Gonda Durand

Gonda Durand was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 28, 1896 (although her death certificate states 1901). After appearing on stage with the Morosco Stock Company, Gonda became a member of the very first group of Mack Sennett Bathing Beauties. She appeared as a bathing beauty circa 1915-1917 along with Alice Maison, Vera Steadman, Phyllis Haver, Marvel Rea, Elinor Field, Mytrle Lind and others, and later appeared as a cast member in at least 24 Sennett comedies between 1917 and 1919. It is unknown how many films she did as a bathing beauty, but her film career was short; no films are found for her after 1919. In the 1919 Motion Picture Studio Directory she listed herself as a "heavy"; her home studio was still Sennett that same year. She married actor Bob Kortman circa 1917; they apparently met on the Sennett lot (Kortman appeared in some Sennett films in 1916 and 1917.) Gonda was still living with him as his wife in 1930; speculation is that they divorced some time after 1930, as her place of birth is missing from her death certificate (which listed her as Gonda L. Kortman.) Kortman outlived her by seven years.