Kathryn Grayson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathryn Grayson
Grayson in 1943
Born	Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick (1922-02-09)February 9, 1922 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	February 17, 2010(2010-02-17) (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1941–1998
Spouse(s)	John Shelton ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1946)​ Johnnie Johnston ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1951)​
Children	1

Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was a famous American actress and singer. She was known for her beautiful soprano voice.

Kathryn started training as an opera singer when she was just twelve years old. In the early 1940s, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a big movie studio. She quickly became known for her roles in musical films. She starred in movies like Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both with Howard Keel.

When fewer musical films were being made, Kathryn started working in theater. She performed in the musical Camelot from 1962 to 1964. Later, she also sang in several operas, including La bohème and Madama Butterfly.

Kathryn Grayson's Early Life

Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick was born on February 9, 1922, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was one of four children. Her father, Charles Hedrick, built houses, and her mother was Lillian Hedrick.

Her family later moved to Kirkwood, Missouri, near St. Louis. There, a janitor at the St. Louis Municipal Opera House heard Kathryn singing on an empty stage. He introduced her to Frances Marshall, an opera singer from the Chicago Civic Opera. Frances gave the twelve-year-old Kathryn voice lessons. Kathryn's sister, Frances Raeburn, also became an actress and singer. She even appeared with Kathryn in the movie Seven Sweethearts. When Kathryn was 15, her family moved to California.

Kathryn Grayson's Film Career

Starting in Movies (1940s)

In 1940, a talent scout from MGM saw Kathryn performing at a music festival. MGM wanted to find a new star like Deanna Durbin. For the next year and a half, Kathryn took many lessons. She learned about singing, acting, and speaking clearly. She also followed special diets and exercise plans.

After a year, Kathryn had her first screen test. The studio wasn't happy yet, so she had six more months of lessons. Finally, she made her first movie in 1941, Andy Hardy's Private Secretary. She played Kathryn Land, the secretary, and sang three songs in the film.

Kathryn appeared in three movies in 1942. In The Vanishing Virginian, she played Rebecca, a teenage daughter in an unusual family. The movie was based on a real family's story.

Grayson as Billie Van Maaster in Seven Sweethearts.

She also starred with Abbott and Costello in Rio Rita. Kathryn played the main character, Rita Winslow. The movie kept only two songs from the original Broadway musical, including the title song, which Kathryn sang.

In Seven Sweethearts, Kathryn played the youngest of seven sisters. She falls in love with a reporter who hires her as a model and secretary.

In 1943, Kathryn was in Thousands Cheer. This movie also featured stars like Gene Kelly and Mickey Rooney. It was made to boost the spirits of American troops and their families during the war. Kathryn played the singing daughter of an Army commander.

Kathryn didn't make any films for almost two years (1943 to 1945). Instead, she entertained troops during the war and performed on radio shows. It's said that she would only perform if the audience was not separated by race.

She returned to movies in 1945 with Anchors Aweigh. This musical comedy was set in Los Angeles and co-starred Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. It was one of the highest-earning films of 1945.

After this, she appeared in Two Sisters from Boston and made guest appearances in Ziegfeld Follies and Till the Clouds Roll By. In Till the Clouds Roll By, she sang "Make Believe" from the musical Show Boat. She would later star in a full remake of Show Boat.

MGM paired Kathryn with Frank Sinatra again for It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) and The Kissing Bandit (1948). These movies didn't do very well. After these films, Kathryn was paired with singer Mario Lanza in That Midnight Kiss in 1949.

Success in the 1950s

with Mario Lanza in The Toast of New Orleans

In 1950, Kathryn worked with Mario Lanza again in The Toast of New Orleans. She played an opera singer in this film and sang the Oscar-nominated song "Be My Love".

Kathryn then took on a different kind of role in Grounds for Marriage (1951). She played an opera singer who loses her voice, and it was her first role at MGM where she didn't sing on screen. Her singing was heard in the film through recordings.

Grayson as Magnolia Hawkes.

Kathryn was next cast as Magnolia Hawks in the 1951 remake of the musical Show Boat. She starred alongside Howard Keel. Show Boat was a huge success, becoming the third-highest-earning film of 1951.

She teamed up with Howard Keel again in the 1952 musical Lovely to Look At. This film was a remake of an older movie called Roberta.

In 1953, Kathryn went to work for Warner Brothers studio for a short time. She returned to MGM for one more film, Kiss Me Kate, released in November 1953. This was one of her most famous roles, where she played Lilli Vanessi/Katharina. The movie was very grand and was even filmed in 3-D.

Working with Warner Bros

While at Warner Bros., Kathryn's first musical was The Desert Song (May 1953), with Gordon MacRae. She was also asked to perform in an opera, but she couldn't because of her filming schedule. Warner Bros. also starred her in another musical that year, So This Is Love.

Kathryn also appeared on television sometimes. She was a guest star on shows like General Electric Theater and Playhouse 90. In the 1980s, she had a recurring role as Ideal Molloy on the mystery show Murder, She Wrote.

Kathryn Grayson's Stage Career

Kathryn performed in many stage productions. These included Show Boat, Rosalinda, Kiss Me, Kate, Naughty Marietta, and The Merry Widow. For The Merry Widow, she was even nominated for an award.

In 1962, Kathryn took over the role of Queen Guinevere in the musical Camelot, replacing Julie Andrews. She performed this role for over sixteen months during a national tour across the United States.

Kathryn always dreamed of being an opera star. In the 1960s, she performed in several operas, such as La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld, and La traviata. She also acted in plays like Night Watch and Noises Off.

Kathryn Grayson's Musical Career

Kathryn started training as an opera singer when she was twelve years old.

While making movies, Kathryn also performed on the radio. She went on concert tours throughout the 1950s. Sometimes, her concert plans would change because of new movie roles. For example, in 1951, she had to delay a concert tour when she found out she was cast in Lovely to Look At.

In 1952, Kathryn was offered a lot of money to perform at a nightclub in New Jersey. After filming The Desert Song, she recorded the musical with singer Tony Martin.

Kathryn also gave nightclub and concert tours in Australia several times. On one trip to Asia, she performed a concert in Manila, the Philippines, in 1969.

Later in her life, Kathryn helped lead the Voice and Choral Studies Program at Idaho State University.

Kathryn Grayson's Personal Life

Kathryn Grayson was married twice. Her first husband was actor John Shelton, and her second was actor and singer Johnnie Johnston. She was a member of the Republican political party and followed the Roman Catholic faith.

Marriages and Family

Kathryn and John Shelton got married in Las Vegas on July 11, 1941. They had dated for 18 months. In July 1942, they separated, and their divorce was finalized on June 17, 1946.

Kathryn married Johnnie Johnston on August 22, 1947. On October 7, 1948, Kathryn's only child, a daughter named Patricia "Patty Kate" Kathryn Johnston, was born. Patricia later married Robert Towers and had two children, Kristin and Jordan. Jordan Towers became the lead singer of the band SomeKindaWonderful.

Kathryn and Johnnie Johnston separated in November 1950. Kathryn was granted a divorce from Johnston on October 3, 1951.

Kathryn Grayson passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles on February 17, 2010. She was 88 years old.

Honors

On February 9, 2022, the Turner Classic Movies TV channel showed five of Kathryn Grayson's films. This was done to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth.

Filmography

Stage Work

• Madama Butterfly (1959)
• La traviata (1960)
• La bohème (1960)
• The Merry Widow (1961)
• Naughty Marietta (1961)
• Rosalinda (1962)
• Camelot (1962)
• Show Boat (1964)
• Night Watch (1982)
• Orpheus in the Underworld (1983)
• Something's Afoot (1983)
• Noises Off (1987)
• Love Letters (1996)
• Red Sox and Roses (1997)

See also

In Spanish: Kathryn Grayson para niños