Gloria DeHaven obit

Gloria DeHaven Dies: Singer-Actress & Star Of MGM Musicals Was 91

She was not on the list.

Gloria DeHaven, one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood’s golden age who made her screen debut in Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times and went on to be featured in several hit MGM musicals and numerous TV roles, has died in Las Vegas. She was 91.

Born in 1925, DeHaven was the daughter of actor and director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven, former Vaudevillians who transitioned to film in the 1910s. Growing up in Los Angeles, she began her career with a bit part in 1936’s Modern Times, playing the younger sister of Paulette Goddard’s Gamin. Her next role came in 1940 with Susan and God, based on the successful play and starring Joan Crawford and Fredric March. She made three more films before being signed as a contract player with MGM, for which she appeared in several films alongside some of the biggest stars of the day.

Her first picture for MGM was the 1943 Lucille Ball musical comedy Best Foot Forward. Other films from her years with MGM include Thousands Cheer (1943) with Gene Kelly; Step Lively (1944) with Frank Sinatra; Summer Holiday (1948) with Mickey Rooney; The Doctor and the Girl (1949) with Glenn Ford and Nancy Reagan; and The Girl Rush (1955) with Rosalind Russell.

DeHaven notably portrayed her mother, Flora, in the 1950 film In Three Little Words, which tells the story of Tin Pan Alley songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Fred Astaire portrayed Kalmar in the film, with Red Skelton playing Ruby. DeHaven sang “Who’s Sorry Now?” in Three Little Words, which Astaire later said was one of his favorite films.

In addition to her acting career, DeHaven also worked as a singer in her own right, performing with Bob Crosby’s band and at one point hosting her own nightclub act, along with gigs in New York, Las Vegas, and London. In 1955 she debuted on Broadway, starring in the musical version of Seventh Heaven alongside Ricardo Montalban.

Later in her career, DeHaven moved to television, appearing as a regular on the soap operas Ryan’s Hope, As the World Turns, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman as well as the short-lived police drama Nakia. She also guest starred on numerous other shows including Robert Montgomery Presents, Appointment with Adventure, Johnny Ringo, Marcus Welby, M.D., Gunsmoke, Hart to Hart, The Love Boat, Mama’s Family, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote and Touched by an Angel.

DeHaven continued to work sporadically in television and film through the 1990s with her final film role in the Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau comedy Out To Sea.

She was married four times, first to The Restless Gun star John Payne, from 1944-50. The couple had two children, daughter Kathleen Hope and son Thomas John Payne. Real estate developer Martin Kimmel was her second husband; they married in 1953 and divorced the next year. She was twice married to Richard Fincher, first from 1957-63 and again from 1965-69. They had two children, son Harry, and daughter Faith.

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 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 1 episode

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 (TV Mini-Series)

1978 Police Story Jill's Mother 1 episode

1978 The Eddie Capra Mysteries 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 17: "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