Judy Tyler (born Judith Mae Hess; October 9, 1932 – July 3, 1957) was an American singer and actress.Obituary ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', July 10, 1957, page 127.

Early life and career

Elvis Presley and Judy Tyler in Jailhouse Rock trailer

Judy Tyler spent her teen years in

Teaneck Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) f ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. She came from a show business family and was encouraged to study dance and acting. Tyler's acting career began as a teenager, with regular appearances on ''

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell

'' as Princess Summerfall Winterspring from 1950 to 1953. Like her mother, Tyler became a

chorus girl A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms su ...

, and then landed a starring role in the

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

musical '' Pipe Dream''. ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' did a story on rising

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

talent with Tyler on its cover as one of the up-and-coming stars. Tyler lived with her parents in Teaneck while appearing on ''Howdy Doody'' and Broadway. Offered an opportunity in Hollywood, Tyler appeared in the film ''

Bop Girl Goes Calypso ''Bop Girl Goes Calypso'' is a 1957 American United Artists film directed by Howard W. Koch and starring Judy Tyler. It features calypso music by the Bobby Troup Trio and bassist Jim Aton. Plot Working on a thesis, college student Bob Hilton ...

'' (1957), then starred opposite

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in '' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957). She made a guest appearance on ''

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 ...

'' as Irene Kilby in "The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse", which aired on December 28, 1957, nearly six months after her death.

Death

After filming ''Jailhouse Rock'', Tyler and her second husband, Gregory Lafayette (born Earl Gregory Nisonger Jr.), began driving home to New York from Hollywood. While driving through

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

on July 3, 1957, they were involved in an automobile accident on U.S. Route 287 near Rock River. Tyler was killed instantly, aged 24, and Lafayette died the next day, aged 19. ''The Casper Morning Star'' reported the passenger killed in the oncoming car, driven by Paul Reed, was Don D. Jones, 23, of

Hanna, Wyoming Hanna is a town in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 841 at the 2010 census. The town was started as a coal supply location for the Union Pacific Railroad. Much of the old town is built on top of the former workings of ...

. Police said Lafayette swerved to avoid hitting a car that was towing a trailer and collided with the other vehicle involved in the crash. Reporter Ted Smith wrote in ''

The Commercial Appeal ''The Commercial Appeal'' (also known as the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'') is a daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by the Gannett Company; its former owner, the E. W. Scripps Company, als ...

'' that the trailer-towing car was returning to the highway after leaving a tourist shop.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tyler, Judy 1932 births 1957 deaths American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from Milwaukee People from Teaneck, New Jersey Road incident deaths in Wyoming People from Shorewood, Wisconsin 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American musicians