What were Dorothy McClendon awards?

Dorothy McClendon Acting Awards were American awards given to students of theater during the 1930s. The awards were started in 1934 as the brainchild of Dr. Dorothy McClendon, a member of the drama faculty at the University of Southern California. These awards were often covered in the gossip pages of the Hollywood trade publications, because many of the winners went on to become screen actors.

A panel of judges made the selections. The original judges included:

- Dr. Elizabeth Wills, head of the USC English department

- Dr. Dorothy McClendon

- Dr. Ralph Freud, head of the UCLA Psychology Department

- Mr. William Gillette, Broadway actor

- Mr. Irving Pichel, motion picture actor-director

- Mr. George Somnes, motion picture director

The awards were for both men and women. The awards covered a variety of categories, including lead performance, supporting performance, male lead, female lead, and miscellaneous awards. One unusual award was for the "Greatest Promise as a Comedienne".

The Dorothy McClendon Awards were the precursor to the annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.