Eva Lee Kuney Grover Feldman (April 24, 1934 – May 24, 2015) was an American child actress, dancer, and

draftswoman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...

. She appeared in her first film at the age of 18 months and performed in numerous uncredited film roles. Kuney's best known role and only screen credit was as six-year-old Trina, the adopted daughter of Cary Grant's and Irene Dunne's characters in ''

Penny Serenade ''Penny Serenade'' is a 1941 American melodrama film directed by George Stevens starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as a loving couple who must overcome adversity to keep their marriage and raise a child. Grant was nominated for the Academy Award ...

'' (1941). Turning to dance, Kuney worked as a contract player for film studios until the age of 18, when she accepted a temporary job in a stage show in Las Vegas and continued performing there. Kuney later worked as a draftswoman for the Clark County Transportation Department and volunteered her services to many community theater groups in the city.

Career

Eva Lee Kuney, known as "Lee", was born on April 24, 1934, in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, California, to parents Leon and Edna Kuney. Her father worked in the Hollywood film industry. At the age of 18 months she appeared in her first film, ''

Little Papa ''Little Papa'' is a 1935 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 138th ''Our Gang'' short that was released. Plot Although Spanky would like to play football with the rest of the gang, he is stuck at home taking care of ...

'', one of the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' comedies, act when she was 18 months old as Spanky's baby sister. She was one of about a dozen small children used to fill out the background of Munchkin scenes in ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to: *'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz'' ** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...

'' (1939), as there were not enough little people to populate the set. In 1940, after a two-year drought with no film roles, Kuney's mother saw a casting notice for the role of the six-year-old girl in ''

''. Kuney was selected over 500 other applicants. She received her first screen credit playing Trina in the film. In 1942, she appeared as herself in a comedy play titled "Camera Angles", which featured many young Hollywood actors and actresses playing themselves in a benefit performance for the Anne Lehr Milk Fund. Turning to dance, Kuney became a contract player for film studios; among her performances were the films '' Holiday Inn'' (1942) and ''

White Christmas White Christmas most commonly refers to: * White Christmas (weather), snowfall or snow-covered ground on Christmas Day * "White Christmas" (song), a 1942 song written by Irving Berlin White Christmas may also refer to: Film, television, and the ...

'' (1954). Kuney graduated from North Hollywood High School. At age 18 she accepted a dancing job in San Francisco from choreographer

Donn Arden Donn Arden (1916 or 1917 – November 2, 1994) was an American choreographer and producer. Biography Born Arlyle Arden Peterson Arden to a railway executive and a housewife, he grew up in St. Louis. By the age of nine he was already making mo ...

, who then offered her a temporary gig in his new stage show at the

Desert Inn The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was the ...

in Las Vegas. She went on to dance in Las Vegas stage shows starring

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 ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, and

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

. After retiring from the stage, Kuney worked as a

for the Clark County Transportation Department. She later volunteered her time and advice to many community theater groups in Las Vegas.

Personal life and death

Kuney married her first husband, Arthur "Buddy" Grover, a musician, in 1955. The couple had a son and daughter, Brad and Andrea. In 1972, Kuney married Kenneth Feldman, a speech pathologist who later was active as a community theater actor and director in Las Vegas. Eva Kuney Feldman died in Las Vegas on May 24, 2015, at the age of 81.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kuney, Eva Lee 1934 births 2015 deaths American child actresses Dancers from California American draughtsmen Actresses from Hollywood, Los Angeles Actresses from Las Vegas North Hollywood High School alumni 21st-century American women