Irene Vernon (born Irene Vergauwen, January 16, 1922 – April 21, 1998) was an American actress.

Background

Vernon was born Irene Vergauwen in

Mishawaka, Indiana Mishawaka () is a city on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Misha ...

, and graduated from

Mishawaka High School Mishawaka High School is a public high school located in Mishawaka, Indiana. The school educates students in grades 9–12 and is part of the School City of Mishawaka. History The first Mishawaka High School was proposed by the Mishawaka Town Bo ...

. Following graduation, she moved to New York to become an actress. Her career began with small uncredited roles in 1940s movies. Vernon ended her movie career in 1952, but during the 1950s, she began performing television roles.

Career

Throughout the early 1950s, Vernon guest starred in shows such as ''

Fireside Theater ''Fireside Theatre'' (later known as ''Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Jane Wyman Theatre, The Jane Wyman Show'' and ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first ...

'', ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'', ''Danger'', ''Flight'', Dennis the Menace Christmas Show and ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her Pediatrics, pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage childr ...

''. In 1964, Vernon began portraying Louise Tate on the hit television series ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

''. Vernon held the role until 1966. After writer

Danny Arnold Danny Arnold (born Arnold Rothmann; January 23, 1925 – August 19, 1995) was an American producer, writer, comedian, actor and director known for producing '' Barney Miller'', '' That Girl'', and '' Bewitched''. Early life Born in New York C ...

left the series, the producers, actress

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch List of Bewitched characters#Samantha Stephens, Samantha Step ...

and Montgomery's husband, director

William Asher William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series. Wi ...

, reportedly pressured Vernon to also leave the show due to her friendship with Arnold (although the official reason given was that Vernon's husband was ill). Regardless of the reason for her departure from the show, Vernon's role on ''Bewitched'' was her last in film or television, as she left the industry entirely. The role of Louise Tate was later taken over by Kasey Rogers. On Broadway, Vernon performed in ''The Lady in Ermine'' (1922).

Personal life

On July 29, 1944, Vernon married U. S. Army Major Edward Duryea Dowling in Englewood, New Jersey. Before his military service, Dowling had been a director of musical shows. On March 26, 1993, Vernon married Emanuel Rosenberg in Miami Beach, Florida. He preceded her in death on October 28, 1997.

Death

Irene Rosenberg (as she was known at the time of her death) died on April 21, 1998, in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

, aged 76. Death certificate indicates from congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. She is interred in Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047–25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Filmography

References

External links

Irene Rosenberg on FindAGrave.com
* * 1922 births 1998 deaths Actresses from Indiana American film actresses American television actresses People from Mishawaka, Indiana 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses {{US-tv-actor-1920s-stub