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Barbara Lawrence

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This article is about the actress. For other people with the same name, see Barbara Lawrence (disambiguation).
Barbara Lawrence
Born
Barbara Jo Lawrence

(1930-02-24)February 24, 1930
Carnegie, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedNovember 13, 2013(2013-11-13) (aged 83)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationActress
Years active1945–1962
Known forOklahoma!
Margie
A Letter to Three Wives
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1947; div. 1949)​
John Murphy
​
​
(m. 1951; div. 1957)​
Lester R. Nelson
​
​
(m. 1961; div. 1976)​
Children4
Barbara Lawrence and Eddie Albert in Oklahoma! (1955)

Barbara Jo Lawrence (February 24, 1930 – November 13, 2013) was an American model, actress, and real estate agent.

Early years

Born to Morris and Bernice (nee Eaton) Lawrence in Carnegie, Oklahoma,[1] She won a Tiny Tot beauty contest when she was three years old.[2]

Career

Lawrence's career began as a child photographer's model. She appeared in Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe (1945), her first film, as a night-club patron. A year later, she made a strong impression in Margie, in which she played outgoing flapper Marybelle. She was featured in the swashbuckler Captain from Castile (1947) with Tyrone Power. While finishing her studies at UCLA,[3] she attracted the attention of talent scouts, and Lawrence soon was featured in a number of movies at 20th Century-Fox , including You Were Meant for Me, Give My Regards to Broadway, A Letter to Three Wives, The Street with No Name, and Thieves' Highway. At Universal in the early 1950s were Peggy and Here Come the Nelsons. She also starred in Columbia Pictures' romantic comedy Paris Model (1953).

Upon moving to MGM, Lawrence appeared with Gig Young in the 3D movie Arena (1953) and in Her Twelve Men (with Greer Garson). She played the role of Gertie Cummings in the film version of Oklahoma!, in which she gets into a knockdown catfight with Gloria Grahame (Ado Annie). She starred in Man with the Gun (1955) that year. In 1956, she appeared as Lola McQuilan in the western TV series Cheyenne in the episode titled "The Last Train West." In 1957, she starred in Kronos (with Jeff Morrow). Although the science-fiction film was not praised by critics at the time, it eventually attracted a cult following for its imaginative story and special effects.[citation needed]

From 1958 to 1962, Lawrence made four guest appearances on the CBS-TV series Perry Mason. In 1958, she played Ellen Waring in "The Half-Wakened Wife" and Gloria Barton in "The Case of the Jilted Jockey." In 1961, she played Lori Stoner in "The Case of the Envious Editor", and in 1962, she played Agnes Theilman in "The Case of the Shapely Shadow".[4]: 46735  In 1958, she guest-starred in Cimarron City in the second episode "Terror Town". In 1960, she guest-starred as Della Thompson in the Bonanza episode "The Abduction".

Personal life

In 1947, aged 17, Lawrence married actor Jeffrey Stone. The marriage was kept secret until June 28, 1947, when Lawrence's mother threw her daughter a church wedding in Beverly Hills, California,[1] but the marriage ended with a divorce granted on September 28, 1949.[5]

Death

Lawrence died of kidney failure on November 13, 2013, aged 83,[6] in Los Angeles, California, but her death was not published until January 3, 2014.[7]

Legacy

Lawrence has a star at 1735 Vine Street in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[8]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1945 Diamond Horseshoe Blonde in Nightclub uncredited
1946 Margie Marybelle Tenor
1947 Captain from Castile Luisa De Carvajal
1948 You Were Meant for Me Louise Crane
Give My Regards to Broadway June Norwick
The Street with No Name Judy Stiles
Unfaithfully Yours Barbara Henshler
1949 A Letter to Three Wives Babe Finney
Mother Is a Freshman Louise Sharpe
Thieves' Highway Polly Faber
1950 Peggy Susan Brookfield
1951 You Were Meant for Me S.F. (Foxy) Rogers
1952 Here Come the Nelsons Barbara Schutzendorf
The Star Herself
1953 Arena Sylvia Lorgan
Paris Model Marta Jensen
1954 Jesse James vs. the Daltons Kate Manning
Her Twelve Men Barbara Dunning
1955 Oklahoma! Gertie Cummings
Man with the Gun Ann Wakefield
1956 Four Star Playhouse Eva Kenyon Episode: "Rites of Spring"
1957 Kronos Vera Hunter
Joe Dakota Myrna Weaver
Man in the Shadow Helen Sadler

References

  1. ^ a b Ingram, Florence (March 6, 2008). "Barbara Lawrence". Classic Images. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. ^ Hale, Wanda (July 16, 1950). "Young Star in Comedy Had Long Screen Career". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. Section Two, p 7ML. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  3. ^ Profile at Yahoo.com Archived June 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Davidson, Jim (2014). "Index of Perry Mason Actors". The Perry Mason Book: A Comprehensive Guide to America's Favorite Defender of Justice (e-book). ASIN B00OOELV1K.
  5. ^ "Barbara Lawrence Wins Final Divorce Decree". Shamokin News-Dispatch. Pennsylvania, Shamokin. United Press. September 28, 1949. p. 11. Retrieved September 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "'Oklahoma!' actress Barbara Lawrence dies at age 83". Santa Maria Times. California, Santa Maria. January 5, 2014. p. B6. Retrieved 25 January 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Barbara Lawrence Obituary". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Barbara Lawrence". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
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