Doris Dowling

Doris Dowling
Doris Dowling and Vittorio Gassman in Bitter Rice (1948)
Born	(1923-05-15)May 15, 1923 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	June 18, 2004(2004-06-18) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1944-1984
Spouse(s)	Artie Shaw (1952-1956) (divorced) (1 child) Robert F. Blumofe (1956-1959) (divorced) Leonard B. Kaufman (1960-2004) (her death) (1 child)
Children	Jonathan Shaw (b. 1953)

Doris Dowling (May 15, 1923 – June 18, 2004) was an American actress of film, stage and television.

Dowling was born in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in New York City with siblings Robert, Richard, and Constance (who also became an actress). After graduating from Hunter College High School, she spent a short time with a Folies Bergère group in San Francisco before her mother brought her back to New York to attend Hunter College.

After her time as a chorus girl on Broadway, Dowling followed her elder sister Constance to Hollywood. Her first credited film role was that of Gloria, barfly and drinking companion to fellow alcoholic Ray Milland in the 1945 film The Lost Weekend. She next appeared in The Blue Dahlia, which starred Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.

As post-war work became more scarce, she emigrated to Italy to revive her career, as her sister had done.

In Italy, Dowling starred in several acclaimed films including Bitter Rice. She appeared in Orson Welles's European production of Othello in 1952, playing Bianca.

Back in the United States, she returned to film in Running Target (1956) and appeared in the 1977 production The Car.

Upon returning to the United States, much of Dowling's work was in theater and on television. She appeared in such television shows as Have Gun – Will Travel, Cheyenne, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Science Fiction Theater, Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Andy Griffith Show and, late in her career, The Incredible Hulk, Kojak, and finally, The Dukes of Hazzard in 1984. She co-starred with Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar in the sitcom My Living Doll.