young Show").).
Caused a buzz in 1999 when she appeared on the cover of 'Vanity Fair' looking a lot younger than her 86 years, "todays air brushing techniques can do wonders" was her explanation.
Country singer Loretta Lynn was named after her.
Godmother of Marlo Thomas.
Had an illegitimate daughter by Clark Gable. For years this was covered up in Hollywood, and was presented as an adoption. The daughter's resemblance to both parents is uncanny. The daughter Judy Lewis later dabbled in acting before becoming a psychologist. Judy Lewis wrote a book "Uncommon Knowledge" with the truth of her parentage.
In 1972, Miss Young sued NBC for violating her contract in allowing reruns of "The Loretta Young Show" (1953) (better known as "The Loretta Young Show") to be shown, wherein audiences might have ridiculed her gowns and hairstyles, which were by then 10 or even 20 years out of date. The court awarded her more than a half-million dollars.
In 1976 there was talk of a comeback role for Loretta, as Mother Cabrini in a biography of the first American to attain sainthood to be directed by Martin Scorsese. The project unfortunately never materialised.
In her posthumously published autobiography, she admitted that her "adopted" daughter, Judy Lewis, was her biological daughter by Clark Gable.
In Italy, unlike other major Hollywood actresses, she didn't have an official dubbing voice. She was in turn dubbed by Lidia Simoneschi, Rina Morelli, Renata Marini (in her Oscar-winning performance in The Farmer's Daughter (1947)) and Giovanna Scotto most notably in the much-loved The Bishop's Wife (1947). Dhia Cristiani, Lia Orlandini and Andreina Pagnani also lent their voice to Young at some point.
Loretta and older sisters Sally Blane and Polly Ann Young worked as extras during school vacations while young. Their mother ran a boarding house to support the family.
Loretta Young also turned down the role of Elle in It Happened One Night.
Loretta Young's third husband was Academy Award winning clothing and costume designer, Jean Louis. He was well known for designing for the stars at Columbia Studios, Universal and in his own salon in Beverly Hills. His most famous creations included the strapless gown for Rita Hayworth in the film Gilda (1946) as well as Marilyn Monroe's white sequined gown she wore to sing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy. Jean Louis married Loretta after the death of his first wife, Maggy, who was a personal friend of Loretta for over 50 years.
Loretta's family moved to Los Angeles in 1915. Shortly after, her father abandoned the large family. The eldest child, John R. Young ("Jack"), was adopted by two sisters who changed his surname to Lindley. He later became an attorney and the father of five. He had little contact over the years with his blood family.
Miss Young's return to the screen following convent school came about rather fortuitously. A casting call was sent out by the producers of Naughty But Nice (1927) for her sister Polly Ann Young. Answering the telephone, the young Gretchen replied that her sister was unavailable and wondered if she herself might substitute. And so she did. It was merely a bit part, but it led to a movie contract and eventual stardom for Loretta Young.
Owned a successful cosmetics company in the 1960s that was headquartered in New York.
She chose her own middle name, "Michaela" at the time of her confirmation as a teen. She was raised as a Catholic, and some Catholics back then were able to choose the name or names of a saint or saints whom they most admired and add it onto their own. She simply liked the name Michaela. Apparently, her mother never actually gave her one at birth.
She died at the home of her sister Georgiana Montalban and Georgiana's husband, actor Ricardo Montalban, early morning Saturday 12 August 2000.
She is the mother of singer/songwriter Peter Lewis, a former member of the infamous 1960s San Francisco rock band Moby Grape.