Sally Forrest obit

Sally Forrest, Actress and Protege of Ida Lupino, Dies at 86

She starred for the pioneering Hollywood director in the 1949 dramas 'Not Wanted' and 'Never Fear.'

 

She was not on the list.

Sally Forrest, a dancer, actress and protege of Hollywood pioneer Ida Lupino who starred in the 1949 feature dramas Not Wanted and Never Fear, has died. She was 86.

Forrest died March 15 at home in Beverly Hills after a long battle with cancer, publicist Judy Goffin announced.

Forrest starred as a young unwed mother who puts her baby up for adoption in shame and then wants him back in Not Wanted, then stood out as an up-and-coming dancer who is paralyzed from polio in Never Fear.

These performances led Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper to name Forrest the Star of the Year.

Lupino wrote and produced Not Wanted, and appeared in the film as Forrest’s mother. (She also took over for Elmer Clifton after he suffered a heart attack during filming, making that film her directorial debut). Lupino, one of the few women to direct features in her era, then helmed and wrote Never Fear.

Forrest then reteamed with director Lupino in Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951).

Born Katherine Feeney in San Diego on May 28, 1928, she worked as a model and taught ballet while still in high school. Forrest was hired as choreographer and lead dancer for her first film, Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), and went on to appear in several MGM musicals.

Forrest also appeared in such films as The Strip (1951) with Mickey Rooney; Bannerline (1951); Excuse My Dust (1951); The Strange Door (1951) with Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff; Son of Sinbad (1955); and Fritz Lang‘s While the City Sleeps (1956).

She had musical spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dinah Shore Show and The Red Skelton Hour and dramatic turns on such TV series as Suspense, Rawhide and The Millionaire.

Forrest married writer-producer Milo Frank in 1951, and they moved to New York two years later. She took over the starring role the opposite Tom Ewell in the original Broadway production of The Seven Year Itch (she had the role immortalized by Marilyn Monroe in the movie) and later appeared in major stage productions of Damn Yankees, As You Like It and No, No, Nanette.

Frank died in 2004. Survivors include her niece Sharon and nephews Michael and Mark.

Actress (40 credits)

 1967 Family Affair (TV Series)

Estelle

- Our Friend Stanley (1967) ... Estelle

 1959-1964 Rawhide (TV Series)

Loreen Bouquet / Clovis Lindstrom

- Incident of the Swindler (1964) ... Loreen Bouquet

- Incident of the Widowed Dove (1959) ... Clovis Lindstrom

 1960 General Electric Theater (TV Series)

Kristie North

- Strictly Solo (1960) ... Kristie North

 1959 The Millionaire (TV Series)

Emily Baker

- Millionaire Emily Baker (1959) ... Emily Baker

 1958 Pursuit (TV Series)

- Epitaph for a Golden Girl (1958)

 1955-1958 Climax! (TV Series)

Nina / Myra (segment "Throw Away the Cane") / Jean Hamilton / ...

- Burst of Fire (1958) ... Nina

- The Man Who Stole the Bible (1957)

- Child of the Wind/Throw Away the Cane (1956) ... Myra (segment "Throw Away the Cane")

- Pink Cloud (1955) ... Jean Hamilton / Cherry Carson

 1956 Ride the High Iron

Elise Vanders

 1956 The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series)

Ballerina

- The Magic Shoes (1956) ... Ballerina

 1956 While the City Sleeps

Nancy Liggett

 1956 Celebrity Playhouse (TV Series)

Sylvia

- They Flee by Night (1956) ... Sylvia

 1955-1956 Front Row Center (TV Series)

Sue Whittaker / Evelyn Heath

- The Teacher and Hector Hodge (1956) ... Sue Whittaker

- Guest in the House (1955) ... Evelyn Heath

 1955 Screen Directors Playhouse (TV Series)

Polly Parker

- Want Ad Wedding (1955) ... Polly Parker

 1955 Son of Sinbad

Ameer

 1951-1953 Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series)

- Julie's Castle (1953)

- Enter Rosalind (1951) ... (as Kathryn Lang)

 1953 The United States Steel Hour (TV Series)

Nurse

- P.O.W. (1953) ... Nurse (uncredited)

 1953 Studio One (TV Series)

- Letter of Love (1953)

- The Edge of Evil (1953)

 1953 Suspense (TV Series)

- The Darkest Night (1953)

 1953 Code Two

Mary Hartley

 1953 The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series)

- The Life of the Party (1953)

 1953 Lux Video Theatre (TV Series)

Amy Boyd

- The Brooch (1953) ... Amy Boyd

 1952 Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series)

- Barrow Street (1952)

 1951 The Strange Door

Blanche de Maletroit

 1951 Bannerline

Richie Loomis

 1951 The Strip

Jane Tafford

 1951 Excuse My Dust

Liz Bullitt

 1951 Hard, Fast and Beautiful!

Florence Farley

 1951 Vengeance Valley

Lily

 1950 My Blue Heaven

Minor Role (uncredited)

 1950 Mystery Street

Grace Shanway

 1950 Never Fear

Carol Williams

 1950 Whirlpool

Minor Role (uncredited)

 1949 Dancing in the Dark

Secretary (uncredited)

 1949 Flame of Youth

Miss O'Brien (as Kathryn Lang)

 1949 Scene of the Crime

Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

 1949 Not Wanted

Sally Kelton

 1949 Mr. Belvedere Goes to College

Miss Cadwaller - Dr. Gibbs' Secretary (uncredited)

 1949 Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Dancer at Wharf Party (uncredited)

 1948 The Kissing Bandit

Fiesta Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

 1948 Are You with It?

Dancer (uncredited)

 1946 Till the Clouds Roll By

Showgirl (uncredited)