Samo alum and “Titanic” star dies at 100

Gloria Stuart, the 1930s Hollywood beauty who went on to become the oldest Academy Award nominee for her role in “Titanic,” died in her sleep on Sept. 26, 2010 at age 100.In her youth, Stuart starred in B movies as well as more high-profile films such as “The Invisible Man”, two Shirley Temple movies, and “Gold Diggers of 1935”. After starring in some 46 films, Stuart, fed up with the shallow roles she was being given, took a 25 year break from acting. She returned to film in 1975 and took on small television appearances. Then, in 1997, she co-starred in James Cameron’s “Titanic” as Rose Calvert, a 101-year-old Titanic survivor.Before accomplishing anything in the film industry, Stuart got her beginning at Santa Monica High School. Stuart graduated from Samo in 1927, and in her classes’ senior polls she was voted the girl most likely to succeed.With her spin as the elderly Rose in “Titanic”, she finally reached the level of success the Samo class of 1927 had predicted for her.On her 100th birthday, Stuart gave some insight into how she viewed her life, “If you’re full of love, admiration, appreciation of the beautiful things there are in this life, you have it made, really. And I have it made.”Rebecca AsoulinStaff Writer