Hillary Brooke (born Beatrice Sofia Mathilda Peterson; September 8, 1914 – May 25, 1999) was an American film actress.

Career

A 5′6″ blonde from the Astoria neighborhood of New York City's borough of Queens, Brooke, who was of Swedish ancestry, started work as a model while attending

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. She spent a year in the United Kingdom, mastering an RP accent that she used in several of her films. She frequently played English women in Hollywood films, and also had such a role in her only British-made film, '' The House Across the Lake''. Hillary Brooke-Paul Cavanagh in The Woman in Green

Hillary Brooke-Paul Cavanagh in The Woman in Green

Brooke began her acting career in movies, co-starring in two

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

films with

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

and Nigel Bruce, '' Sherlock Holmes Faces Death'' (1943) and '' The Woman in Green'' (1945). She was a regular on several television series of the early 1950s, playing Roberta Townsend, the glamorous love interest of Margie's father Vern Albright on the 1952–1955 TV series '' My Little Margie''. On '' The Abbott and Costello Show'', produced in the early 1950s and syndicated for many years afterward, Brooke played the role of a straitlaced, classy tenant of the rooming house where the two main characters lived. She was treated with reverence by the duo and was not a target of pranks and slapstick. The love interest of

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), professionally known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with straight man Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First? ...

, she always addressed him as "Louis". As with the other main characters, her character's name was her real name. She also appeared in ''

Africa Screams ''Africa Screams'' is a 1949 American adventure comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello that parodies the safari genre. The title is a play on the title of the 1930 documentary ''Africa Speaks!'' The supporting ...

'' (1949) and ''

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd ''Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd'' is a 1952 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film ''Captain ...

'' (1952) with the comedy team. Brooke’s other movie credits include ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'' (1943), '' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945), ''

Lucky Losers ''Lucky Losers'' is a 1950 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on May 14, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the eighteenth film in the series. It had the working title of ''High Stakes''. Plot Slip and Sach's boss, David J ...

'' (1950) with

The Bowery Boys The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 19 ...

, the

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

thriller '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), the

3-D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pic ...

'' The Maze'' (1953), and the sci-fi '' Invaders from Mars'' (1953). On September 28, 1957, she played Doris Cole in the second episode of '' Perry Mason'', titled "The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece". Brooke also played Angela Randall in '' I Love Lucy''s "The Fox Hunt", which aired February 6, 1956. She retired from television in 1960 following guest appearances on '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' as Laura Renault and in ''

Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century ...

'' as Greta Morgan.

Personal life

Brooke married Alan Shute in 1936, divorcing in 1940. Brooke then married assistant director Jack Voglin in 1941, and the couple had one child together, Donald, before divorcing in 1948. Brooke was married to Raymond A. Klune, an executive at MGM, from 1960 until his death on September 24, 1988. Through Klune she had two stepchildren, Carol V. Klune and Donald C. Klune. Brooke was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign in the 1952 presidential election. On May 25, 1999, Brooke died from a blood clot in the lung at a hospital in Bonsall, California. She was cremated with her ashes scattered at sea. Her brother, actor Arthur Peterson Jr., died in 1996; For her contribution to the television industry, Hillary Brooke 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, Calif ...

at 6307 Hollywood Boulevard.

Partial filmography

*''

New Faces of 1937 ''New Faces of 1937'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joe Penner, Milton Berle and Harriet Hilliard. Its plot is similar to '' The Producers'' (1968). Intended as the first film of an annual RKO Pictures revu ...

'' (1937) – Showgirl *'' Eternally Yours'' (1939) – Blonde on Stage (uncredited) *'' Two Girls on Broadway'' (1940) – Second Girl in Powder Room (uncredited) *'' Florian'' (1940) – Horsewoman (uncredited) *''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar ecl ...

'' (1940) – Party Guest (uncredited) *'' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940) – Main Line Society Woman (uncredited) *''

The Lone Rider Rides On ''The Lone Rider Rides On'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars George Houston as the Lone Rider and Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones, with Hillary Brooke, Karl Hack ...

'' (1941) – Sue Brown *''

Maisie Was a Lady ''Maisie Was a Lady'' is a 1941 American comedy-drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin and is the fourth in a series of ten films starring Ann Sothern as good-hearted showgirl Maisie Ravier. Plot When wealthy drunkard Bob Rawlston causes Maisie t ...

'' (1941) – House Guest (uncredited) *'' Country Fair'' (1941) – (uncredited) *''

The Lone Rider in Frontier Fury ''The Lone Rider in Frontier Fury'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. The film stars George Houston as the "Lone Rider" and Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones, with Hillary Brooke, Karl Hackett, Ted Adams and ...

'' (1941) – Georgia Deering *'' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1941) – Mrs. Arnold (uncredited) *'' Unfinished Business'' (1941) – Woman (uncredited) *'' Married Bachelor'' (1941) – Hillary Gordon (uncredited) *''

Two-Faced Woman ''Two-Faced Woman'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor and starring Greta Garbo in her final film role, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young. The movie was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Garbo ...

'' (1941) – Dress Shop Clerk Hotel-Caller (uncredited) *'' Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1942) – Party Guest (uncredited) *''

Sleepytime Gal ''Sleepytime Gal'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Art Arthur, Albert Duffy and Max Lief. The film stars Judy Canova, Tom Brown, Billy Gilbert, Ruth Terry, Thurston Hall, Elisha Cook Jr., Jerry Lest ...

'' (1942) – Railroad Station Blonde (uncredited) *'' To the Shores of Tripoli'' (1942) – Parade Spectator (uncredited) * ''

Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical- comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...

'' (1942) – Hillary (uncredited) *'' Calling Dr. Gillespie'' (1942) – Mrs. Brown (uncredited) *''

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of T ...

'' (1942) – Girl at the Inn (uncredited) *''

Counter-Espionage Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...

'' (1942) – Pamela Hart *''

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror ''Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror'' is a 1942 American mystery thriller film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. The film combines elements of Doyle's short story " His Last Bow", to which it is credited ...

'' (1942) – Jill Grandis – Driver (uncredited) *'' Happy Go Lucky'' (1943) – Wife (uncredited) *'' The Crystal Ball'' (1943) – Friend of Jo Ainsley (uncredited) *'' Sherlock Holmes Faces Death'' (1943) – Sally Musgrave *''

'' (1943) – Blanche Ingram *'' Standing Room Only'' (1944) – Alice Todd *'' Lady in the Dark'' (1944) – Miss Bar (uncredited) *'' And the Angels Sing'' (1944) – Polish Bride (uncredited) *'' Practically Yours'' (1944) – (uncredited) *'' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) – Mrs. Bellane #2 *'' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945) – Beatrice Alexander *'' The Crime Doctor's Courage'' (1945) – Kathleen Carson *'' The Woman in Green'' (1945) – Lydia Marlowe *'' Road to Utopia'' (1945) – Kate *''

The Strange Woman ''The Strange Woman'' is a 1946 American melodrama film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and written by Ulmer and Hunt Stromberg, starring Hedy Lamarr, George Sanders and Louis Hayward. Originally released by United Artists, the film is now in the pub ...

'' (1946) – Meg Saladine *'' The Gentleman Misbehaves'' (1946) – Nina Mallory *'' Strange Impersonation'' (1946) – Arline Cole *'' Earl Carroll Sketchbook'' (1946) – Lynn Stafford *''

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 ...

'' (1946) – Lorelei Kilbourne *'' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) – Mme. Pompadour * '' Strange Journey'' (1946) – Patti Leeds *'' I Cover Big Town'' (1947) – Lorelei Kilbourne *'' Big Town After Dark'' (1947) – Lorelei Kilbourn *''

Let's Live Again ''Let's Live Again'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Herbert I. Leeds and written by Rodney Carlisle and Robert Smiley. The film stars John Emery, Hillary Brooke, Taylor Holmes, Diana Douglas, James Millican and Charles D. Brown. T ...

'' (1948) – Sandra Marlowe *''

The Fuller Brush Man ''The Fuller Brush Man'' is a 1948 American comedy film starring Red Skelton as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company who becomes a murder suspect. Plot Success doesn't exactly stare the unfortunate street cleaner Red Jones (Red S ...

'' (1948) – Mildred Trist *'' Big Town Scandal'' (1948) – Lorelei Kilbourne *''

'' (1949) – Diana Emerson *''

Alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial sup ...

'' (1949) – Linda Waring *''

Bodyhold ''Bodyhold'' is a 1949 American crime film noir sport film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Willard Parker, Lola Albright, and Hillary Brooke. Premise Tommy Jones, a well-built plumber, is invited to join a troupe of wrestlers, but is s ...

'' (1949) – Flo Woodbury *'' Unmasked'' (1950) – Doris King Jackson *'' Beauty on Parade'' (1950) – Gloria Barton *''

'' (1950) – 'Countess' Margo *'' The Admiral Was a Lady'' (1950) – Shirley Pedigrew *''

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...

'' (1950) – Lydia Nevil *'' Insurance Investigator'' (1951) – Addie Wilson *'' Skipalong Rosenbloom'' (1951) – Square Deal Sal *''

Lost Continent Lost lands are islands or continents believed by some to have existed during pre-history, but to have since disappeared as a result of catastrophic geological phenomena. Legends of lost lands often originated as scholarly or scientific theor ...

'' (1951) – Marla Stevens *''

Confidence Girl ''Confidence Girl'' is a 1952 American crime film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. The film stars Tom Conway, Hillary Brooke, Eddie Marr, John Gallaudet, Jack Kruschen, Dan Riss and Walter Kingsford. It was released on June 20, 1952 by ...

'' (1952) – Mary Webb *''

'' (1952) – Capt. Bonney *''

Never Wave at a WAC ''Never Wave at a WAC'' is a 1953 American comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, and starring Rosalind Russell, Paul Douglas and Marie Wilson. Plot Divorced socialite Jo McBain, daughter of United States Senator Reynolds, would like to joi ...

'' (1953) – First Lt. Phyllis Turnbull *'' The Lady Wants Mink'' (1953) – Evelyn Cantrell *'' Invaders From Mars'' (1953) – Mrs. Mary MacLean *'' The Maze'' (1953) – Peggy Lord *'' Mexican Manhunt'' (1953) – Eve Carter *'' The House Across the Lake'' (1954, aka Heat Wave) – Carol Forrest *'' Bengazi'' (1955) – Nora Nielson *'' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) – Jan Peterson *''

Spoilers of the Forest ''Spoilers of the Forest'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joseph Kane, written by Bruce Manning, and starring Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, Ray Collins, Hillary Brooke, Edgar Buchanan and Carl Benton Reid. It was released on April 5, 1 ...

'' (1957) – Phyllis Warren

References

External links

* *
WOmWAm Actress Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooke, Hillary 1914 births 1999 deaths American film actresses American television actresses Female models from New York (state) People from Astoria, Queens Actresses from New York City 20th-century American actresses California Democrats New York (state) Democrats Deaths from blood clot