Peggy Knudsen
| Peggy Knudsen | |
|---|---|
Knudsen in 1956.
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| Born |
Margaret Ann Knudsen April 22, 1923 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1980 (aged 57) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | cancer |
| Years active | 1940-1965 |
| Spouse(s) | Adrian P. Samish (1942-1946; divorced) Jim Jordan (1949-1960; divorced); 3 children Francis S. Kellstrom (1962-1962; divorced) |
Peggy Knudsen (April 22, 1923 – July 11, 1980) was an American character actress.
She was born Margaret Ann Knudsen in Duluth, Minnesota. Her father was Conrad Knudsen, Duluth's fire chief. Her ancestors were Irish and Norwegian.
Knudsen made her Broadway debut in My Sister Eileen (1940). She replaced Jo Ann Sayers, who had originated the role of a girl who couldn't decide whether to be an actress or get married. Finding herself in that situation in real life, Sayers married a naval officer. The show's producer saw Knudsen working in a stage door canteen and chose her to take over the role.
Knudsen began her film career in 1946 in A Stolen Life opposite Bette Davis. (In a February 15, 1948, newspaper column, entertainment writer Louella Parsons quoted Knudsen saying, "My first picture was Shadow of a Woman with Helmut Durante. I played his ex-wife.") That same year, she appeared in bit parts in several films including The Big Sleep and Humoresque with Joan Crawford.
In 1948, Knudsen ventured into a different genre of film, doing comedy instead of drama and leaving Warner Bros. to do freelance work. She also took vocal lessons from Kay Thompson.
Despite appearing in big budget features with established stars, Knudsen's career never took off and she was relegated to smaller roles in B movies. Her last film role was in the 1957 film Istanbul with Errol Flynn.
Knudsen played Lois Graves in the radio version of Junior Miss, Karen Adams in Woman in White. and Phillips on The Bill Goodwin Show.
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