Doe Avedon (born Dorcas Marie Nowell; April 7, 1925 – December 18, 2011) was an American

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the Plan_(drawing), plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a mea ...

and actress.

Early life

Doe Avedon was born Dorcas Marie Nowell in Old Westbury, New York, Long Island on April 7, 1925. Her mother died when she was three years old, after which she was raised by her father who worked as a butler. When Doe was 12 years old her father died; she was raised by the wealthy family for whom her father had worked.

Career

At the age of 19, she began working at a bank in

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 ...

. It was there that she met up and coming photographer

Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and danc ...

. They were married in 1944 and Avedon set about making his new wife a top model. He also changed her name from "Dorcas" to "Doe" because he felt her wide set, brown eyes looked like those of a doe. While Avedon appeared in numerous photographs shot by her husband, she did not enjoy modeling and turned to acting in the late 1940s. In 1948, she made her Broadway debut in ''The Young and Fair''. The following year, she cast in ''My Name Is Aquilon'', starring

Jean-Pierre Aumont Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service. Ea ...

and

Arlene Francis Arlene Francis (born Arline Francis Kazanjian; October 20, 1907 – May 31, 2001) was an American actress, radio and television talk show host, and game show panelist. She is known for her long-running role as a panelist on the television game s ...

. That same year, she made her film debut (under the name "Betty Harper") in the 1949

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...

''. Later that same year, Avedon divorced Richard to marry actor Dan Matthews whom she met while she was performing in the touring production of

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

's ''

Diamond Lil Diamond Tooth Lil was an American cultural figure popular in the early 20th century as an icon of wealth and libertine burlesque. Several individuals called themselves "Diamond Lil" or "Diamond Tooth", creating an amalgamated legacy clouded b ...

''. She retired from acting shortly thereafter. In February 1952, Avedon was driving with Matthews from New York City to Los Angeles when their car hit a patch of ice, skidded and overturned. Avedon suffered minor injuries but Matthews was killed. After her husband's death, Avedon returned to acting. In 1954, she appeared in '' The High and the Mighty'' starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

, followed by a supporting role in the biographical film '' Deep in My Heart''. From 1955 to 1956, she appeared in the recurring role of Diane Walker on the drama series ''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had ...

''. In 1957, Avedon was cast as "Mike McCall", one of the three lead roles in the syndicated sitcom ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and ''Loc ...

'', which was based on the 1953 film of the same name that starred

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

and

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...

. After filming the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

episode in the spring of 1957, Avedon's part was recast. In 1957, Avedon married director

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film and television director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut ...

. After her marriage, she retired to raise the couple's four children. Avedon and Siegel were divorced in 1975. She briefly returned to acting in 1984 with a role in

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

' '' Love Streams''.

Death

On December 18, 2011, Avedon died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

at the

Encino Hospital Medical Center The Encino Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in Encino, California. The hospital's ownership changed in June 2008 when Tenet Healthcare sold it to the current owner, Prime Healthcare Services. Previously, the hospital was one of the campus ...

in Encino at the age of 86. Her funeral was held on December 22 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

In popular culture

The 1957 film ''

Funny Face ''Funny Face'' is a 1957 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and written by Leonard Gershe, containing assorted songs by George and Ira Gershwin. Although having the same title as the 1927 Broadway musical ''Funny F ...

'' is based on the story of Doe and Richard Avedon.

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

portrayed "Jo" who is based on Doe while the character of Dick Avery, portrayed by

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

, is based on Richard Avedon. The film was written by

Leonard Gershe Leonard Gershe (June 10, 1922 – March 9, 2002) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and lyricist. Born in New York City, Gershe made his Broadway debut as a lyricist for the 1950 revue '' Alive and Kicking''. He wrote the book for Harold Ro ...

who was a friend of the couple.

Broadway

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Avedon, Doe 1925 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York (state) Female models from New York (state) American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Deaths from pneumonia in California People from Greater Los Angeles People from Old Westbury, New York 21st-century American women