Bonnie Ann Scott (born February 20, 1941) is a retired American actress and singer. She was best known for being the original female lead in the hit Broadway musical ''

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

'' while at the age of only 20. Later she played Judy Bessemer during the first season of the ABC

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

''.

Early life

Scott was born Bonnie Ann Paul on February 20, 1941, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, the younger of two children born to Albert and Blanche Paul. Her elder brother was named Jordan. The family moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in 1945.

Career

Scott began her professional career in singing and dancing at the age of two. She made her first television appearance at the age of eight performing live on the weekly ABC series ''Soapbox Theatre'' where she performed for two years. She also appeared in a number of films, including '' Love Is Better Than Ever'' ( MGM, 1952) '' Beware, My Lovely'' ( RKO, 1952), '' Vicki'' (

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 Disn ...

, 1953) and '' Dondi'' ( Allied Artists, 1961). At the age of 13, Scott began performing on the musical stage. She starred in several off- Vine Street musicals, the first being '' Going Up'' in 1954. This was followed by a performance in '' Best Foot Forward'', ''Paint Your Fingers'' and ''Vintage 60'' in 1960. Scott also originated the role of Rosemary Pilkington in the 1961 Broadway musical ''

'' , also appearing on the Grammy Award-winning original cast album. Her replacement, Michele Lee, also appeared in the film version of the musical. At the age of 15, she signed on to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

, not as Bonnie Paul but as Bonnie Scott so to avoid confusion with singer Bunny Paul, who was on contract with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

. While with RCA, Scott made several records and had a singing engagement at the Tropicana Las Vegas. She also made appearances on several television shows including '' The Jerry Lewis Show'', ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'', ''

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...

'' and '' You Bet Your Life''. She also had a supporting role as Judy Bessemer on the first season of ABC's ''

'' in 1966. In 1977, She moved to St. Louis to be a Star of The Letter People. Her last appearance was in “''Meet Miss E''” (1978) before her retirement.

Personal life

In 1961, after the opening of the play ''

'', Scott met and married Robert Parker Hutchins, II. Hutchins was a backer for the musical. The two had twins, Wendy and Douglas, and she elected not to return to ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''. She divorced Hutchins in 1966. Bonnie Scott wed a second time to Jon Armstrong, a public finance investment banker, in 1978. Scott has suffered with heart issues throughout her life and in 1994, Scott underwent successful cardiac surgery at

UCSF Medical Center The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center is a research and teaching hospital in San Francisco, California and is the medical center of the University of California, San Francisco. It is affiliated with the UCSF School of Med ...

. She and her husband currently reside in Northern California.

Filmography

Film

* Dondi (1961) * It’s All Right (1971) * It’s All Right 2 (1973)

Television

* He & She * Bert D'Angelo/Superstar * The Streets of San Francisco * The Letter People

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Bonnie 1941 births Living people American women singers American child actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses Actresses from Philadelphia Musicians from Philadelphia 21st-century American women