Betty Garde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty Garde
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Garde in 1930
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| Born |
Katharine Elizabeth Garde
September 19, 1905 |
| Died | December 25, 1989 (aged 84) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Westminster Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1925–1971 |
| Spouse(s) |
Frank Lennon
(m. 1943; died 1987) |
Katharine Elizabeth Garde (September 19, 1905 – December 25, 1989), known as Betty Garde, was an American actress. She performed in many different ways, including on stage, in radio shows, in movies, and on television. She had a long career, acting from 1925 until 1971.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Betty Garde was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She started acting at a young age. By the time she was 15, she was already starring in plays with a group called the Broadway Players in South Philadelphia. She also went to the University of Pennsylvania.
Stage Career
Betty Garde started acting on stage in the early 1920s. Her first big role on Broadway was as Alma Borden in a play called Easy Come, Easy Go (1925–1926). Broadway is a famous theater district in New York City. She often played interesting characters in plays like The Social Register and The Primrose Path.
Betty Garde was quite tall, standing 5 feet 10 inches. This helped her get the part of Aunt Eller in the very first Broadway production of the famous musical Oklahoma! in 1943. She also appeared in a play called Agatha Sue, I Love You in 1966.
Radio Work
In 1933, Betty Garde joined CBS, a major radio and television network. This led to a lot of work in radio. She performed on about 36 different radio shows! Radio acting meant using her voice to create characters and tell stories, as people couldn't see her.
She was in popular shows like Lorenzo Jones, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, and The Big Story. On The Eddie Cantor Show, she was so talented that she played all the female characters! She also worked with the famous director and actor Orson Welles on several radio series, including The Mercury Theatre on the Air and The Campbell Playhouse.
Film Roles
Betty Garde also acted in movies, especially in the early "talkies" (movies with sound). Her first credited film roles were in The Lady Lies (1929), Damaged Love (1930), and Queen High (1930).
Later, she became known for her roles in "film noir" movies. These are often dark and suspenseful films. In Call Northside 777 (1948), she played a witness whose words led to an innocent man being found guilty. She also appeared as Miss Pruett in Cry of the City (1948) and as Kitty Stark, a tough prison inmate, in Caged (1950).
Television Appearances
Betty Garde also made her mark on television. She played Belle Starr on an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show in 1952. She was also seen on The Honeymooners, where she played Thelma, the Kramdens' maid.
She appeared as a farmer named Aggie Larkin on The Real McCoys. Betty Garde also had roles in two episodes of the classic science fiction show The Twilight Zone. One of these was "The Midnight Sun", where she acted alongside Lois Nettleton. She also played a maid in an episode of "The Untouchables".
Later Life and Death
Betty Garde passed away on December 25, 1989, in a hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. She was 84 years old. Her body was taken back to her home state of Pennsylvania and buried at Westminster Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd.
