Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015), was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

.Sally Forrest, Actress in 1940s and '50s Film Musicals
bituary(March 27, 2015), nytimes.com; retrieved 2015-03-29.

Early life

Forrest was born in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

to Michael and Marguerite (née Ellicott) Feeney. Her father was a

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

career officer who moved his family to various naval bases, finally settling in San Diego. He and his wife later became ballroom dancers and taught dance classes, where their daughter began learning her lifelong craft.

Career

Forrest began her film career in the 1940s as a chorus dancer in MGM musicals. She made her acting debut in ''Not Wanted'' (1949), written and produced by

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

. Its controversial subject of unwed motherhood was a raw and unsentimental view of a condition rarely explored by Hollywood at the time. Forrest starred in two more Lupino projects, ''

Never Fear ''Never Fear'', also known as ''The Young Lovers'', is a 1950 American drama film directed and co-written by Ida Lupino, and produced by Lupino and Collier Young. It stars Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle, and Hugh O'Brian. Plot Carol Williams ...

'' (1949) and ''

Hard, Fast and Beautiful ''Hard, Fast and Beautiful'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Ida Lupino and starring Claire Trevor. It is loosely based on the 1930 novel ''American Girl'' by sports-fiction author John R. Tunis, which was an unflattering and thinly v ...

'' (1951), as well as other

films 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 '' ...

, including ''

Mystery Street ''Mystery Street'' is a 1950 black-and-white film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson. Produced by MGM, it was directed by John Sturges with cinematography by John Alton. The f ...

'' (1950), directed by

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (1963 ...

, and the star-studded ''

While the City Sleeps While the City Sleeps may refer to: * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1928 film), an American silent film starring Lon Chaney * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1950 film), a Swedish drama scripted by Ingmar Bergman * ''While the City Sleeps'' (1956 film), ...

'' (1956), directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

. Her musical background and training as a jazz and ballet dancer brought roles in the transitional musicals that rounded off the golden age of MGM; most notable

Excuse My Dust (1951 film) ''Excuse My Dust'' is a 1951 musical comedy film starring Red Skelton. It was directed by Roy Rowland and an uncredited Edward Sedgwick. Plot Amateur inventor Joe Belden has his Indiana hometown in a tizzy over his new "horseless carriage" in ...

and

The Strip (1951 film) ''The Strip'' is a 1951 American crime film noir directed by László Kardos and starring Mickey Rooney, Sally Forrest and William Demarest. Much of the picture was shot on location in and around the Sunset Strip. Interiors were shot at the po ...

. In 1953, after moving to New York with her husband, writer and producer Milo Frank (who was hired to be head of casting for

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 Entertainmen ...

), her film work transitioned to theatre and TV. She starred on Broadway in ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage role. ...

'', and appeared in major stage productions of ''

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during ...

'', ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'', ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' and ''

No No Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves th ...

''. Later she returned to Hollywood and continued working at

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. Her final film was RKO's ''While the City Sleeps'' in 1956, a film noir co-starring

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

Rhonda Fleming Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamoro ...

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

and her frequent collaborator Ida Lupino.

Personal life

Forrest married Milo Frank in 1951. They had no children and remained wed until his death in 2004. Forrest and Frank were owners of the former Benedict Canyon home of

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

and

Paul Bern Paul Bern (born Paul Levy; December 3, 1889September 5, 1932) was a German-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he became the assistant to Irving Thalberg. He helped launch the career of Jean Harlo ...

on Easton Drive in Beverly Hills. They rented it to

Jay Sebring Thomas John Kummer (October 10, 1933 – August 9, 1969), known professionally as Jay Sebring, was an American celebrity hair stylist, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International. Sebring was murdered by members of the M ...

prior to his murder at the nearby home of

Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover ...

. Forrest died of cancer on March 15, 2015, aged 86, at her home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

Filmography

*''

Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till The Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before ...

'' (uncredited showgirl) (1946) - Showgirl (uncredited) *''

The Unfinished Dance ''The Unfinished Dance'' is a 1947 drama film directed by Henry Koster, starring Margaret O'Brien and Cyd Charisse. The story centers around the members of a ballet company, and is a remake of the 1937 French film ''Ballerina'', based on a short ...

'' (1947, chorus) *'' Fiesta'' (1947, choreography assistant) *''

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 ...

'' (1948) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' The Pirate'' (1948) - Fiesta Specialty Dancer (uncredited) *'' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948, choreography assistant) *'' Easter Parade'' (1948, uncredited dancer) *''

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

'' (1949) - Dancer at Wharf Party (uncredited) *''

Mr. Belvedere Goes to College ''Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport. It follows on from '' Sitti ...

'' (1949) - Miss Cadwaller, Dr. Gibbs' Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Not Wanted ''Not Wanted'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Elmer Clifton and an un-credited Ida Lupino and starring Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle and Leo Penn. A few days after shooting started, Clifton suffered a heart attack. Lupino stepped in t ...

'' (1949) - Sally Kelton *'' Scene of the Crime'' (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Flame of Youth'' (1949) - Miss O'Brien (credited as Katherine Lang) *''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Dancing in the Dark'' (1949) - Secretary (uncredited) *''

'' (AKA '' The Young Lovers'') (1950) - Carol Williams *''

'' (1950) - Grace Shanway *'' My Blue Heaven'' (1950) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Vengeance Valley ''Vengeance Valley'' is a 1951 American Technicolor Western (genre), Western film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Burt Lancaster, with a supporting cast featuring Robert Walker (actor, born 1918), Robert Walker, Joanne Dru, Sally Forres ...

'' (1951) - Lily *''

'' (1951) - Florence Farley *'' Valentino'' (1951, choreography assistant) *'' Excuse My Dust'' (1951) - Liz Bullitt *''

The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...

'' (1951) - Jane Tafford *''The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story'' (1951, MGM promotional documentary) *''

Bannerline ''Bannerline'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Don Weis. The film stars Keefe Brasselle, Sally Forrest and Lionel Barrymore. Plot Young Mike Perrivale (Keefe Brasselle) is an ambitious reporter for the Carravia ''Clarion'', who resents ...

'' (1951) - Richie Loomis *'' The Strange Door'' (1951) - Blanche de Maletroit *''

Code Two ''Code Two'' is a 1953 American film noir crime film about men training to be motorcycle cops. It stars Ralph Meeker, Sally Forrest, Elaine Stewart, Robert Horton and Keenan Wynn, and was directed by Fred M. Wilcox. Plot Classmates at the Los A ...

'' (1953) - Mary Hartley *''

Son of Sinbad ''Son of Sinbad'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It takes place in the Middle East and consists of a wide variety of characters, including over 127 women. The film was shot in 1953 and planned to be released in 3 ...

'' (1955) - Ameer *''

'' (1956) - Nancy Liggett *''

Ride the High Iron ''Ride the High Iron'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Don Weis and starring Don Taylor, Sally Forrest and Raymond Burr.Lentz p.450 Plot A returning Korean War veteran tries to cover-up his humble background when he becomes engaged to ...

'' (1956) - Elsie Vanders

Television

*''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse' ...

'' (TV series) "Barrow Street" (1952) *''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' (TV series) (1953) *''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'' (TV series) "The Life of the Party" (1953) *''Suspense'' (TV series) "The Darkest Night" (1953) *''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Septem ...

'' (TV Series) "Letter of Love", "The Edge of Evil" (1953) *''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the U.S. Steel, United States Steel Corpor ...

'' (TV Series) (1953) *''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, ...

'' (TV Series) (1953) *''

Screen Directors Playhouse ''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcas ...

'' (TV Series) "Want Ad Wedding" (1955) *''

Front Row Center ''Front Row Center'' is an American variety show that aired on the DuMont Television Network Sundays at 7pm ET from March 25, 1949, to April 2, 1950. The show was originally 30 minutes then expanded to 60 minutes. This was one of several DuMont n ...

'' (TV Series) "The Teacher and Hector Hodge" (1955), "Guest in the House" (1956) *''

Celebrity Playhouse ''Celebrity Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that aired on Syndication from September 1955, to June 1956. Episodes were repeats of dramas that were originally shown on ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars''. ''Celebrity Playhouse'' was produce ...

'' (TV Series) "They Flee By Night" (1956) *''

Ford Star Jubilee ''Ford Star Jubilee'' is an American anthology series that originally aired monthly on Saturday nights on CBS at 9:00 P.M., E.S.T. from the fall of 1955 to the fall of 1956 (With a summer hiatus). The series was approximately 90 minutes long, broa ...

'' (TV variety show) "You're the Top" musical number (1956) *''

The Red Skelton Hour ''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 ...

'' (TV Series) "The Magic Shoes", "Valentine's Day Double Date" (1956) *''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs ...

'' (TV Series) "Burst of Fire" (1958), "The Man Who Stole the Bible" (1957), "Child of the Wind/Throw Away the Cane" (1956), "Pink Cloud" (1955) *''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' (TV variety show) Episode #11.2 (1957) *''

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore ...

'' (TV variety show) Episode #1.8 (1957), Episode #2.27 (1958), Episode #2.31 (1958) *''Pursuit'' (TV Series) "Epitaph for a Golden Girl" (1958) *'' The Millionaire'' (TV Series) "Millionaire Emily Baker" (1959) *''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (TV Series) "Strictly Solo" (1960) *'' Rawhide'' (TV Series) "Incident of the Swindler" (1964), "Incident of the Widowed Dove" (1959) *''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempte ...

'' (TV Series) "Our Friend Stanley" (1967) (final appearance) *''Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies'' (television documentary) (2000)

References

External links

* *
Sally Forrest profile
afi.com; accessed August 14, 2015.

at Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
Sally Forrest dance profile
artsmeme.com; accessed August 14, 2015. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, Sally 1928 births 2015 deaths Actresses from San Diego American film actresses American female dancers 20th-century American dancers American stage actresses American television actresses Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th-century American actresses Deaths from cancer in California 21st-century American women