Randy Stuart (born Elizabeth Shaubell; October 12, 1924 – July 20, 1996), was an American actress in film and television.

Early years

Stuart's parents, John and Gladys Shaubell, were itinerant musicians in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

and the Middle West. She was born in

Iola Iola or IOLA may refer to: * ''Iola'', the ''nom de plume'' of African-American writer Ida B. Wells * ''Iola'' (steamboat 1885), a steamboat active on Puget Sound from 1885 to 1915 * Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, a method of raising money fo ...

in Allen County in southeastern

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, and made her stage debut at the age of three. The Shaubells relocated to

Compton, California Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and, on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city in Los Angeles County to incorporate ...

, where Stuart went to high school and Compton Junior College.

Radio

Stuart was a regular on ''

The Jack Carson Show ''The Jack Carson Show'' is an American old-time radio comedy-variety program. It was broadcast on different seasons on CBS and NBC, beginning on June 2, 1943, and ending on December 20, 1956. The program was also known as ''The Sealtest Villag ...

'' in 1946.

Film

A screen test in the play ''The Women'' led to Stuart's being placed under contract at

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disne ...

. Her film debut was uncredited in the 1947 picture ''

The Foxes of Harrow ''The Foxes of Harrow'' is a 1947 American adventure film directed by John M. Stahl. The film stars Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, and Richard Haydn. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design (Lyle R. Wheeler, Maur ...

''. Stuart played the birth mother of main character Stephen Fox in the film's initial scene. In 1948, she played Peggy in the comedy ''Sitting Pretty''. In 1949, she portrayed Lieutenant Eloise Billings in the

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is ...

film ''

I Was a Male War Bride ''I Was a Male War Bride'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. The film was based on "Male War Bride Trial to Army", a biography of Henri Rochard (pen name of Roger Charlier), a Belgian who ...

''. That same year, she appeared in

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

's ''Whirlpool''. Stuart was a supporting role in the musical comedy ''Dancing in the Dark''. In 1950, Stuart was briefly seen in that year's Best Picture, ''

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...

'', as a co-conspirator/fellow boarding house resident of

Anne Baxter Anne Baxter (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 1985) was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Emmy. A granddaughter of Fr ...

's malevolent character, Eve Harrington. (The same film featured

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

, a classmate of Stuart from dance training at Fox.) Stuart had fourth billing in ''Stella'', with

Ann Sheridan Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films ''San Quentin'' (1937) with Humphrey Bogart, '' Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) with James Cagn ...

and

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), ''My Darling ...

. In 1951, she appeared as Marge Boyd in ''

I Can Get It For You Wholesale ''I Can Get It for You Wholesale'' is a musical, produced by David Merrick, music and lyrics by Harold Rome, and book by Jerome Weidman, based on his 1937 novel of the same title. It marked the Broadway debut of 19-year-old Barbra Streisand, wh ...

''. In 1952, Stuart was part of the comedy '' Room for One More'' for

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

After 1957's ''

Incredible Shrinking Man ''The Incredible Shrinking Man'' is a 1957 American science fiction film directed by Jack Arnold based on Richard Matheson's 1956 novel '' The Shrinking Man''. The film stars Grant Williams as Scott and Randy Stuart as Scott's wife Louise. W ...

'', she was cast as Nancy Dawson in the 1958

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

film, '' Man from God's Country'', starring

George Montgomery George Montgomery may refer to: * George Montgomery (actor) (1916–2000), American actor *George Leslie Montgomery (c. 1727–1787), Irish Member of Parliament *George Montgomery (set decorator) (1899–1951), American set decorator * George Thoma ...

. She also guest-starred about that time in Montgomery's short-lived television western

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

, '' Cimarron City''.

Television

Following her last film role in 1958, Stuart appeared for several years in TV dramas (usually westerns), most of them produced by Warner Bros. Television for the ABC network. In 1959 and 1960, Stuart had a recurring role as Nellie Cashman in 11 episodes of the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

series ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely bas ...

'', with

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series '' The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955– ...

in the title role of Marshal

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which la ...

. Nellie was briefly a romantic interest for Earp. From 1958 to 1961, Stuart guest-starred four times on

Clint Walker Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/ Warner Bros. western series ''Cheyenne'' from 1955 to 1963. Early life Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene W ...

's ABC/Warner Bros. western ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

'', including a role opposite Robert Colbert in the 1960 episode "Two Trails to Santa Fe". In another 1960 role, she played the mentally unbalanced Claire Russo in the episode "Tangled Trail" of

Ty Hardin Ty Hardin (born Orison Whipple Hungerford Jr.; January 1, 1930August 3, 2017) was an American actor best known as the star of the 1958 to 1962 ABC/ Warner Bros. Western television series '' Bronco''. Early life Hardin was born in New York Ci ...

's ABC/WB series, ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for r ...

'', which rotated with ''Cheyenne''. Her other western appearances were on '' Lawman'' (two appearances), '' Cimarron City'', '' Colt .45'', and with Robert Colbert again in an episode of '' Maverick'' titled "Benefit of Doubt". Her non-western appearances included the ABC/WB dramas ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was on ...

'' (as Lucy Norton in the 1962 Cold War-themed episode "The Reluctant Spy", opposite Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), ''

Bourbon Street Beat ''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a private detective television series that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long (actor), Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as C ...

'', '' The Roaring 20s'', '' One Step Beyond'', and ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka (Robert Co ...

'' (two appearances). She also guest-starred on CBS fantasy-drama '' The Millionaire''. Stuart's NBC roles included an episode of top-rated ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', "The Duke", directed by

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

and first aired in March 1961, in which she played a saloon girl called Marge Fuller. Earlier, she appeared twice on the 1955-56 NBC comedy '' It's a Great Life'', with

Frances Bavier Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, she worked in film and television from the 1950s until the 1970s. She is best known for her role o ...

. After a hiatus of five years from television, Stuart returned in 1967 and 1968 as Eileen Gannon, wife of

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both '' December Bride'' (1954–195 ...

's character Officer Bill Gannon on NBC's popular '' Dragnet''. Her final TV appearance was as Miss Kallman in the 1975 episode "The Covenant" of ABC's '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', with

Robert Young Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby Young may refer to: Academics * R. A. Young (Robert Arthur Young, 1871–1959), British physician * Robert J. C. Young (born 1950), British cultural critic and historian * Robert J. Young (born 1942), Canadian h ...

in the title role.

Later years

Personal life and death

Stuart was married to Kenneth Wayne Smith (1943-1945), Edward Charles George (1947-1954 (one child)), Lane Allan (1954-1968 (three children), and Ernest Deneen Wallis (1971-1982). The first three marriages ended in divorce, and the last ended with Wallis's death. Stuart died of lung cancer on July 20, 1996, at the age of 71 in Bakersfield, California.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart, Randy 1924 births 1996 deaths American television actresses American film actresses Actresses from Kansas People from Iola, Kansas People from Compton, California Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Bakersfield, California El Camino College Compton Center alumni 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American actresses Deaths from lung cancer in California