Vivian Blaine
| Vivian Blaine | |
|---|---|
Vivian Blaine in Something for the Boys (1944)
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| Born |
Vivian Stapleton November 21, 1921 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 1995 (aged 74) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | congestive heart failure |
| Resting place | Kensico Cemetery |
| Years active | 1937–1985 |
| Spouse(s) | Manny Franks (m.1945–1956; divorced) Milton Rackmil (m.1959–61; divorced) Stuart Clark (m.1973–95; her death) |
Vivian Blaine (November 21, 1921 – December 9, 1995) was an American actress and singer best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production Guys and Dolls, as well as appearing in the subsequent film version, in which she co-starred with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra.
Born Vivian Stapleton, in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., the cherry-blonde-haired Blaine appeared on local stages as early as 1934.
Blaine was a touring singer with dance bands starting in 1937.
At one point in the 1940s, she was the top-billed act at New York's Copacabana nightclub. In his book, Dean and Me: (A Love Story), Jerry Lewis wrote about appearing at the club when Blaine was on the same bill: "[Martin and Lewis] weren't even the top-billed act. That honor went to a Broadway singing star named Vivian Blaine, who'd conquered Manhattan, gone out to Hollywood to make movies for 20th Century Fox, then returned to the Big Apple in triumph. Vivian was a lovely and very talented actress and singer ..."
In 1942, Blaine's agent and soon-to-be husband Manny Franks signed her to a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox, and she relocated to Hollywood, sharing top billing with Laurel and Hardy in Jitterbugs (1943) and starring in Greenwich Village (1944), Something for the Boys (1944), both films with Carmen Miranda, Nob Hill (1945), and State Fair (1945), among other films.
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