Trivia

Had a love-affair with hard-boiled short story writer Paul Cain, who wrote for the screen under the pseudonym Peter Ruric. After they broke up, Cain wrote about her in the only novel of his published during his lifetime, "Fast One." Both Gertrude and Cain were alcoholics, and in the novel published several years later after they called it quits, she was the inspiration for the dipsomaniac lover, Granquist.

Graduated high school at 14. She played piano and violin.

One of the six "Paramount Proteges" of 1935. The others were Wendy Barrie, Grace Bradley, Katherine DeMille, Gail Patrick, and Ann Sheridan.

Had two older brothers, Arnold and Alan.