Rosemary E. LaPlanche (October 11, 1923 – May 6, 1979) was an American beauty queen and actress. She won

Miss California The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America competition. The pageant began in Santa Cruz in 1924 and was held there in 1925. During the years 1926 through 1946 in years when the Mi ...

three years in a row (1939-1941), and won

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

in 1941.

Early life

LaPlanche moved to

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

from

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

with her mother and sister,

Louise LaPlanche Louise LaPlanche (September 6, 1919 – September 7, 2012) was an American actress most active during the Golden Age of Hollywood from the 1920s to 1940s. LaPlanche made her film debut as in the 1923 silent film, ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame''. ...

, at a very early age. Louise also became an actress.

Career

LaPlanche, who lived in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, was

in 1939, 1940 and 1941. She was a finalist in 1939 and runner-up to Miss America in 1940. A new rule after her victory disallowed contestants from competing at the national level more than once. LaPlanche became an actress, signing with RKO after she won the Miss America title. She appeared in films such as ''

Angels' Alley ''Angels' Alley'' is a 1948 comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. It is the ninth film in the series and the first one without Bobby Jordan. Plot Slip's cousin Jimmy is released from prison for good behavior an ...

'' and in episodes of television programs like ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary ...

''. She and her husband had a daily TV program, the ''Harry Koplan-Rosemary LaPlanche Show,'' on KHJ in Hollywood. LaPlanche also worked as a model In the 1960s, LaPlanche acted on a long-time interest and began to paint. She began by buying a book on art and a set of paints, and she later took lessons. She described her work as "impressionistic — just this side of realistic". Subjects of her works included birds, deserts, flowers, seashores, sheep, and people. In 1969, her paintings sold for prices ranging from $35 to $600,.

Personal life

She was married to Harry Koplan from 1947 until his death in 1973, and had two children: a daughter Carol and son Terry. She died from cancer in 1979, aged 55. She is interred in

San Fernando Mission Cemetery The San Fernando Mission Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located in the Mission Hills community of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The property adjoins the San Fernando Mission and Bishop Alemany Catholic High School. ThSan Fernando Mi ...

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Partial filmography

*'' One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (1937) - Girl (uncredited) *'' Mad About Music'' (1938) - Schoolgirl (uncredited) *''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United State ...

'' (1940) - Charity Ball Guest (uncredited) *''Fall In'' (1942) - Canteen Girl (uncredited) *'' Two Weeks to Live'' (1943) - Miss LaPlanche, Dr. O'Brien's Nurse *''

Prairie Chickens ''Prairie Chickens'' is a 1943 American Western film and a sequel to '' Dudes are Pretty People'' (1942) and '' Calaboose'' (1943), Western films from "Hal Roach's Streamliners", a series of approximately 50-minute comedic movies, in this case ...

'' (1943) - Yola *'' Swing Your Partner'' (1943) - Secretary *''

The Falcon in Danger ''The Falcon in Danger'' is a 1943 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Amelita Ward and Elaine Shepard.Jewell and Harbin 1982, p. 185. The film was the sixth of thirteen The Falcon detective ...

'' (1943) - Falcon's Nurse (uncredited) *'' Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event'' (1943) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Gildersleeve on Broadway'' (1943) - Model (uncredited) *'' The Falcon and the Co-eds'' (1943) - Co-Ed (uncredited) *'' Around the World'' (1943) - Rosemary (uncredited) *'' The Falcon Out West'' (1944) - Mary (uncredited) *''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...

'' (1944) - Chorine (uncredited) *'' Step Lively'' (1944) - Louella, 'Daughter' in Rehearsal (uncredited) *'' Mademoiselle Fifi'' (1944) - Amanda (uncredited) *'' Youth Runs Wild'' (1944) - Blanche (uncredited) *'' None but the Lonely Heart'' (1944) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' Heavenly Days'' (1944) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Girl Rush ''Girl Rush'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Robert E. Kent. The film stars Wally Brown, Alan Carney, Frances Langford, Barbara Jo Allen, Robert Mitchum, Paul Hurst, Patti Brill and Sarah Padden. The fi ...

'' (1944) - Troupe Member (uncredited) *''

What a Blonde ''What a Blonde'' is a 1945 American screwball comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and starring Leon Errol, Richard Lane, Michael St. Angel, and Elaine Riley. The screenplay, by Charles Roberts, was based on a story by Oscar Brodney. The f ...

'' (1945) - Showgirl (uncredited) *'' Pan-Americana'' (1945) - Pan-American Girl (uncredited) *''

Having Wonderful Crime ''Having Wonderful Crime'' is a 1945 American screwball comedy and mystery film directed by Eddie Sutherland from a screenplay by Howard J. Green, Stewart Sterling, and Parke Levy, based on the novel of the same name by Craig Rice. In her s ...

'' (1945) - Guest (uncredited) *''

Zombies on Broadway ''Zombies on Broadway'' (or ''Loonies on Broadway'' in the UK) is a 1945 American zombie comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It stars RKO's imitation Abbott and Costello, Alan Carney and Wally Brown, as a pair of men who are tasked with fi ...

'' (1945) - Entertainer in Sarong (uncredited) *''

George White's Scandals ''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. F ...

'' (1945) - Showgirl (uncredited) *'' Johnny Angel'' (1945) - Hatcheck Girl (uncredited) *'' Strangler of the Swamp'' (1946) - Maria Hart *''

Devil Bat's Daughter ''Devil Bat's Daughter'' is a 1946 American horror film directed by Frank Wisbar. It stars Rosemary La Planche, who was crowned Miss America 1941. It is a sequel to the 1941 film ''The Devil Bat'', with no returning cast members. It marked the fi ...

'' (1946) - Nina MacCarron *'' Betty Co-Ed'' (1946) - Glenda Warren *'' Jack Armstrong'' (1947, Serial) - Betty Fairfield *''

'' (1948) - Daisy Harris *'' An Old-Fashioned Girl'' (1949) - Emma Davenport *'' Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc.'' (1949) - Laura Keith

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laplanche, Rosemary 1923 births 1979 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Miss America 1940s delegates Miss America Preliminary Swimsuit winners Miss America winners People from Greater Los Angeles