Aleta Freel 1907 – 1935

Biography

Actress. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, she gained prominence as a Broadway theater actress prior to her marriage to Warner Brothers Studio actor Ross Alexander, who had begun his acting career in New York City. After they both moved to Hollywood, California to further their careers, she was unable to find film work. In December 1935 she was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the garden of their home at 7357 Woodrow Wilson Drive in the Hollywood Hills. The Los Angeles coroner ruled her death a suicide after an inquest that delayed her funeral for several days. She was buried as “Aleta F. A. Smith,” using Ross Alexander’s legal last name, eleven days after her death. She now rests in her family’s plot, with only the family monument marking her grave. (bio by: Gregory Navarro)  Family links:  Spouse:  Ross Alexander (1907 – 1937)* *Calculated relationship