Judith Rose Balaban (born 1932) is an American actress and author who wrote the book ''The Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly and Six Intimate Friends'' about

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

.New York Times: "A MOVABLE SLUMBER PARTY" by Sey Chassler
June 11, 1989 Balaban was a friend of

, through her marriage to

Jay Kanter Jay Ira Kanter (born December 12, 1926) is an American film producer. He is best known for his long association with Alan Ladd Jr. He was a talent agent at MCA for a number of years. He is known for his biographical works such as ''Grace Kelly: ...

, and served as a bridesmaid in her wedding to

Rainier III, Prince of Monaco Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

, in April 1956.

Biography

Balaban was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

,Heavy.com: "‘Becoming Cary Grant', Showtime Documentary: Meet the Cast" By S.M. Walsh
June 9, 2017 the daughter of Tillie (née Urkov) and

Barney Balaban Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive who was the president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964 and an innovator in the cinema industry. Life and career Barney Balaban (formerly Birnbaum) was the el ...

. Her brothers are American jazz tubist and sousaphonist, Leonard "Red" Balaban and American film producer and director

Burt Balaban Burt Balaban (March 6, 1922 – October 14, 1965) was an American film producer and director. Biography Balaban was born to a Jewish family, the son of Tillie (nee Urkov) from her first marriage, and stepson of Barney Balaban. He was the nephew ...

. Balaban wrote ''The Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly and Six Intimate Friends''. She appeared in the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

documentary ''‘Becoming Cary Grant.

Personal life

Balaban has been married three times. In the early 1950s she dated actor,

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

. In 1953, she married Grace Kelly's talent agent

; they had two daughters, Victoria Kanter and Amy Kanter, before divorcing in 1961. In 1961, she married actor

Tony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

; they had one daughter, Nina Franciosa, before divorcing in 1967. In 1971, she married actor Don Quine; they divorced in 1996.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balaban, Judy 1932 births 20th-century American actresses American women non-fiction writers Jewish American actresses Living people Balaban family 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers Actresses from Chicago Writers from Chicago 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women