Joanne Gilbert obit

Joanne Gilbert, ‘The Great Man’ and ‘High Cost of Loving’ Actress, Dies at 92

The daughter of the “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” lyricist also sang in nightclubs and in the movie musical ‘Red Garters.’ 

She was not on the list.

Joanne Gilbert, the actress and singer who performed in the hottest nightclubs of her era and appeared alongside José Ferrer in the films The Great Man and The High Cost of Loving, died April 16 in Los Angeles. She was 92.

Her father was Ray Gilbert, who won an Oscar for writing the lyrics to “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” from Disney’s Song of the South (1946).

After signing a seven-year contract with Paramount in 1952, Gilbert was “introduced” to filmgoers in the splashy George Marshall-directed Western musical Red Garters (1954), starring Rosemary Clooney, Guy Mitchell, Jack Carson and Gene Barry.

In the Universal drama The Great Man (1956), Gilbert portrayed the secretary of Ferrer’s Joe Harris, a character loosely based on TV-radio host Arthur Godfrey. And in the MGM comedy The High Cost of Loving (1958), she was a friend of the couple played by Ferrer and, making her movie debut, Gena Rowlands. Ferrer directed both films as well.

Born in Chicago on July 17, 1932, Joanne Beverly Gilbert and her family came to Hollywood in 1939. Her dad worked for producer Earl Carroll before he joined the Disney songwriting staff, and he went on to write lyrics for such notable songs as “Casey at the Bat” and the Andy Williams classic “And Roses and Roses.”

After pursuing a career as a fashion model in New York City, Joanne Gilbert attracted attention as a singer at a famed Hollywood hotstop — her dad helped her with her act — leading to her deal at Paramount.

“The Mocambo had one week that wasn’t filled, so they decided to let me make my nightclub debut with them,” she said in 1953. “I was rehearsing with the orchestra when Mr. Morrison, the owner of the nightclub, said he didn’t like my costume.

“I was wearing black sequin slacks and a white blouse because it was easy to dance in. But a few hours before I was to go on, they took the scissors and whacked my trousers until they became very short shorts. … it was something different and caused quite a bit of comment.”

After making her film debut in Houdini (1953), she sang “This is Greater Than I Thought” in Red Garters, where her Sheila Winthrop gets involved with a Mexican bandit played by Barry. Three years later, she reunited with Clooney as a guest on the singer’s syndicated variety show.

Her résumé included the features Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955) and Ride Out for Revenge (1957) and guest spots on The Ford Television Theatre, Bronco, Perry Mason, Follow the Sun, The Outer Limits and Ben Casey.

She also headlined at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and on stages in Las Vegas.

Gilbert was married to TV writer and future Barney Miller creator Danny Arnold from June 1955 until their divorce in August 1956 and to producer and TV-production company executive Edward L. Rissien from 1958 until their 1964 divorce.

Her father was married to Silk Stockings and Pajama Game star Janis Paige from 1962 until his 1976 death.

 

Actress

Ben Casey (1961)

Ben Casey

7.1

TV Series

Miss Clauson

1966

1 episode

 

The Outer Limits (1963)

The Outer Limits

8.2

TV Series

Barbara Scott

1963

1 episode

 

Tuesday Weld in Follow the Sun (1961)

Follow the Sun

7.3

TV Series

Jennifer

1962

1 episode

 

Lock Up (1959)

Lock Up

7.5

TV Series

Linda Dawes

1960

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Faith Foster

1959

1 episode

 

Ty Hardin in Bronco (1958)

Bronco

7.1

TV Series

Mike Torrence

1958

1 episode

 

Marsha Hunt and John Rodney in Studio One (1948)

Studio One

7.5

TV Series

Lydia Custard

1958

1 episode

 

Zane Grey Theatre (1956)

Zane Grey Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Julie Cannon

1958

1 episode

 

José Ferrer and Gena Rowlands in The High Cost of Loving (1958)

The High Cost of Loving

6.5

Syd Heyward

1958

 

Lloyd Bridges, Rory Calhoun, Gloria Grahame, and Joanne Gilbert in Ride Out for Revenge (1957)

Ride Out for Revenge

5.8

Pretty Willow

1957

 

The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (1955)

The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial

6.9

TV Series

Liza Carmody

1957

1 episode

 

The Great Man (1956)

The Great Man

6.9

Ginny

1956

 

Robert Douglas, Kipp Hamilton, Jennifer Jones, Peggy Knudsen, and Robert Stack in Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955)

Good Morning, Miss Dove

7.0

School Girl (uncredited)

1955

 

Angela Lansbury and Howard Duff in The Ford Television Theatre (1952)

The Ford Television Theatre

7.0

TV Series

Mary-Jo Dixon

1954

1 episode

 

Red Garters (1954)

Red Garters

5.8

Sheila Winthrop

1954

 

Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in Houdini (1953)

Houdini

6.8

Girl (uncredited)

1953

 

Soundtrack

Red Garters (1954)

Red Garters

5.8

performer: "This Is Greater Than I Thought", "Vaquero!"

1954

 

Self

The Tonight Show (1962)

The Tonight Show

7.8

TV Series

Self - Actress

1962

1 episode

 

Jack Paar in The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957)

The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar

8.3

TV Series

Self

1962

1 episode

 

Steve Allen in The New Steve Allen Show (1961)

The New Steve Allen Show

8.3

TV Series

Self

1962

1 episode

 

Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita in The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956)

The Steve Allen Plymouth Show

8.4

TV Series

Self - Singer-DancerSelf - SingerSelf

1957–1959

3 episodes

 

Rosemary Clooney in The Rosemary Clooney Show (1956)

The Rosemary Clooney Show

8.6

TV Series

Self

1956

1 episode

 

The George Gobel Show (1954)

The George Gobel Show

7.3

TV Series

Self

1956

1 episode

 

The Bing Crosby Special

TV Special

Self

1954

 

The Betty White Show (1952)

The Betty White Show

7.2

TV Series

Self

1954

1 episode

 

Place the Face (1953)

Place the Face

7.7

TV Series

Self Guest

1954

1 episode

 

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

The Colgate Comedy Hour

7.7

TV Series

Self

1953

1 episode