Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress.

Early years

Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loehr, was a concert pianist. Lynn was considered a

child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...

. She began taking piano lessons at age 4, and by the age of 12 was playing with the Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra. Lynn made her film debut playing the piano in ''They Shall Have Music'' and was once again back at the keyboard, accompanying Susanna Foster, in ''There's Magic in Music'', when it was decided that she had more potential than she had been allowed to show.

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

changed her name to "Diana Lynn" and began casting her in films that allowed her to show her personality and developed her skills as an actress. Her comedic scenes with

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

in ''

The Major and the Minor ''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 American comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. It was the first American film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay credited to Wilder and Charles Brackett is "suggested by" the 1923 play '' ...

'' were well received, and in 1944 she scored an outstanding success in

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film '' The Great McGinty'' (1940), h ...

' ''

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamir ...

''. She appeared in two

Henry Aldrich Henry Aldrich (15 January 1648 – 14 December 1710) was an English theologian, philosopher, and composer. Life Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was ma ...

films, and played writer

Emily Kimbrough Emily Kimbrough (October 23, 1899 – February 10, 1989) was an American author and journalist. Biography Emily Kimbrough was born in Muncie, Indiana. In 1921 she graduated from Bryn Mawr College and went on a trip to Europe with her friend Co ...

in two films ''

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay ''Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'' is a book by actress Cornelia Otis Skinner and journalist Emily Kimbrough, published in 1942. The book presents a description of their European tour in the 1920s, when they were fresh out of college from Bryn M ...

'' and ''Our Hearts Were Growing Up'' both co-starring

Gail Russell Gail Russell (born Betty Gale Russell; September 21, 1924 – August 26, 1961) was an American film and television actress. Early years Gail Russell was born to George and Gladys (Barnet) Russell in Chicago and then moved to the Los Angeles ...

. After a few more films, she was cast in one of the year's biggest successes, the comedy ''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

'' with Marie Wilson as Irma, and

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

in their film debuts. The group reprised their roles for the

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

My Friend Irma Goes West ''My Friend Irma Goes West'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and based on the radio show ''My Friend Irma.'' It stars the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film is a sequel to ''My Friend Irma'' (1949) and was ...

'', and five years later Lynn was reunited with

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...

for one of their last films, ''

You're Never Too Young ''You’re Never Too Young'' is a 1955 American semi- musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring the team of Martin and Lewis and co-starring Diana Lynn, Nina Foch, and Raymond Burr. It was released on August 25, 1955 by Paramoun ...

''. During the 1950s, Lynn acted in a number of films, portraying

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

's daughter in the crime drama ''

The People Against O'Hara ''The People Against O'Hara'' is a 1951 American crime film noir directed by John Sturges and based on Eleazar Lipsky's novel. The film features Spencer Tracy, Pat O'Brien, John Hodiak, and James Arness. Plot James Curtayne ( Tracy) was once a ...

'' and the female lead in the much lampooned '' Bedtime for Bonzo'' opposite

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. Lynn co-starred as the school teacher in the 1955 film, '' The Kentuckian'', starring Burt Lancaster and Walter Matthau. She also had many TV leading roles during the 1950s, particularly in the middle years of the decade. As a solo pianist, she released at least one single on

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

with backing by the

Paul Weston Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the F ...

orchestra.

Stage

In 1964, Lynn had a six-month stint on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, replacing

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the t ...

in '' Mary, Mary''. In the early 1950s, she starred with Maurice Evans in ''

The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It is considered the first modern masterpiece in the genre of tragicomedy. ''The Wild Duck'' and ''Rosmersholm'' are "often t ...

'' on Broadway. She also starred in runs of ''

The Moon Is Blue ''The Moon Is Blue'' is a play by F. Hugh Herbert. A comedy in three acts, the play consists of one female and three male characters. Performance history ''The Moon Is Blue'' premiered at The Playhouse in Wilmington, Delaware on February 16, 19 ...

'' in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Recordings

In 1947, a three-record album of Lynn's piano playing included Mozart's ''Rondo'', ''Laura'', and ''Body and Soul''.

Later years

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, she supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election. She acted frequently in television guest roles throughout the 1960s. By 1970, she had relocated to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where she was running a travel agency. She appeared in ''Company of Killers,'' a film made for television. Paramount then offered her a part in a new film, ''

Play It as It Lays ''Play It as It Lays'' is a 1970 novel by the American writer Joan Didion. ''Time'' magazine included the novel in its " 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005". About the book, Joan Didion said, "I didn’t think it was going to mak ...

'', and after some consideration, Lynn accepted the offer and moved back to Los Angeles. In 1968, Lynn invited her friend

Mart Crowley Edward Martino Crowley (August 21, 1935 – March 7, 2020) was an American playwright best known for his 1968 play '' The Boys in the Band''. Biography Crowley was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After graduating from The Catholic University of ...

to housesit for her while she was out of town. While at her house over those five weeks, Crowley wrote the majority of his groundbreaking play about

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

life in America, ''The Boys in the Band''.

Death

Before filming started on ''Play It as It Lays'', Lynn suffered a stroke and died on December 18, 1971, at the age of 45. Lynn was cremated. A funeral service was held at Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City, and a memorial service was held at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California.

Recognition

In 1942, ''Parents'' magazine named Lynn "the most talented juvenile actress." She has two stars on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

: for motion pictures, at 1625 Vine Street and for television at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.

Family

Lynn married architect John C. Lindsay December 18, 1948; they divorced in June 1953. Lynn was then married in 1956 to Mortimer Hall, son of ''New York Post'' publisher Dorothy Schiff. Lynn's daughter

Dolly Hall Dorothy Theresa Hall (born April 26, 1960) is an American film producer. Biography Hall has produced films including ''The Wedding Banquet'' (1993), ''The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love'' (1995), '' All Over Me'' (1997), ''High ...

is a film producer. Another daughter, Margaret "Daisy" Hall, is an alumna of the

Emma Willard School The Emma Willard School, originally called Troy Female Seminary and often referred to simply as Emma, is an independent university-preparatory day and boarding school for young women, located in Troy, New York, on Mount Ida, offering grades 9– ...

for Girls in Troy, New York, and as an actress, has starred in numerous French- and lesser-known American-produced films, during the 1980s, '90s, and 2000s.

Partial filmography

*''

They Shall Have Music ''They Shall Have Music'' is a 1939 musical film directed by Archie Mayo and starring famed violinist Jascha Heifetz (as himself), Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, and Gene Reynolds. The screenplay concerns a young runaway finds his purpose in life aft ...

'' (1939) – Pianist (uncredited) *''

The Hard-Boiled Canary ''The Hard-Boiled Canary'' is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by Andrew L. Stone and written by Robert Lively and Andrew L. Stone. It was later reissued as ''There's Magic in Music''. The film stars Allan Jones, Susanna Foster, ...

'' (1941) – Dolly Loehr *''

'' (1942) – Lucy Hill *'' Star Spangled Rhythm'' (1942) – Herself (uncredited) *''

Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour ''Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Edwin Blum and Aleen Leslie. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Diana Lynn and Frances Gifford. The fi ...

'' (1943) – Phyllis Michael *''

'' (1944) – Emmy Kockenlocker *''

And the Angels Sing ''And the Angels Sing'' is a 1944 musical film directed by George Marshall and starring Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray, and Betty Hutton. Released by Paramount Pictures, it is a classic example of a film written to capitalize on the title of a p ...

'' (1944) – Josie Angel *''

Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid ''Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Diana Lynn and Vaughan Glaser. The film ...

'' (1944) – Phyllis Michael *''

'' (1944) – Emily Kimbrough *'' Out of This World'' (1945) – Betty Miller *''

Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...

'' (1945) – Diana Lynn *''

The Bride Wore Boots ''The Bride Wore Boots'' is a 1946 romantic comedy film with Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, playing opposite Robert Cummings. A very young Natalie Wood is seen in the film, directed by Irving Pichel. This was Stanwyck's last feature comedy ...

'' (1946) – Mary Lou Medford *''

Our Hearts Were Growing Up ''Our Hearts Were Growing Up'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William D. Russell and written by Melvin Frank, Norman Panama and Frank Waldman. It is the sequel to the 1944 film ''Our Hearts Were Young and Gay''. The film stars Gail ...

'' (1946) – Emily Kimbrough *'' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) – Connie Donovan *''

Variety Girl ''Variety Girl'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Mary Hatcher, Olga San Juan, DeForest Kelley, Frank Ferguson, Glenn Tryon, Nella Walker, Torben Meyer, Jack Norton, and William Demarest. It was prod ...

'' (1947) – Diana Lynn *'' Ruthless'' (1948) – Martha Burnside / Mallory Flagg *''

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven ''Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven'' is a 1948 American black-and-white romantic comedy film directed by William Castle and starring Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, James Dunn, and Florence Bates. A reporter in Dallas, Texas, goes to New York with the dream o ...

'' (1948) – Perry Dunklin *''

Every Girl Should Be Married ''Every Girl Should Be Married'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Don Hartman and starring Cary Grant, Betsy Drake and Franchot Tone. Grant and Drake married a year after the film's release. Plot summary Department store sales ...

'' (1948) – Julie Howard *''

'' (1949) – Jane Stacey *'' Paid in Full'' (1950) – Nancy Langley *''

Rogues of Sherwood Forest ''Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1950 Technicolor adventure film from Columbia Pictures, directed by Gordon Douglas, and starring John Derek as Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, the son of Robin Hood, Diana Lynn as Lady Marianne, and Alan Hale, S ...

'' (1950) – Lady Marianne de Beaudray *''

'' (1950) – Jane Stacey *'' Peggy'' (1950) – Peggy Brookfield *'' Bedtime for Bonzo'' (1951) – Jane Linden *''

'' (1951) – Virginia 'Ginny' Curtayne *''

Meet Me at the Fair ''Meet Me at the Fair'' is a 1953 American musical film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Dan Dailey, Diana Lynn and Hugh O'Brian. Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, it was shot in technicolor. Synopsis A boy named Tad flees from ...

'' (1952) – Zerelda Wing *''

Plunder of the Sun ''Plunder of the Sun'' is a 1949 novel written by David F. Dodge about a hunt for ancient Peruvian treasure. It was adapted for the November 8, 1949 episode of the radio series ''Escape'' and later into the 1953 film noir of the same title, star ...

'' (1953) – Julie Barnes *''

Track of the Cat ''Track of the Cat'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright and Diana Lynn. The film is based on a 1949 adventure novel of the same name by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. This was ...

'' (1954) – Gwen Williams *''

An Annapolis Story ''An Annapolis Story'' (alternative titles: ''The Blue and Gold'' and ''Navy Air Patrol'') is a 1955 American drama film directed by Don Siegel and starring John Derek, Diana Lynn and Kevin McCarthy. The film was a product of the newly formed A ...

'' (1955) – Peggy Lord *''

'' (1955) – Nancy Collins *'' The Kentuckian'' (1955) – Susie Spann *''Company of Killers'' (1970, TV Movie) – Edwina DeSalles (final film role)

Television

*'' The Investigators'' (1961) – episode "In a Mirror, Darkly"

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynn, Diana 1926 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from California Capitol Records artists Paramount Pictures contract players Schiff family 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists California Democrats New York (state) Democrats Emma Willard School alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians