Dolores Dorn (March 3, 1934 – October 5, 2019) was an American film and television actress, who was the co-star of ''
The Bounty Hunter'' (1954), ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...
'' (1957), ''
Underworld U.S.A.
''Underworld U.S.A.'' (also known as ''Underworld USA'') is a 1961 American neo-noir crime film produced, written, and directed by Samuel Fuller. It tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who goes to enormous lengths to get revenge against the mob ...
'' (1961), and several other films through 1985. On Broadway, she was billed as Dolores Dorn-Heft.
Early years
Dolores M. Heft was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, subdivision_name ...
, the daughter of an automobile dealer. A graduate of the Goodman Art Theatre in Chicago, she finished third in the Miss Chicago contest in 1950 and second in the same contest in 1951.
[ ]
Stage
Before appearing in films, Dorn acted with the Shaffner Players in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. She appeared in ''Hide and Seek'' (1957) on Broadway and in the off-Broadway production ''Between Two Thieves''.
Film
Dorn had second billing in ''The Bounty Hunter'', a Western starring
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
, in which her character, Julie Spencer, ends up married to Scott's. She played the wife of
Alan Ladd
Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...
in the actor's last Hollywood film in which he played a leading-man role, ''
13 West Street
''13 West Street'' is a 1962 American neo noir crime film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Rod Steiger and Alan Ladd whose own production company produced the film. It was based on the 1957 novel ''The Tiger Among Us'' (1957) by Leigh Bra ...
'', and was featured as Cuddles, the moll of convict
Cliff Robertson
Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 196 ...
, in the crime film ''Underworld, U.S.A.''
Television
Dorn appeared in a number of made-for-TV films and as a guest star in series such as ''
Ironside'', ''
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
'', ''
Simon & Simon
''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operate ...
'', ''
Run for Your Life'', and ''
The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The U ...
''.
Additional filmography
Teaching
Dorn became an acting teacher with the American Film Institute in 1977 and later with the Lee Strasberg Institute.
Personal life
Dorn was married to actors
Franchot Tone
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...
(1956–1959),
and
Ben Piazza
Ben Piazza (July 30, 1933 – September 7, 1991) was an American actor.
Life and career
Piazza made his film debut in Sidney J. Furie's Canadian film ''A Dangerous Age'' (1959) followed by his Hollywood debut in '' The Hanging Tree'' (1959). T ...
(1967–1979). She died on October 5, 2019, at the age of 85.
Dorn's name is featured on the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
's "In Memoriam 2020" list.
References
External links
*
*
*
1934 births
2019 deaths
Actresses from Chicago
American film actresses
American stage actresses
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American women
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