Sheree North facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheree North
Sheree North in 1975
Born	Dawn Shirley Crang (1932-01-17)January 17, 1932 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	November 4, 2005(2005-11-04) (aged 73) Los Angeles, California
Other names	Dawn Shirley Bethel Sherree Bessire Shirley Mae Bessire
Occupation	Actress singer dancer
Years active	1951–2000
Spouse(s)	Fred Bessire ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1953)​ John "Bud" Freeman ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1956)​ Dr. Gerhardt Sommer ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1963)​ Phillip Alan Norman ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2

Sheree North (born Dawn Shirley Crang; January 17, 1932 – November 4, 2005) was a talented American actress, dancer, and singer. She was famous for being considered by the movie studio 20th Century-Fox as a possible new star to follow in the footsteps of the very popular actress Marilyn Monroe.

Early Life and First Steps

Sheree North was born Dawn Shirley Crang in Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1932. Her mother later remarried, and Dawn became known as Dawn Shirley Bethel.

She started dancing in shows for soldiers, called USO shows, when she was just 10 years old during World War II. In 1948, she got married and had her first child in 1949. She kept dancing in clubs, using the stage name Shirley Mae Bessire.

Starting Her Acting Career

First Movies and Broadway

North first appeared in a movie as an extra in Excuse My Dust (1951). A choreographer then saw her dancing and cast her in the film Here Come the Girls (1953), which starred Bob Hope. Around this time, she started using the stage name Sheree North.

She made her first appearance on Broadway in the musical Hazel Flagg. For her role, she won a special award called the Theatre World Award. She later played the same role in the movie version, Living It Up (1954), alongside famous actors Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. In 1954, when she was 22, she also appeared on live TV in a show called The Colgate Comedy Hour.

Working with 20th Century-Fox

In 1954, Sheree North signed a four-year contract with 20th Century-Fox, a big movie studio. The studio had big plans for her. They hoped she could become a new major star, perhaps even taking the place of their top actress, Marilyn Monroe, who was becoming harder to work with.

Fox tested North for main roles in two films that Monroe had been offered. North even wore Monroe's own costumes from the studio during these tests. However, North was not chosen for either film.

Sheree North on the cover of Life (March 21, 1955)

In 1955, she was given a main role opposite Betty Grable in How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955). This was a role Marilyn Monroe had turned down. Because of the news about Monroe and North, North appeared on the cover of Life magazine. The cover said, "Sheree North Takes Over from Marilyn Monroe."

Even though the movie got mixed reviews, many people remember North's energetic dancing to the song "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

To help North become more famous, Fox tried to cast her with popular stars. They wanted her to work with comedian Tom Ewell, hoping to repeat the success he had with Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (1955). Soon after, North and Ewell starred together in the romantic comedy The Lieutenant Wore Skirts. To promote the film, North took many photos showing her legs. The movie was a success, making over $4 million in the United States.

North's next film was The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956), a musical where another singer's voice was used for her songs. While critics liked it, it wasn't as big a hit as Fox hoped. In 1956, Fox started promoting another actress, Jayne Mansfield, more than North. Even though Fox lost some interest in North, they still offered her several films.

She was offered a lead role in a film called The Girl Upstairs, where she would have made fun of Monroe's movie style. When her agent suggested she refuse the film, Fox suspended her for two months. Later, North agreed to appear in The Way to the Gold, but only if Elvis Presley was her co-star. When Presley left the film, Jeffrey Hunter took his place. The movie was a box-office success.

She then starred in No Down Payment (1957), a drama about families living in a California neighborhood. It was praised by critics but didn't make much money. The next year, she made her last two films for Fox. In Love and War (1958) was a war drama, and Mardi Gras (1958) was a musical. This was her final film under her contract with Fox.

Later Career and Television Success

After her contract with Fox ended in 1958, Sheree North continued to act in movies, on television, and on stage for the rest of her life. She appeared as a guest star on popular TV shows like The Untouchables and Gunsmoke (both 1963).

In 1962, North joined the cast of a Broadway musical called I Can Get It for You Wholesale. This show also featured Elliott Gould and introduced Barbra Streisand to Broadway. She later guest-starred on many other popular TV series, including Ben Casey, Burke's Law (1963–65), The Virginian (1964–66), The Big Valley, The Iron Horse (both 1966), and The Fugitive (1965–67).

After not being in films for eight years, North took a main role in the science-fiction film Destination Inner Space (1966). She also co-starred with Elvis Presley in one of his last films, The Trouble with Girls (1969).

When she wasn't making movies, she performed in musicals and other plays. She was known for her lively performances. She also appeared in productions of Irma La Douce, Bye Bye Birdie, and Can-Can.

From the 1960s onward, North became a strong and flexible character actress. She appeared on almost every type of TV show, including Westerns, cop shows, and medical dramas, from the 1960s to the 1990s. She was also good at comedy and appeared in many sitcoms. She was a favorite in several movies made for television. She even received Emmy nominations for her roles on Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979).

Ed Asner as Lou Grant and Sheree North as Charlene Maguire, his new girlfriend, in a fifth-season episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show

She worked with film director Don Siegel on four of his films: Madigan (1968), Charley Varrick (1973), The Shootist (1976) where she played John Wayne's long-lost love in his final film, and Telefon (1977). She also had supporting roles in two Charles Bronson movies: Breakout (1975) and Telefon. Other notable roles were in The Gypsy Moths (1969) and Lawman (1971).

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, North made guest appearances on many TV shows, including Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan & Wife, Matlock, Family, and Magnum, P.I.. She played Lou Grant's girlfriend in several episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In 1980, she played Marilyn Monroe's mother in the TV movie Marilyn: The Untold Story. She also appeared in two episodes of The Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux's sister, Virginia.

In the 1990s, she played Cosmo Kramer's mother, Babs Kramer, in two episodes of the popular sitcom Seinfeld. Her last movie role was in the comedy Susan's Plan (1998).

Personal Life

Sheree North was married four times and had two daughters. She passed away on November 4, 2005, at the age of 73, due to problems after surgery.

Theatre Roles

• Hazel Flagg (1953)
• I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962)
• The Glass Menagerie (2000)

Filmography

Television Roles

Awards and Honors

• Theatre World Award: Won for her performance in Hazel Flagg (1953).

• Emmy Award Nominations:
  • Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Series for Marcus Welby, M.D. (1976).
  • Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Archie Bunker's Place (1980).

See also

In Spanish: Sheree North para niños