 After some unsuccessful films, she had her critical breakthrough playing a vulgar waitress in "Of Human Bondage" (1934), although, contentiously, she was not among the three nominees for the Academy Award for Best Actress that year.The next year, her strong performance as a down-and-out actress in "Dangerous" (1935) did land her her first Best Actress nomination, and she won the award.In 1937, she tried to free herself from her contract with Warner Brothers Studio; although she lost the legal case, it marked the start of more than a decade as one of the most celebrated leading ladies of US cinema, known for her forceful and intense style.