Martha Ruth Stewart Shelley ( Haworth; October 7, 1922 – February 17, 2021), better known as Martha Stewart, was an American actress. She was noted for playing Mildred Atkinson in ''
In a Lonely Place
''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation o ...
'' (1950) alongside
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
.
Early life
Stewart was born in
Bardwell, Kentucky
Bardwell is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Carlisle County, Kentucky, United States. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1878. The population was 714 at the 2020 census, down from 723 in 2010.
History
...
, on October 7, 1922. Her family relocated to
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
during her childhood. She attended
New Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School is a state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school located in Bensonhurst, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Educat ...
, graduating in 1939.
She first worked in show business singing 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 ...
radio with
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
,
Harry James
Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...
, and
Claude Thornhill
Claude Thornhill (August 10, 1908 – July 1, 1965) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. He composed the jazz and pop standards "Snowfall" and "I Wish I Had You".
Early years
Thornhill was the son of J. Chester Thornhill ...
.
[ She was recruited by a Hollywood talent scout after an appearance at the Stork Club in ]Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.[
]
Career
Stewart made her film debut in ''Doll Face
''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on th ...
'' (1945), in which she acted alongside Vivian Blaine
Vivian Blaine (born Vivian Stapleton; November 21, 1921 – December 9, 1995) was an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production of ''Guys and Dolls'', as well as appearin ...
and sang a duet with Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
.[ She then featured in '']Johnny Comes Flying Home
''Johnny Comes Flying Home'' is a 1946 American adventure film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Richard Crane (actor), Richard Crane and Faye Marlowe; the supporting cast features Harry Morgan. The plot involves postwar pilots starting a ...
'' (1946) opposite Richard Crane, then in ''I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
"I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" is a popular song. The music was written by Harold Orlob, the lyrics by Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. Orlob worked for Joseph E. Howard generating songs for Howard's productions and Howard presented the song a ...
'' (1947) with June Haver
June Haver (born Beverly June Stovenour, June 10, 1926 – July 4, 2005) was an American film actress, singer, and dancer. Once groomed by 20th Century Fox to be "the next Betty Grable", Haver appeared in a string of musicals, but she never achie ...
. The following year, she starred with Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule.
His best ...
in ''Are You with It?
''Are You with It?'' is a 1948 American musical comedy film directed by Jack Hively. The plot is about a young insurance man who quits his job to join a traveling carnival. The film is based on the 1945 Broadway musical of the same name and the ...
''. She also appeared on Broadway in the musical ''Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...
'' from 1946 to 1947.[
Stewart performed one of her best-known roles as murder victim Mildred Atkinson in the classic '']In a Lonely Place
''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation o ...
'' (1950). The film is regarded as one of Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
's finest performances.[ That same year, she featured in '']Convicted
In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which is consid ...
'' with Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...
and Broderick Crawford
William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in ''All t ...
. She went on to star in ''Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick
''Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick'' (also known as ''Marshmallow Moon'' in the U.K. and the Philippines and ''Härkiä, heiniä ja hakkailua'' in Finland) is a 1952 Paramount Pictures hillbilly musical film directed by Claude Binyon and produced b ...
'' (1952) alongside Alan Young
Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was a British, Canadian and American actor, comedian, radio host and television host, whom ''TV Guide'' called "the Charlie Chaplin of television". His notable roles includ ...
and Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...
.[ She appeared on television as the co-host of ''Those Two'' from 1952 to 1953,][ and in one episode of '']The Red Skelton Show
''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televis ...
'' in 1954.[ Nearly a decade would elapse before she featured in the episode "A Nice Touch" of '']The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...
''.[ Stewart acted for the final time in '' Surf Party'' (1964), after which she retired.]
Personal life and death
Stewart was married to singer-comedian Joe E. Lewis
Joe E. Lewis (born Joseph Klewan; January 12, 1902 – June 4, 1971) was an American comedian, actor and singer.Obituary ''Variety'', June 9, 1971, page 54.
Early life
Lewis was born was born into a family of Russian immigrants on Januar ...
for two years; the marriage ended in divorce in 1948. Her second marriage was to actor-comedian George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American actor and writer. He was best known for his role as Joe McDoakes in the Warner Bros.' live-action ''Joe McDoakes'' short subjects from 1942 to 1956 and as the voice of Georg ...
from 1949 to 1952. She married her third and final husband David Shelley in 1955; they remained married until his death in 1982.[ The couple had three children, one of whom, singer David Shelley, predeceased her in 2015.][
Stewart was the subject of an erroneous obituary in 2012, published by the website of ''Variety'' magazine,] when she was actually still living in California under the name Martha Shelley. Stewart died on February 17, 2021, at the age of 98.[
]
Filmography
Television credits
* ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...
'' – "A Nice Touch" (1963)
* ''The Red Skelton Show
''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televis ...
'' – Episode #4.8 (1954)
* ''Those Two'' – Co-Host (1952–1953)
* ''Cavalcade of Stars
''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms.
''Cavalcade of Stars''
Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMo ...
'' – Episode #3.16 (1951)
Gallery
Image:Perry Como - Here Comes Heaven Again in Doll Face 2.png, Martha Stewart and co-stars in ''Doll Face
''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on th ...
''
Image:Martha Stewart - Somebody's Walking in My Dream in Doll Face.png, Martha Stewart performing "Somebody's Walking in My Dream" in ''Doll Face''
Image:Perry Como and Martha Stewart - Somebody's Walking in My Dream in Doll Face.png, Martha Stewart and Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
perform "Somebody's Walking in My Dream" in ''Doll Face''
Image:Perry Como and Martha Stewart - Somebody's Walking in My Dream in Doll Face 2.png, Martha Stewart and Perry Como perform "Somebody's Walking in My Dream" in ''Doll Face''
References
[ (archived at the ]Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
)
[Andre Soares]
"Martha Stewart Still Alive?"
altfg.com; accessed February 26, 2016.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Martha
1922 births
2021 deaths
Actresses from Kentucky
Actresses from New York City
American film actresses
American musical theatre actresses
American television actresses
People from Bardwell, Kentucky
20th-century American actresses
Place of death missing
21st-century American women