Kathryn Crosby (born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff; November 25, 1933) is a retired American actress and singer who performed in films under the stage names Kathryn Grant and Kathryn Grandstaff.

Life and career

Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff in

West Columbia, Texas West Columbia is a city in Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas. The city is centered on the intersection of Texas Highways 35 & 36, southwest of downtown Houston. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. The 1st Congress of the Republi ...

, she graduated from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

with a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

degree in 1955. Two years later she became

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

's second wife, being more than thirty years his junior. The couple had three children,

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

, Mary Frances, and

Nathaniel , nickname = {{Plainlist, * Nat * Nate , footnotes = Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael. People with the name Nathaniel * Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player * Nate A ...

. She appeared as a guest star on her husband's 1964–1965

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 ...

sitcom '' The Bing Crosby Show''. Crosby largely retired from acting after her marriage, but did have featured roles as Princess Parisa in ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures ...

'' (1958), and in the courtroom drama ''

Anatomy of a Murder ''Anatomy of a Murder'' is a 1959 American courtroom drama and crime film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Wendell Mayes was based on the 1958 novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Vo ...

'' (1959). She also played the part of "Mama Bear" alongside her husband and children in ''

Goldilocks "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...

'' and co-starred with

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

in the comedy ''

Operation Mad Ball ''Operation Mad Ball'' is a 1957 military comedy from Columbia Pictures, produced by Jed Harris, directed by Richard Quine, that stars Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Kathryn Grant, Arthur O'Connell, and Mickey Rooney. The screenplay is by Blake E ...

'' (1957), with

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

in the drama ''

Mister Cory ''Mister Cory'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir directed by Blake Edwards and starring Tony Curtis, Martha Hyer, Charles Bickford and Kathryn Grant. Plot Cory, a poor Chicago kid with a penchant for gambling, gets a job at a posh Wisc ...

'' (1957) and as a trapeze artist in ''

The Big Circus ''The Big Circus'' is a 1959 film starring Victor Mature as a circus owner struggling with financial trouble and a murderous unknown saboteur. It was produced and cowritten by Irwin Allen, later known for a series of big-budget disaster films. Pl ...

'' (1959). In the mid-1970s, she hosted ''The Kathryn Crosby Show'', a 30-minute local talk-show on

KPIX-TV KPIX-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's CBS network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside CW ...

in San Francisco. Husband Bing appeared as a guest occasionally. Since Bing Crosby's death in 1977, she has taken on a few smaller roles and the lead in the short-lived 1996 Broadway musical ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

''. On June 16, 1963, Crosby received her nurse's cap, signifying her becoming a registered nurse after studying at

Queen of Angels Hospital The Queen of Angels Hospital was a private hospital complex located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The 404-bed hospital was founded in 1926 by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart and built ...

in Los Angeles. For 16 years ending in 2001, Crosby hosted the Crosby National Golf Tournament at Bermuda Run Country Club in

Bermuda Run, North Carolina Bermuda Run is a town in Davie County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1999 as a fully gated residential community near country clubs and golf courses like the Bermuda Run Countr ...

. A nearby bridge carrying

U.S. Route 158 U.S. Route 158 (US 158) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Mocksville to Whalebone Junction in Nags Head, entirely in the state of North Carolina. It is also a critical route that connects the cities of Winston- ...

over the

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, po ...

is named for Kathryn Crosby.Jim Sparks, "Crews to Start Work on Bridge," ''Winston-Salem Journal'', November 21, 2007. On November 4, 2010, Crosby was seriously injured in an automobile accident in the Sierra Nevada that killed her 85-year-old second husband, Maurice William Sullivan, whom she had married in 2000.

Filmography

Vincent Edwards Kathryn Crosby Ben Casey 1965

*'' So This Is Love'' (1953) – Showgirl (uncredited) *''

Arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...

'' (1953) – Miss Mason (uncredited) *''

Forever Female ''Forever Female'' is a 1953 black and white film directed by Irving Rapper. It stars Ginger Rogers and William Holden. It won a Golden Globe in 1954. Plot The reviews are in and a new play starring Beatrice Page and produced by Harry Phillips i ...

'' (1953) – Young Hopeful (uncredited) *''

Casanova's Big Night ''Casanova's Big Night'' is a 1954 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine, which is a spoof of swashbuckling historical adventure films. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Hope plays a tailor who impersonates Giacomo Casanova, ...

'' (1954) – Girl on Bridge (uncredited) *''

Living It Up ''Living It Up'' is a 1954 American comedy film starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis which was released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Norman Taurog and produced by Paul Jones. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Melville Shavelso ...

'' (1954) – Manicurist (uncredited) *''

Rear Window ''Rear Window'' is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". Originally released by Paramount Pictures, the film st ...

'' (1954) – Girl at Songwriter's Party (uncredited) *'' Unchained'' (1955) – Sally Haskins (uncredited) *''

Tight Spot ''Tight Spot'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson and Brian Keith. The story was inspired by Senator Estes Kefauver's tactics in coercing Virginia Hill to testify in ...

'' (1955) – Girl Honeymooner (uncredited) *'' Cell 2455 Death Row'' (1955) – Jo-Anne *''

5 Against the House ''5 Against the House'' is a 1955 American heist film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Guy Madison, Kim Novak and Brian Keith. The supporting cast includes William Conrad. The screenplay is based on Jack Finney's 1954 novel of the same name, ...

'' (1955) – Jean, Young Woman in Nightclub (uncredited) *''

The Phenix City Story ''The Phenix City Story'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson for Allied Artists, written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur and starring John McIntire, Richard Kiley, and Kathryn Grant. It had an unusual "triple ...

'' (1955) – Ellie Rhodes *''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (a ...

'' (1955) – Young Hopeful (uncredited) *'' Storm Center'' (1956) – Hazel Levering *''

Reprisal! ''Reprisal!'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Guy Madison, Felicia Farr and Kathryn Grant.Hampes p.176 The film's sets were designed by the art director Walter Holscher. Plot A man named Frank Madden (Gu ...

'' (1956) – Taini *'' The Wild Party'' (1956) – Honey *''

'' (1957) – Jen Vollard *''

The Guns of Fort Petticoat ''The Guns of Fort Petticoat'' is a 1957 American Western film produced by Harry Joe Brown and Audie Murphy for Brown-Murphy Pictures. It was based on the 1955 short story "Petticoat Brigade" by Chester William Harrison (1913–1994) that he exp ...

'' (1957) – Anne Martin *''

The Night the World Exploded ''The Night the World Exploded'' is a 1957 science fiction, disaster film. The film was written by Jack Natteford and Luci Ward, and directed by Fred F. Sears for producer Sam Katzman. Both Katzman and Sears were great exponents of the low-budge ...

'' (1957) – Laura Hutchinson *''

'' (1957) – Lt. Betty Bixby *''

The Brothers Rico ''The Brothers Rico'' is a 1957 American crime film noir directed by Phil Karlson and starring Richard Conte, Dianne Foster and Kathryn Grant. Plot Eddie Rico (Richard Conte) is the happily married owner of a prosperous laundry company in Baysh ...

'' (1957) – Norah Malaks Rico *''

Gunman's Walk ''Gunman's Walk'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Van Heflin and Tab Hunter. Plot Davy Hackett (James Darren) and his hot-tempered, arrogant older brother Ed (Tab Hunter) are about to assist the ...

'' (1958) – Clee Chouard *''

'' (1958) – Princess Parisa *''

'' (1959) – Mary Pilant *''

'' (1959) – Jeannie Whirling *'' 1001 Arabian Nights'' (1959) – Princess Yasminda (voice) *''

Queen of the Lot ''Queen of the Lot'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Henry Jaglom and starring Tanna Frederick and Noah Wyle. It is the sequel to Jaglom's 2006 film '' Hollywood Dreams''. Cast * Tanna Frederick *Noah Wyle * Chris ...

'' (2010) – Elizabeth Lambert

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Kathryn 1933 births Living people 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Houston American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses American television personalities American voice actresses American women singers American women television personalities Bing Crosby People from West Columbia, Texas University of Texas at Austin alumni