Betty Hutton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Betty Hutton
Hutton in 1947
Born	Elizabeth June Thornburg (1921-02-26)February 26, 1921 Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
Died	March 11, 2007(2007-03-11) (aged 86) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Resting place	Desert Memorial Park
Years active	1938–1983
Spouse(s)	Ted Briskin ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1951)​ Charles O'Curran ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1955)​ Alan W. Livingston ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1960)​ Pete Candoli ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1967)​
Children	3
Relatives	Marion Hutton (sister)

Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was a lively American actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She was famous for her energetic performances on stage, in movies, and on television. Betty Hutton became a big star in the 1940s and 1950s. She was known for her unique singing style and powerful acting.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Betty Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg in Battle Creek, Michigan, on February 26, 1921. Her father left the family when she was very young. Betty and her older sister, Marion Hutton, were raised by their mother. Their mother later took the last name Hutton.

The family often moved around. They eventually settled in Detroit. Betty attended Foch Intermediate School there. As a teenager, Betty sang in several local bands. She even visited New York City hoping to perform on Broadway, but she was not successful at first.

Starting in Entertainment

A few years later, orchestra leader Vincent Lopez discovered Betty. He helped her get into the entertainment business. She appeared in several short musical films for Warner Bros.. These included Queens of the Air (1938) and One for the Book (1940).

Broadway Shows

Betty Hutton was then cast in a Broadway show called Two for the Show (1940). It ran for 124 performances. The show's producer, Buddy DeSylva, then cast her in Panama Hattie (1940–42). This musical was a huge success, running for 501 performances. It starred Ethel Merman, another famous actress.

Becoming a Movie Star at Paramount

First Films

When Buddy DeSylva became a producer at Paramount Pictures, he signed Betty Hutton. She got a role in The Fleet's In (1942). This film starred Dorothy Lamour, Paramount's top female star. The movie was very popular, and Betty Hutton quickly became a hit with audiences.

Hutton also appeared in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942). This film featured many Paramount stars. The studio then gave her a second lead role in a Mary Martin musical film, Happy Go Lucky (1943). Audiences loved her, and she was given a co-starring role with Bob Hope in Let's Face It (1943).

With American sailors and marines in the Marshall Islands, December 1944

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

In 1942, writer-director Preston Sturges cast Betty Hutton in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. The film was released in early 1944. It made Hutton a major star. Sturges was nominated for an Oscar for his writing. The film was also named one of the top ten films of the year.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek was Paramount's highest-earning film of 1944. It played to packed theaters. Paramount kept Hutton very busy. She appeared in And the Angels Sing (1944) with Fred MacMurray. She also starred in Here Come the Waves (1944) with Bing Crosby. Both movies were huge hits.

Because of her success, Betty Hutton signed a recording contract. She was one of the first artists to join the new Capitol Records company. Buddy DeSylva, one of Capitol's founders, also helped produce her next hit. This was the musical Incendiary Blonde (1945). In this film, she played Texas Guinan. Betty Hutton had now become Paramount's top female box-office star.

Hutton was featured in Duffy's Tavern (1945). She was also the top star in The Stork Club (1945). She then made Cross My Heart (1946). However, she really enjoyed making The Perils of Pauline (1947). In this movie, she sang "I Wish I Didn't Love You So." This song was nominated for an Oscar.

Introduced by Hutton in The Perils of Pauline (1947) and released on Capitol Records, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song

Betty Hutton's relationship with Paramount started to change. This happened after Buddy DeSylva left the studio due to illness. She later said, "After he left I started doing scripts that I knew weren't good for me." Hutton made Dream Girl (1948) and Red, Hot and Blue (1949). She did not like either of these films.

Annie Get Your Gun

Trailer for Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Betty Hutton's next big success was in Annie Get Your Gun (1950). This film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Hutton was hired to replace Judy Garland in the main role of Annie Oakley. The movie was a huge hit. Many critics praised Hutton's performance.

She was the top-billed star in the 1950 musical Let's Dance, even above Fred Astaire.

Hutton in 1952

Hutton was one of many stars in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). She also made a short, uncredited appearance in Sailor Beware (1952). This film starred Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. She then made Somebody Loves Me (1952). This movie was about the singer Blossom Seeley.

Hutton then had disagreements with Paramount. She left the studio in August 1952.

Television and Theatre Work

After leaving Paramount, Betty Hutton found work in radio. She also performed in Las Vegas, where she was very successful.

In 1954, TV producer Max Liebman created a musical especially for Hutton. It was called Satins and Spurs.

Hutton's last completed film was a smaller one, Spring Reunion (1957). It did not do well financially. She also changed record labels, moving to RCA Victor. In 1957, she appeared on a Dinah Shore show on NBC.

The Betty Hutton Show

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz gave Betty Hutton a chance in 1959. Their company, Desilu Productions, gave her a CBS sitcom called The Betty Hutton Show. The show ended after 30 episodes.

Hutton continued to perform in Las Vegas. She also toured across the country. She returned to Broadway for a short time in 1964. She filled in for Carol Burnett in the show Fade Out – Fade In. She also made guest appearances on TV shows like The Greatest Show on Earth and Gunsmoke.

In 1967, she was hired to star in two low-budget Western films. However, she was let go shortly after the projects began.

Life After Hollywood

Betty Hutton faced challenges in her personal life. After the death of her mother in 1962, her struggles increased. She divorced her fourth husband, jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli. She also declared bankruptcy that same year.

In 1970, Hutton had a difficult time and lost her singing voice. She later found help and guidance from a Roman Catholic priest, Father Peter Maguire. Hutton became a Roman Catholic. She took a job as a cook at a church house in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. News spread that she was working as a cook and had little money.

After a brief attempt to return to performing in 1974, she was hospitalized. Later that year, a special event called "Love-In for Betty Hutton" was held in New York City. It raised $10,000 for Hutton and lifted her spirits. However, finding steady work was still hard.

Hutton appeared in an interview with Mike Douglas in 1975. She also made a short guest appearance on Baretta. In 1977, Hutton was featured on The Phil Donahue Show. She then worked happily as a hostess at a jai alai arena in Newport, Rhode Island.

She also appeared on Good Morning America. This led to a televised reunion with her two daughters in 1978. Hutton began living with her divorced daughter and grandchildren in California. But she soon returned to the East Coast for a three-week stage performance.

Annie on Broadway

In 1980, Betty Hutton took over the role of Miss Hannigan in the Broadway musical Annie. She filled in while Alice Ghostley was on vacation. Hutton's rehearsals for the song "Little Girls" were shown on Good Morning America. Her return to Broadway was also featured in a TV news story about her life and recovery.

Betty Hutton had left school in ninth grade. But she went back to college and earned a master's degree in psychology from Salve Regina University in 1986. During her time at college, Hutton became friends with singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh. Hersh later wrote a song called "Elizabeth June" as a tribute to her friend.

Hutton's last known performance was on Jukebox Saturday Night in 1983. This show aired on PBS. Hutton stayed in New England. She began teaching comedic acting at Boston's Emerson College. She became distant from her daughters again.

Hutton's headstone with epitaph "Loved by All", Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California

Later Years

After Father Maguire passed away, Betty Hutton moved back to California. She settled in Palm Springs in 1999. She hoped to become closer to her daughters and grandchildren. She spoke about this on TCM's Private Screenings in April 2000. She understood why her children might be hesitant to reconnect. The TCM interview was shown again as a memorial after her death.

Betty Hutton lived in Palm Springs until she passed away on March 12, 2007. She was 86 years old. She died from complications related to colon cancer. She is buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.

Family Life

Betty Hutton's first marriage was to Ted Briskin in 1945. They divorced in 1951. They had two daughters:

• Lindsay Diane Briskin, born November 23, 1946
• Candice Elizabeth Briskin, born April 14, 1948

In 1952, Hutton married choreographer Charles O'Curran. They divorced in 1955.

She married Alan W. Livingston in 1955. They divorced in 1960.

Her fourth and final marriage was in 1960 to jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli. They divorced in 1967. Hutton and Candoli had one child:

• Carolyn Candoli, born June 19, 1962

Achievements and Recognition

For her contributions to the film industry, Betty Hutton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6259 Hollywood Boulevard.

Hit Songs

Filmography

Box-office Ranking

For several years, movie theater owners voted Hutton among the top stars in the country:

• 1944 – 25th (US)
• 1950 – 15th (US)
• 1951 – 9th (UK)
• 1952 – 14th (US), 3rd (UK)

Stage Work

• Two for the Show (1940)
• Panama Hattie (1940)
• Betty Hutton and Her All-Star International Show (1952)
• Gypsy (1962)
• South Pacific (1962)
• Annie Get Your Gun (1963)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1964)
• Fade Out – Fade In (1964) (replacement for Carol Burnett)
• Mary, Mary (1965)
• Here Today (1966)
• Here Today (1972)
• Anything Goes (1973)
• Annie (1980) (replacement for Alice Ghostley)

Radio Appearances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Betty Hutton para niños