1. Gladys Gillem Wall, known as Gladys "Killem" Gillem or Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem, was an American professional wrestler.
11 Facts About Gladys Gillem
1. 2.
Gladys Gillem was trained in Tennessee with Wilma Gordon, and she began wrestling in carnival shows.
3.
Besides wrestling men and women, Gladys Gillem wrestled bears and alligators as part of her act.
4.
Gladys Gillem eventually found work touring with promoter Billy Wolfe's, the husband of Mildred Burke, troop of women wrestlers in 1942.
5.
Gladys Gillem was often an opponent of Burke's, wrestling her for the World Women's Championship.
6.
Gladys Gillem acted in this capacity until her retirement in 1962.
7.
Gladys Gillem gained additional notability when she was one of the focal interviewees for Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling, a documentary about the early days of women's wrestling in North America.
8.
Gladys Gillem was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Fred and Clara Gillem.
9.
In high school, Gladys Gillem won the Alabama State softball championship with her team.
10.
Gladys Gillem met her husband John Wall while working for the Bailey Brothers' circus.
11.
Gladys Gillem's husband was killed while working as a Broadway stagehand in New York when a 500-pound box fell on his head.