Eleanor Parker
| Eleanor Parker | |
|---|---|
Parker in 1948
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|
| Born |
Eleanor Jean Parker June 26, 1922 Cedarville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 2013 (aged 91) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Occupation | Actress, Singer |
| Years active | 1941–1991 |
| Spouse(s) | Fred Losee (1943–1944; divorced) Bert E. Friedlob (1946–1953; divorced; 3 children) Paul Clemens (1954–1965; divorced; 1 child) Raymond N. Hirsch (1966–2001; his death) |
| Children | Susan Eleanor Friedlob Sharon Anne Friedlob Richard Parker Friedlob Paul Day Clemens |
Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress who appeared in some 80 movies and television series. An actress of notable versatility, she was called Woman of a Thousand Faces by Doug McClelland, author of a biography of Parker by the same title.
At the age of 18, Parker was signed by Warner Brothers in 1941. She was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress in the 1950s, for Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951) and Interrupted Melody (1955). Her role in Caged also won her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. One of her most memorable roles was that of "the Baroness" in The Sound of Music (1965).
Parker was born on June 26, 1922, in Cedarville, Ohio, the daughter of Lola (Isett) and Lester Day Parker. She moved with her family to East Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended public schools and graduated from Shaw High School. "Ever since I can remember all I wanted to do is act," she said. "But I didn't just dream about it, I worked at it."
She appeared in a number of school plays. After graduation she went to Martha's Vineyard to work on her acting. She got a job as a waitress and was offered a screen test by 20th Century Fox but turned it down. Wanting to focus on films, she moved to California and started appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse.
She was in the audience one night at Pasadena Playhouse when spotted by a Warners Bros talent scout, Irving Kumin. He offered her a test and she accepted; the studio signed her to a long-term contract in June 1941.
She was cast that year in the film They Died with Their Boots On, but her scenes were cut. Her actual film debut was as Nurse Ryan in Soldiers in White in 1942.
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