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Gloria DeHaven
Gloria de Haven.jpg
Publicity photo, 1953
Born
Gloria Mildred DeHaven

(1925-07-23)July 23, 1925
Died July 30, 2016(2016-07-30) (aged 91)
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1936–2000
Spouse(s)
(m. 1944; div. 1950)
Martin Kimmel
(m. 1953; div. 1954)
Richard Fincher
(m. 1957; div. 1963)
(m. 1965; div. 1969)
Children 4
Parent(s) Carter DeHaven
Flora Parker DeHaven
Signature
Gloria signature.svg

Gloria Mildred DeHaven (July 23, 1925 – July 30, 2016) was an American actress and singer who was a contract star for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

Early life

DeHaven was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor-director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven, both former vaudeville performers. A 1983 newspaper article reported, "Miss DeHaven ... says that her real family name was O'Callahan before her father legally changed his name to DeHaven."

Film

She began her career as a child actor with a bit part in Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times (1936). She was signed to a contract with MGM. She had featured roles in such films as Best Foot Forward (1943), The Thin Man Goes Home (1944), Scene of the Crime (1949) and Summer Stock (1950), and was voted by exhibitors as the third most likely to be a "star of tomorrow'" in 1944. She portrayed her own mother, Flora Parker DeHaven, in the Fred Astaire film Three Little Words (1950).

After a long absence from the screen, DeHaven appeared as the love interest of Jack Lemmon in the comedy Out to Sea (1997), also starring Walter Matthau.

Music

DeHaven's musical talents supplemented her acting abilities. Besides being cast as a singer in many of her films, including I'll Get By, So This Is Paris and The Girl Rush, and performing numbers in many of her movies, DeHaven sang with the bands of Jan Savitt and Bob Crosby and at one time had her own nightclub act. DeHaven appeared often in the 1950s at the El Rancho Vegas, the first full service hotel casino on the Las Vegas Strip During the early 1960s, DeHaven recorded for the small Seeco label, where she appeared on the 1962 compilation album Gloria Lynne and Her Friends. She was also heard on four of the Revisited compilations produced by Ben Bagley.

Television

DeHaven appeared in the soap operas Ryan's Hope (as Bess Shelby), As the World Turns (as Sara Fuller), and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was one of the numerous celebrities who appeared in the all-star box office flop, Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), and guest-starred in television series, including Robert Montgomery Presents; Appointment with Adventure (episode entitled "The Snow People"); The Guy Mitchell Show; Johnny Ringo (as Rosemary Blake in "Love Affair"); The Rifleman; Wagon Train; The Lloyd Bridges Show; Flipper; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Gunsmoke; Mannix; The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Eddie Capra Mysteries; Fantasy Island; Hart to Hart; The Love Boat; Mama's Family; Highway to Heaven; Murder, She Wrote; and Touched by an Angel. On March 21, 1974, Gloria appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Later that year, she was cast in the short-lived police drama Nakia., She also appeared with Horace Heidt on his "Swift Family Show Wagon" in 1955.

From January 1969 to February 1971, DeHaven hosted a morning call-in movie show on WABC-TV in New York City. She also appeared on five episodes of Match Game 75 as a guest panelist.

Stage

DeHaven's Broadway debut came in 1955. She played Diane in the musical version of Seventh Heaven. She also toured in a summer stock production of No, No, Nanette.

Personal life

Gloria DeHaven 1998
DeHaven in 1998

DeHaven married four times. Her first husband was actor John Payne, star of The Restless Gun, whom she married in 1944 and divorced in 1950. Her second husband was real estate developer Martin Kimmel. They were married in 1953 and divorced the following year. She was married to Richard Fincher, son of a Miami Oldsmobile dealer, from 1957 until 1963. They remarried in 1965 and divorced again in 1969.

She had two children with Payne, daughter Kathleen Hope (born 1945) and son Thomas John (born 1947) as well as two children with Fincher, son Harry (born 1958) and daughter Faith (born 1962).

DeHaven has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Blvd.

DeHaven was a staunch Republican and attributed her youthful appearance in later years to an organic diet and faith in prayer.

Death

DeHaven died on July 30, 2016, in Las Vegas of undisclosed causes a week after her 91st birthday while in hospice care after having had a stroke a few months earlier. She was survived by her four children.

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes
1936 Modern Times Gamin's sister Uncredited
1940 Susan and God Enid
Keeping Company Evelyn Thomas
1941 The Penalty Anne Logan
Two-Faced Woman Debutante in ladies' room Uncredited
1943 Best Foot Forward Minerva
Thousands Cheer Herself
1944 Broadway Rhythm Patsy Demming
Two Girls and a Sailor Jean Deyo
Step Lively Christine Marlowe
The Thin Man Goes Home Laurabelle Ronson
1945 Between Two Women Edna
1948 Summer Holiday Muriel McComber
1949 Scene of the Crime Lili
Yes Sir That's My Baby Sarah Jane Winfield
The Doctor and the Girl Fabienne Corday
1950 The Yellow Cab Man Ellen Goodrich
Three Little Words Mrs. Carter De Haven
Summer Stock Abigail Falbury
I'll Get By Terry Martin
1951 Two Tickets to Broadway Hannah Holbrook
1953 Down Among the Sheltering Palms Angela Toland
1954 So This Is Paris Colette d'Avril
1955 The Girl Rush Taffy Tremaine
1976 Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free Lady Jane Gray TV movie
1976 Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood President's girl 1
1978 Evening in Byzantium Sonia Murphy TV movie
1979 Bog Ginny Glenn
1984 Off Sides (Pigs vs. Freaks) Maureen Brockmeyer TV movie
1990 Ladies on Sweet Street Ruth
1994 Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart
1997 Out to Sea Vivian

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1951 The Alan Young Show
1956 The George Gobel Show December 8 episode
1959 The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen 1 episode
1959 The Rifleman Lillian Halstead Season 2, episode 6: "Eddie's Daughter"
1959 Johnny Ringo Ronna Desmond 1 episode
1960 Wagon Train Allison Justis 1 episode
1961 BBC Sunday-Night Play Shirley Kellogg 1 episode
1961 The Defenders Agnes A Season 1, episode 15: "Gideon's Follies"
1969 Mannix Gloria Newman Season 1, episode 3: "Nothing Ever Works Twice"
1972 The Jimmy Stewart Show Lucy Carruthers Season 1, episode 23: 'Old School Ties"
1974 Gunsmoke Carrie 1 episode
1974 Nakia Irene James 13 episodes
1975 Match Game Herself 1975 for one week
1975 Movin' On Janey 1 episode
1977 Quincy, M.E. Doreen 1 episode
1976–1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Annie Wylie 30 episodes
1978 The Ted Knight Show Delores 1 episode
1978 Police Story Jill's Mother 1 episode
1978 The Eddie Capra Mysteries Gale Cormac 1 episode
1979 Delta House Marion Wormer 2 episodes
1980 B. J. and the Bear Mama 1 episode
1980 Hello, Larry 1 episode
1981 Darkroom Louise Lawrence 1 episode
1978–1982 Fantasy Island Sophie / Mrs. Brennan 2 episodes
1982 Hart to Hart Reva 1 episode
1983 Falcon Crest Gloria Marlowe 1 episode
1983 Mama's Family Sally Nash Episode: "Positive Thinking"
1983–1985 Ryan's Hope Bess Shelby 14 episodes
1983–1986 The Love Boat Mary Halbert / Florence Dolan 2 episodes
1987 Highway to Heaven Phoebe Hall Season 3, episode 18: "A Mother and Daughter"
1987–1989 Murder, She Wrote Phyllis Grant 3 episodes
1993 All My Children

Emma Mallory

2000 Touched by an Angel Beverly 1 episode

Stage work

  • Seventh Heaven (1955)
  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1963)
  • The Sound of Music (1964)
  • Golden Boy (1968)
  • Plaza Suite (1971)
  • Hello, Dolly (1973)
  • No, No, Nanette (1983)
  • A High-Time Salute to Martin and Blane (1991) (benefit concert)

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1952 Broadway Playhouse Practically Yours
1953 Theatre Guild on the Air O'Halloran's Luck''
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