Norma Eberhardt
| Norma Eberhardt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 8, 1929 Oakhurst, New Jersey |
| Died | September 16, 2011 (aged 82) Manhattan, New York City |
| Other names | Norma Eberhardt Dauphin |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Spouse(s) | Claude Dauphin (1955–1978, his death) |
Norma Eberhardt (July 8, 1929 – September 16, 2011) was an American actress who began her career as a fashion model. Her film credits included Live Fast, Die Young and The Return of Dracula, both released in 1958.
Eberhardt was born and raised in Oakhurst, New Jersey. She was discovered by fashion photographer as a teenager while attending an Easter Parade on the Asbury Park boardwalk with her mother. Reportedly, the photographer was struck by her two different colored eyes, one brown eye and one blue eye. The photographer, who was based in nearby New York City, assumed that Eberhardt was over the age of 18. However, when she commuted to his office on her seventeenth birthday, the photographer realized that he needed her mother to co-sign her modeling contract. He personally drove her back home to obtain her mother's permission and signature for the contract. Eberhardt soon signed with the John Robert Powers Agency, appearing in advertising campaigns on billboards.
Eberhardt's billboard campaigns soon led to radio, television and film roles. She moved to Los Angeles and was under contract with a studio by 1951. She rented out a room at the The Studio Club For Women in Hollywood, where she became roommates with actress Mary Murphy. (Eberhardt and Murphy would later co-star in the 1958 film, Live Fast, Die Young). Both actresses dated actor James Dean. Eberhardt, Murphy and Dean were all cast in small roles in the 1952 comedy, Sailor Beware, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.Sailor Beware marked Eberhardt's film debut, as well as Dean's second film role. Eberhardt also dated Jerry Lewis during this time.
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