Gale Robbins (born Betty Gale Robbins or Betty Gale Murphy, May 7, 1921 – February 18, 1980) was an American actress and singer.

Early years

Born in Chicago, Illinois, although one source claims she was born in

Mitchell, Indiana Mitchell is a city in Marion Township, Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,350 at the 2010 census. History Mitchell was built as a railroad town in the mid-19th century. At this location in Lawrence County, the Chi ...

and her family moved to Chicago "when she was very young"; she graduated from Lucy Flower High School in June 1939.

Modeling

Robbins "attended the Vera Jones Modeling School and posed for many magazine covers and ads." A 1941 newspaper article described her as "the famous model whose face has appeared on the covers of many leading magazines, and whose eyes and teeth are the trademarks respectively of Murine and Iodent."

Singing

In 1939, Robbins was a singer in the stage show at the Hotel Sherman's College Inn in Chicago, Illinois. She apparently changed her stage name at that time. An article in the August 6, 1939, issue of the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

reported: "Betty Robbins, Chicago singer who joined the show recently, holds over for the new program, under the name Gale Robbins. Gale is her middle name." Robbins sang with the Phil Levant band in 1940, and in 1941, she sang with

Jan Garber Jan Garber (born Jacob Charles Garber, November 5, 1894 – October 5, 1977) was an American violinist and jazz bandleader. Biography Garber was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had his own band by the time he was 21. He became known as "The ...

. Also in 1941, she recorded ''Jim'' (one side of

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

27580) with

Art Jarrett Arthur L. Jarrett Jr. (July 20, 1907 – July 23, 1987) born to stage actor and playwright Arthur L. Jarrett Sr. (1884–1960). Art Jr. was an American singer, actor, and bandleader in the 1930s and 1940s. Early career Near the end of the 19 ...

. Beginning in June 1942, Robbins sang on ''The Ben Bernie War Workers' Program'',Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. . Pp. 79, 321. which was broadcast three nights a week on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio. (

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

wrote in his syndicated newspaper column that Robbins was "the best part of Ben Bernie's act." ) On August 14, 1942, she was a featured vocalist on a revue headlined by Fred Brady and broadcast over WABC. Also in 1942, she was one of four female singers on the staff at WBBM radio in Chicago, Illinois. In 1945, she sang on ''Ice Box Follies'' on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

,Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 162. and during the 1945–1946 season, she was a vocalist on ''The Hoagy Carmichael Show'' on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

. In 1949, Robbins sang as part of

Dennis Day Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He was of Irish descent. Early life Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, New York City, the ...

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

show in Boston, prompting a reviewer for the trade publication

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

to write: "The acts include Gale Robbins, as fine a vocalist as the town has seen in ages. She's pretty, has a real voice and a personality which never flags." That same year, she was the female lead in the musical revue ''A La Carte'' at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, California. A reviewer wrote in Billboard, "Song-wise, Gale Robbins and Bill Shirley are admirably suited to their lead parts, scoring vocally and in stage presence." In September 1957, Robbins signed with

Vik Records Vik Records was a subsidiary of RCA Victor Records established in April 1953. In the '' Billboard'' issue of the 11th of that month, it was announced that RCA was launching, namelessly, a new label that was the company's first to be distributed ind ...

and made her first recordings for that label.

Film

Robbins signed a contract with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

late in 1942. She made her film debut in ''

In the Meantime, Darling ''In the Meantime, Darling'' is a 1944 American drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Arthur Kober and Michael Uris focuses on a wealthy war bride (Jeanne Crain) who is forced to adjust to living in spartan condit ...

'' in 1944. She appeared in several films, such as ''

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

'' and ''

My Dear Secretary ''My Dear Secretary'' is a 1948 American comedy film written and directed by Charles Martin (1910-1983) and starring Laraine Day, Kirk Douglas, Keenan Wynn, and Helen Walker. The supporting cast features Rudy Valee, Alan Mowbray and Irene Rya ...

'', and briefly sang parts of two songs in ''

The Barkleys of Broadway ''The Barkleys of Broadway'' is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film from the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart. Directed by Charles Walters, the screenplay is ...

'', playing Shirlene May, the potential understudy to

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 ...

' character. Robbins sang another song, "All Alone Monday," in another

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 ...

vehicle, '' Three Little Words'' (1950).

Television

Robbins entertained at many military bases with a troupe led by

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

. She later focused on TV, including being a regular on ''

Pantomime Quiz ''Pantomime Quiz'', initially titled ''Pantomime Quiz Time'' and later ''Stump the Stars'', was an American television game show produced and hosted by Mike Stokey. Running from 1947—1959, it has the distinction of being one of the few tel ...

'' on

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outle ...

in Los Angeles, California, in 1949. She was hostess of ''Hollywood House'' from 1949 to 1950. She released the album ''I'm a Dreamer'', backed by

Eddie Cano Edward Cano (June 6, 1927 – January 30, 1988) was an Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cano was born in Los Angeles on June 6, 1927. His mother was Mexican-American, and his father, a bass guitarist, was Mexican. Can ...

and his orchestra, in 1958. She made three guest appearances on ''

The Bob Cummings Show ''The Bob Cummings Show'' (also known in reruns as ''Love That Bob'') is an American sitcom starring Bob Cummings, which was broadcast from January 2, 1955, to September 15, 1959. The program began with a half-season run on NBC, then ran for two ...

'' between 1955 and 1958. Gale appeared on ''

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 ...

'', in the episode "The Antidote." She also had roles in such popular series as ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', ‘’ Trackdown’’, ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television Private investigator#PIs in fiction, private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith (actor), Roger Smith, Richard Long (actor), Richard Long (fr ...

'' and ''

Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...

''. In 1955, Robbins signed a contract with

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...

for "a number of ''

Damon Runyon Theater ''Damon Runyon Theater'' is an American television program that presented dramatized versions of Damon Runyon's short stories. Hosted by Donald Woods, the program, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser beer, aired for a total of 39 episodes on ...

'' segments." Billboard reported that it was "the first time that the Columbia subsidiary has put a performer under contract for more than a single pic."

Recognition

Robbins has a star 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 ...

in the category of motion pictures. Her star is located at 6510 Hollywood Boulevard.

Personal life

Robbins married her high school sweetheart, Robert Olson, November 8, 1943, when he was in the Air Force. The couple remained married until Olson's death in 1968, and had two daughters, Victoria and Cynthia.

Death

Robbins died of lung cancer February 18, 1980, in Tarzana, California, at the age of 58.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1944) * ''

Mr. Hex ''Mr. Hex'' is a 1946 film directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the fifth film in the series. Plot The boys are trying to raise money for their friend Gloria. She has to give up her aspiring singin ...

'' (1946) * ''

Race Street ''Race Street'' is a 1948 American crime film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin. The drama features George Raft, William Bendix and Marilyn Maxwell. It was one of several collaborations between Raft and Marin. Plot When his bookie pal Hal is k ...

'' (1948) * ''

'' (1949) * ''

Oh, You Beautiful Doll "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" is a ragtime love song published in 1911 with words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer. The song was one of the first with a twelve-bar opening. The tune has been recorded hundreds of times by many artists from ...

'' (1949) * '' Three Little Words'' (1950) * ''

The Fuller Brush Girl ''The Fuller Brush Girl'' is a 1950 slapstick comedy starring Lucille Ball and directed by Lloyd Bacon. Animator Frank Tashlin wrote the script. Ball plays a quirky door-to-door cosmetics saleswoman for the Fuller Brush Company. The film also st ...

'' (1950) * ''

Between Midnight and Dawn ''Between Midnight and Dawn'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Mark Stevens, Edmond O'Brien and Gale Storm.. Plot Childhood friends Rocky Barnes (Stevens) and Dan Purvis (O'Brien) are Los Angeles p ...

'' (1950) * '' Strictly Dishonorable'' (1951) * '' The Belle of New York'' (1952) * '' The Brigand'' (1953) * ''

'' (1953) * ''

Double Jeopardy In jurisprudence, double jeopardy is a procedural defence (primarily in common law jurisdictions) that prevents an accused person from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following an acquittal or conviction and in rare case ...

'' (1955) * ''

Gunsmoke in Tucson ''Gunsmoke in Tucson'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Thomas Carr and written by Paul Leslie Peil and Robert L. Joseph. The film stars Mark Stevens, Forrest Tucker, Gale Robbins, Vaughn Taylor, John Ward and Kevin H ...

'' (1958) * ''

The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing ''The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing'' is a 1955 American film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett, and starring Joan Collins, Ray Milland, and Farley Granger. The CinemaScope film was released ...

'' (1958)

Partial discography

* ''This Can't Be the End of Me''/''Riverman'' (1956 Era 1022) * ''I'm a Dreamer'' album (1958 Vik LX 1128)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Gale 1921 births 1980 deaths American film actresses Era Records artists Deaths from lung cancer in California 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers United Service Organizations entertainers