Diana Lynn
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Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. She built her career by starring in
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films and various television series during the 1940s and 1950s. Two stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
are dedicated to her name.


Early years

Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loehr, was a concert pianist. Lynn was considered a
child prodigy A child prodigy is, technically, a child under the age of 10 who produces meaningful work in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to describe young people who are extraordinarily talented in some f ...
. She began taking piano lessons at age 4, and by the age of 12 was playing with the Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra. Lynn made her film debut playing the piano in ''They Shall Have Music'' and was once again back at the keyboard, accompanying Susanna Foster, in ''There's Magic in Music'', when it was decided that she had more potential than she had been allowed to show.
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
changed her name to "Diana Lynn" and began casting her in films that allowed her to show her personality and developed her skills as an actress. Her comedic scenes with
Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
in '' The Major and the Minor'' were well received, and in 1944 she scored an outstanding success in
Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...
' ''
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and A ...
''. She appeared in two Henry Aldrich films and played writer Emily Kimbrough in two films '' Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'' and ''Our Hearts Were Growing Up'' both co-starring Gail Russell. After a few more films, she was cast in one of the year's biggest successes, the comedy '' My Friend Irma'' with Marie Wilson as Irma, and
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
and
Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...
in their film debuts. The group reprised their roles for the
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
'' My Friend Irma Goes West'', and five years later Lynn was reunited with Martin and Lewis for one of their last films, '' You're Never Too Young''. During the 1950s, Lynn acted in a number of films, portraying
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...
's daughter in the crime drama '' The People Against O'Hara'' and the female lead in the much lampooned ''
Bedtime for Bonzo ''Bedtime for Bonzo'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Fred de Cordova and starring Ronald Reagan, Diana Lynn, and a chimpanzee named Peggy as Bonzo. Its central character, a psychology professor (Reagan), tries to teach human morals t ...
'' opposite
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
. Lynn co-starred as the schoolteacher in the 1955 film, '' The Kentuckian'', starring Burt Lancaster and Walter Matthau. She also had many TV leading roles during the 1950s, particularly in the middle years of the decade. As a solo pianist, she released at least one single on
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
with backing by the Paul Weston orchestra.


Stage

In 1964, Lynn had a six-month stint on Broadway, replacing
Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...
in '' Mary, Mary''. In the early 1950s, she starred with Maurice Evans in ''
The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It explores the complexities of truth and illusion through the story of a family torn apart by secrets and the intrusion of a ...
'' on Broadway. She also starred in runs of '' The Moon Is Blue'' in the United States and the United Kingdom.


Recordings

In 1947, a three-record album of Lynn's piano playing included Mozart's ''Rondo'', ''Laura'', and ''Body and Soul''.


Later years

She acted frequently in television guest roles throughout the 1960s. By 1970, she had relocated to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where she was running a travel agency. She appeared in ''Company of Killers,'' a film made for television. Paramount then offered her a part in a new film, '' Play It as It Lays'', and after some consideration, Lynn accepted the offer and moved back to Los Angeles. In 1968, Lynn invited her friend
Mart Crowley Edward Martino Crowley (August 21, 1935 – March 7, 2020) was an American playwright best known for his 1968 play '' The Boys in the Band''. Biography Crowley was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After graduating from The Catholic University ...
to housesit for her while she was out of town. While at her house over those five weeks, Crowley wrote the majority of his groundbreaking play about
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
life in America, ''The Boys in the Band''.


Personal life

Lynn married architect John C. Lindsay December 18, 1948; they divorced in June 1953. Lynn was then married in 1956 to Mortimer Hall, son of ''New York Post'' publisher Dorothy Schiff. Lynn's daughter Dolly Hall is a film producer. Another daughter, Margaret "Daisy" Hall, is an alumna of the Emma Willard School for Girls in Troy, New York, and as an actress, has starred in numerous French- and lesser-known American-produced films, during the 1980s, '90s, and 2000s.


Death

Before filming started on ''Play It as It Lays'', Lynn suffered a stroke and died on December 18, 1971, at the age of 45. Lynn was cremated. A funeral service was held at Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City, and a memorial service was held at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California.


Recognition

In 1942, ''Parents'' magazine named Lynn "the most talented juvenile actress." She has two stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
: for motion pictures, at 1625 Vine Street and for television at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.


Partial filmography

*'' They Shall Have Music'' (1939) – Pianist (uncredited) *'' The Hard-Boiled Canary'' (1941) – Dolly Loehr *'' The Major and the Minor'' (1942) – Lucy Hill *'' Star Spangled Rhythm'' (1942) – Herself (uncredited) *'' Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour'' (1943) – Phyllis Michael *''
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and A ...
'' (1944) – Emmy Kockenlocker *'' And the Angels Sing'' (1944) – Josie Angel *'' Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid'' (1944) – Phyllis Michael *'' Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'' (1944) – Emily Kimbrough *'' Out of This World'' (1945) – Betty Miller *'' Duffy's Tavern'' (1945) – Diana Lynn *'' The Bride Wore Boots'' (1946) – Mary Lou Medford *'' Our Hearts Were Growing Up'' (1946) – Emily Kimbrough *'' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) – Connie Donovan *'' Variety Girl'' (1947) – Diana Lynn *'' Ruthless'' (1948) – Martha Burnside / Mallory Flagg *'' Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven'' (1948) – Perry Dunklin *''
Every Girl Should Be Married ''Every Girl Should Be Married'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Don Hartman and starring Cary Grant, Betsy Drake and Franchot Tone. Grant and Drake married a year after the film's release. Plot Department store sales ...
'' (1948) – Julie Howard *'' My Friend Irma'' (1949) – Jane Stacey *'' Paid in Full'' (1950) – Nancy Langley *'' Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950) – Lady Marianne de Beaudray *'' My Friend Irma Goes West'' (1950) – Jane Stacey *'' Peggy'' (1950) – Peggy Brookfield *''
Bedtime for Bonzo ''Bedtime for Bonzo'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Fred de Cordova and starring Ronald Reagan, Diana Lynn, and a chimpanzee named Peggy as Bonzo. Its central character, a psychology professor (Reagan), tries to teach human morals t ...
'' (1951) – Jane Linden *'' The People Against O'Hara'' (1951) – Virginia 'Ginny' Curtayne *'' Meet Me at the Fair'' (1952) – Zerelda Wing *'' Plunder of the Sun'' (1953) – Julie Barnes *'' Track of the Cat'' (1954) – Gwen Williams *'' An Annapolis Story'' (1955) – Peggy Lord *'' You're Never Too Young'' (1955) – Nancy Collins *'' The Kentuckian'' (1955) – Susie Spann *''Company of Killers'' (1970, TV Movie) – Edwina DeSalles (final film role)


Television

*'' The Investigators'' (1961) – episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" *''
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
'' (1961) – episode "Juan Moreno's Body"


Radio appearances


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynn, Diana 1926 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from Los Angeles Capitol Records artists Paramount Pictures contract players Schiff family 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists California Democrats New York (state) Democrats Emma Willard School alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians