Gloria Talbott (February 7, 1931 – September 19, 2000) was an American film and television actress.

Early life and career

Gloria Maude Talbott was born in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

. Her great-grandfather Benjamin F. Patterson arrived from Ohio in 1882 and bought some acreage in the area. He later assisted with the

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ting of the city. She began her career as a

child actress The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...

in such films as '' Maytime'' (1937), ''Sweet and Low-down'' (1944), and '' A Tree Grows In Brooklyn'' (1945). She attended Glendale High School. In 1947, she was chosen as the winner of the "Miss Glendale" beauty pageant. In November 1948, Talbott was in the cast of ''One Fine Day'', a comedy presented on stage at the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles. Her sister, Lori Talbott (1925-2006), also became an actress. After leaving school, Talbott formed a dramatic group and played "arena"-style shows at various clubs. She stopped acting following her first marriage, and resumed after her

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...

, working extensively in film and television.

Film roles

Joel McCrea-Gloria Talbott in The Oklahoman

Talbott worked in film regularly during the 1950s. In 1952, she had the role of Rose Rodriguez in ''The Rodriguez Story'' featurette. She appeared in ''

Crashout ''Crashout'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Luther Adler, William Talman, Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson, and Beverly Michaels.. Plot Convict Van Duff is the lead ...

'' (1955), the

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

comedy '' We're No Angels'' (1955), ''

Lucy Gallant ''Lucy Gallant'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film wa ...

'' (1955), and '' All That Heaven Allows'' (1955). She appeared in ''The Oregon Trail'' with

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

as an Indian named Shona. She later became known as a " scream queen", after appearing in a number of horror films, including '' The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' (1957), '' The Cyclops'' (1957), '' I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' (1958), and ''

The Leech Woman ''The Leech Woman'' is a 1960 black-and-white US horror film from Universal-International, produced by Joseph Gershenon, directed by Edward Dein, and starring Coleen Gray, Grant Williams, Gloria Talbott, and Phillip Terry. The film was actual ...

'' (1960). Her final film role was as Bri Quince, the love interest in the 1966 Western film ''

An Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" ( hbo, עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The principle exists also in Babylonian law. In Roman c ...

''.

Television roles

In 1953, Talbott appeared in "The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard" and "High Seas" on ''Favorite Story'' and starred in "The Dear Departed" on ''Chevron Theatre''. In 1955, she appeared in '' TV Reader's Digest'' episode "America's First Great Lady" as

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

and was the first guest star with roles in both of the 1955 season's new adult Westerns, ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', episode "Home Surgery" and ''

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 ...

'', episode 2 "Mr. Earp Meets a Lady". On November 27, 1956, she starred as Maureen in a

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

episode of the television anthology series '' Conflict'' entitled " Man From 1997" featuring

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

and

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

. She guest-starred in the premiere episode of ''

Mr. Adams and Eve ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' is an American situation comedy television series about a married couple who are both movie stars. It stars Howard Duff and Ida Lupino (who were actually married at the time) and aired on CBS from January 4, 1957, to July 8, ...

'', "The Young Actress", which was broadcast on January 4, 1957. On October 1, 1957, she appeared as Linda Brazwell in the episode "Reluctant Hero" of the ABC/ Warner Bros.

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 id ...

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 be ...

Sugarfoot ''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...

''. Talbott's multiple television credits also include the syndicated '' Adventures of Superman'', ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1953. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. ''The Range Rider'' was also broadcast on British television durin ...

'', ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

'', the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

Western anthology series ''Frontier'' (1955), and the syndicated Western-themed

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

, ''Sheriff of Cochise'' with John Bromfield. She appeared in the 1956 episode "The Singing Preacher" of the religious anthology series, ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

''. In a broadcast on NBC on January 27, 1958, Talbott played Valya in star/producer John Payne's '' The Restless Gun'', season one, episode 19, "Hang and Be Damned". She was cast in the syndicated

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

drama '' Gray Ghost'', the 1958 episode "Fatal Memory" on CBS's '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (returning for the 1960 episode "Tolliver Bender"), the 1959 episode "Have Sword, Will Duel" of the NBC Western '' Cimarron City'', and in the 1961 NBC Western ''

Whispering Smith ''Whispering Smith'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring Alan Ladd as a railroad detective assigned to stop a gang of train robbers. The supporting cast includes Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall and Donald C ...

'' in the role of Cora Gates. She guest-starred as Jenny in the 1958 episode "A Cup of Black Coffee" of the CBS crime drama ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

'', reprising the pairing David Janssen and she played in the 1955 film '' All That Heaven Allows''. She also guest-starred in several episodes of ABC's ''

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...

''. In 1960, Talbott made guest-starring appearances as Nora Lanyard and Lucinda Jennings in the episodes "Landlubbers" and "Devil in Skirts" of the NBC Western series, ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

''. She was cast as Sandy in "The Velvet Frame" of the ABC/WB drama, '' The Roaring 20s''. She also appeared in the ABC Western series, '' The Rebel'' and in ''

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 ...

'' as Nedda in the episode "Escape to Ponderosa". In 1961, she portrayed Maria Mosner in the episode "The Twenty-Six Paper" of the ABC adventure series, '' The Islanders''. That same year, she guest-starred in the episode "Buddy's Wife" of the CBS sitcom ''

Bringing Up Buddy ''Bringing Up Buddy'' is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS during the 1960-61 television season. It depicts a young bachelor who lives with the two maiden aunts who raised him. Synopsis After Richard David "Buddy" Flower's parents ...

''. She appeared twice on CBS's TV Western series ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', once in the 1958 episode "Trail Pirate" playing Ellen Parrish - a widowed yet brave wagon train owner, then again in the 1960 episode "Barbary Castle" playing Scottish-accented Mary MacLeod. She also appeared on CBS's '' Rawhide'' in the episodes "The Incident of the Calico Gun" (1959), "Incident of the Broken Word" (1960), and "Prairie Elephant" (1961). She appeared in the 1961 episode "Terror in the Afternoon" of the syndicated crime drama '' The Brothers Brannagan''. Talbott made four guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' - defendant Eve Nesbitt in "The Case of the Angry Dead Man", Ann Gilrain in "The Case of the Crying Comedian" (both in 1961), co-defendant Bonnie Lloyd in the 1963 episode, "The Case of the Elusive Element", and Minna Rohan in the 1966 episode, "The Case of the Unwelcomed Well". In 1962, she appeared again in an episode of ''Gunsmoke'' called "Cody's Code" and in 1963 in an episode entitled "The Cousin". In 1965, Talbott was cast in the lead in an episode of the syndicated series, ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', "Kate Melville and the Law".

Personal life

Talbott was married four times and had two children.

Death

On September 19, 2000, Talbott died of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

while hospitalized in

Filmography

* '' Maytime'' (1937) - Little Girl (uncredited) * ''

Sweet and Low-Down ''Sweet and Low-Down'' is a 1944 film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Benny Goodman and Linda Darnell. The film was a fictionalized version of life with Goodman, his band, and their manager while entertaining at military camps. The song " I ...

'' (1944) - Teen-Ager on Dance Floor (uncredited) * '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' (1945) - Teen-Age Girl in Classroom (uncredited) * ''

Desert Pursuit ''Desert Pursuit'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by George Blair and starring Wayne Morris, Virginia Grey and George Tobias. The film is based on the story "Horse Thieves' Hosanna" by Kenneth Perkins, originally published in the De ...

'' (1952) - Indian Girl (uncredited) * '' We're Not Married!'' (1952) - Girl in Hector's Daydream (uncredited) * ''

Northern Patrol The Northern Patrol, also known as Cruiser Force B and the Northern Patrol Force, was an operation of the British Royal Navy during the First World War and Second World War. The Patrol was part of the British "distant" blockade of Germany. Its ma ...

'' (1953) - Meg Stevens * ''

'' (1955) - Girl on Train * '' We're No Angels'' (1955) - Isabelle Ducotel * '' All That Heaven Allows'' (1955) - Kay Scott * ''

'' (1955) - Laura Wilson * '' Strange Intruder'' (1956) - Meg Carmichael * '' The Young Guns'' (1956) - Nora Bawdre * ''

'' (1957) - The Actress - Episode "The Young Actress" * '' The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm'' (1957) - Sally Flemming * ''

The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th large ...

'' (1957) - Maria Smith * '' The Cyclops'' (1957) - Susan Winter * '' The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' (1957) - Janet Smith * ''

Taming Sutton's Gal ''Taming Sutton's Gal'' is a 1957 American film drama directed by Lesley Selander and written by Frederick Louis Fox and Thames Williamson. The film stars John Lupton, Gloria Talbott, Jack Kelly, May Wynn and Verna Felton. It was released on Sep ...

'' (1957) - Lou Sutton * '' The Restless Gun'' (1958) - as Valya in Episode "Hang and be Damned" * '' The Restless Gun'' (1958) as Sophie Wilmer in Episode "The Outlander" * '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1958) as Jody Sykes in Episode "Fatal Memory" * '' The Restless Gun'' (1958) as Mercyday in Episode "Mercyday" * ''

Cattle Empire ''Cattle Empire'' is a 1958 American Western DeLuxe Color movie in CinemaScope directed by Charles Marquis Warren, starring Joel McCrea and released by 20th Century Fox. The film also features Gloria Talbott, Don Haggerty, Phyllis Coates, and B ...

'' (1958) - Sandy Jeffrey * '' I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' (1958) - Marge Bradley Farrell * ''

Alias Jesse James ''Alias Jesse James'' is a 1959 American Western comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Bob Hope and Rhonda Fleming.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; March 21, 1959, page 46. Based on a story by Robert St. Aubrey and Bert Lawre ...

'' (1959) - Princess Irawanie * '' The Oregon Trail'' (1959) - Shona Hastings * '' Girls Town'' (1959) - Vida * ''

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as t ...

'' (1960) - Ruth Red Hawk * ''

'' (1960) - Sally * ''

'' (1961) - Cora Gates * ''

'' (1955-1963, TV Series) - Hallie / Rose Loring / Holly Hawtree * ''

Arizona Raiders ''Arizona Raiders'' is a 1965 American Techniscope Western (genre), Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy.An Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" ( hbo, עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The principle exists also in Babylonian law. In Roman c ...

'' (1966) - Bri Quince (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Literature on Gloria Talbott
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talbott, Gloria 1931 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Deaths from kidney failure Actresses from Glendale, California Actresses from California Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery American child actresses American stage actresses