Barbara Whiting Smith (May 19, 1931 – June 9, 2004) was an American actress and singer.

Early life

Whiting was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, the daughter of music manager Eleanor Youngblood Whiting and composer Richard A. Whiting. Her older sister was singer

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American singer of popular music who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard'', January 12, ...

Career

Her movie career began with the 1945 film, '' Junior Miss'', a movie based on her popular radio show by the same name. This was followed by nine other starring roles until she married Gail Smith and retired. On television, she co-starred with her sister, Margaret in ''Those Whiting Girls'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

. The program debuted July 4, 1955, as a summer replacement for ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

''. Whiting's radio career was what she was most known for during her lifetime. In 1948 she began to star in

's '' Junior Miss''. It was one of the most successful radio shows of the time especially with younger audiences. On February 8, 1960, Barbara was honored with a star at 6443 Hollywood Boulevard, in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal life and death

On May 7, 1959, Whiting married Gail Smith, an advertising professional. It was her first marriage and his second. They had a son, Richard Whiting Smith. Barbara was a "longtime volunteer" at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, Pontiac, Michigan. She lived a quiet life, dedicated to her son Richard. Whiting died of cancer, in

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...

, aged 73, June 9, 2004. She was survived by her sister and a son.

Filmography

Select film credits

* '' Junior Miss'' (1945) - Fuffy Adams * '' Centennial Summer'' (1946) - Susanna Rogers * '' Home, Sweet Homicide'' (1946) - Jo-Ella Holbrook * ''

Carnival in Costa Rica ''Carnival in Costa Rica'' is a 1947 American musical film directed by Gregory Ratoff and written by Samuel Hoffenstein, John Larkin (screenwriter), John Larkin, and Elizabeth Reinhardt. It was released in Technicolor by Twentieth Century-Fox. ...

'' (1947) - Maria Molina * '' City Across the River'' (1949) - Annie Kane * '' I Can Get It for You Wholesale'' (1951) - Ellen Cooper * '' Beware, My Lovely'' (1952) - Ruth Williams * ''Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder'' (1952) - Suzy Milligan * '' Dangerous When Wet'' (1953) - Suzie Higgins * '' Paris Follies of 1956'' (1955) (with sister

) - Barbara Walton

Select television appearances

* ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' * '' Starlight Theatre'' (1950) * '' The Bigelow Theatre'' (1951) * '' Dragnet'' (1954) * '' The Public Defender'' (1954) - Elly Black / Torry * Those Whiting Girls - Desilu Studios (1955-1957) (TV serial) * ''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (later known as ''Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Jane Wyman Theatre, The Jane Wyman Show'' and ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the firs ...

'' (1955) - Marian * '' The Jimmy Durante Show'' (1955) - Herself - Suzy the Hatcheck Girl * ''

TV Reader's Digest ''TV Reader's Digest '' is a 30-minute American television anthology drama series, which aired on ABC from January 17, 1955, to July 9, 1956. Its theme music was "Polonaise" from Act III of ''Eugene Onegin''. Format Based on articles that ap ...

'' (1956) - Birdie * '' The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'' (1956) - Herself - Singer * '' Men of Annapolis'' (1957) - Willie (Wilhelmina)

Select radio credits

* '' Hollywood Star Time'' * '' Meet Corliss Archer'' * ''

The Screen Guild Theater ''The Screen Guild Theater'' is a radio anthology series broadcast from 1939 until 1952 during the Golden Age of Radio. Leading Hollywood stars performed adaptations of popular motion pictures. Originating on CBS Radio, it aired under several d ...

'' * ''

The Great Gildersleeve ''The Great Gildersleeve'' was a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was buil ...

'' * '' Family Theater'' * '' The Bing Crosby Show'' * '' Escape'' * '' The Railroad Hour'' * ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' * '' Broadway Is My Beat'' * '' On Stage'' * ''

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962. The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O ...

References

External links

Short Biography
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Barbara 1931 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers American film actresses American radio actresses American television actresses Deaths from cancer in Michigan Actresses from Los Angeles 21st-century American women