Verna Charlene Stavely, professionally known as Charlene Holt (April 28, 1928 – April 5, 1996), was an American actress known for her supporting roles in television and film.

Early life

Holt was born on April 28, 1928, in

Snyder, Texas Snyder is a city in, and the county seat of Scurry County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,438 at the 2020 census. The city is located in the lower part of the Southwestern Tablelands ecological region. History Snyder is named fo ...

, to Malcolm C. and Verna Vesta Stavely, ''née'' Chandler. After she graduated from

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

in Hagerman, New Mexico, she attended

McMurry University McMurry University is a Private university, private United Methodist Church, Methodist university in Abilene, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1923 and named after William Fletcher McMurry. The university offers forty-five majors in the ...

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...

. She was a model in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, Texas. In 1956, Holt was crowned

Miss Maryland The Miss Maryland competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Maryland in the Miss America pageant. Bridget O'Brien of Frederick was crowned Miss Maryland 2024 in June 2024 at Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown, Ma ...

. Holt appeared in various

television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...

in 1958 and reportedly signed a $50,000-a-year modeling contract in New York at age 19. She was in a

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it remains. Revlon was founded by brothers Charle ...

lipstick commercial, in which she was reportedly spotted by director

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

, who later cast her in several of his films, including ''

Man's Favorite Sport? ''Man's Favorite Sport?'' is a 1964 American screwball comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic ''Bringing Up Baby ...

'' and ''

El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...

''. She was subsequently named "Miss

Sweater Girl The term "sweater girl" was made popular in the 1940s and 1950s to describe Hollywood actresses like Lana Turner, Jayne Mansfield, and Jane Russell, who adopted the popular fashion of wearing tight, form-fitting sweaters that emphasized the wom ...

" in October 1958 by the Wool Bureau. The contest was held in the Crystal Suite of the Savoy Hilton Hotel in New York.

Career

Holt's first credited role was as Lisa, a model, in ''

If a Man Answers ''If a Man Answers'' is a 1962 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Levin (film director), Henry Levin and stars then real-life husband-and-wife Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. It was produced by Ross Hunter, Ross Hunter Productions, Inc ...

'', a 1962 comedy film directed by Henry Levin and starring

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

and

Sandra Dee Sandra Dee (born Alexandra Zuck; April 23, 1942 – February 20, 2005) was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues ...

. Afterwards, she played in many other movies through 1980.

Filmography

* '' Target: The Corruptors'' (1962, TV Series) * ''

'' (1962) – Lisa, Model * ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'' (1962, TV Series) – Evelyn Mason * '' Saints and Sinners'' (1962, TV Series) – Woman Correspondent * '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962) – Guest (uncredited) * '' Island of Love'' (1963) – (uncredited) * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1963, TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 2: "A Nice Touch") – Darlene Vance * '' Burke's Law'' (1963–1964, TV Series) – Cecily Channing / Christy * ''

'' (1964) – Tex Connors * ''

Arrest and Trial ''Arrest and Trial'' is a 90-minute American crime/legal drama series that ran during the 1963–1964 season on ABC, airing Sundays from 8:30-10 pm Eastern. Overview The majority of episodes consists of two segments. Set in Los Angeles, the ...

'' (1964, TV Series) – Fay Carlson * ''

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 four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'' (1965, TV Series) – Helen Cadmus * ''

Red Line 7000 ''Red Line 7000'' is a 1965 American action sports film released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Howard Hawks, who also wrote the story. It stars James Caan, Laura Devon and Marianna Hill in a story about young stock-car racers tryi ...

'' (1965) – Lindy * ''

Honey West Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo. The character is notable as being one of the firs ...

'' (1965, TV Series) – Gloria * '' The Hero'' (1966, TV Series) – Angie * ''

'' (1966) – Maudie * ''

Hour of the Gun ''Hour of the Gun'' is a 1967 Western film depicting Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday during their 1881 battles against Ike Clanton and his brothers in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and the gunfight's aftermath in and around Tombstone, Arizona. ...

'' (1967) – Wife of Harry, the Barber (uncredited) * '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968, TV Series) – Tracey Lewis / Miss Spencer * ''

Zigzag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...

'' (1970) – Sara Raymond * ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'' (1974, TV Movie) – Hippolyte * '' Police Story'' (1975, TV Series) – Maggie * ''

Melvin and Howard ''Melvin and Howard'' (stylized as ''Melvin (and Howard)'') is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as th ...

'' (1980) – Mrs. Worth * ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

'' (1980, TV Series) – Herself (uncredited) (final appearance)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Charlene 1928 births Actresses from Texas American film actresses American television actresses 1996 deaths People from Snyder, Texas 20th-century American actresses Miss Maryland USA winners