Elaine Riley (January 15, 1917 – December 7, 2015) was an American film and television actress.

Early years

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Riley, Riley was born in

East Liverpool, Ohio East Liverpool is a city in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 9,958 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It lies along the Ohio River at the intersection of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia about from both ...

, on January 15, 1917. She won the Miss East Liverpool beauty title and was runner-up for the Miss Ohio title in 1937. Riley also was a graduate of the Traphagen School of Fashion, and was a model for ''Powers and Hattie Carnegie'' model in New York at the age of 18. Using the name Elaine Gray, Riley sang with a dance-music orchestra in several cities, including

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Film

Riley entered Hollywood in 1943 as an extra for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

, debuting in '' Higher and Higher''. She left her job as secretary to the managing director of WINS radio in

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 ...

to pursue her career in movies. In 1946, she signed with

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 ...

, where she became a recurring leading lady for

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He wa ...

. She worked with stars such as William Boyd,

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

, Tim Holt and

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

Television

Riley appeared in two episodes of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'' and in '' The Lineup'' in an episode broadcast on January 4, 1957. Riley also appeared as Mildred Stone in an episode of ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

''. She also appeared in ''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol is a police unit, detail, or law enforcement agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways within a jurisdiction. They are also referred to in many countri ...

'', Episode 101, "Reformation". She appeared in a ''Superman'' episode "The Atomic Captive" in 1958.

Later years

She retired from acting in 1960, having more than 70 credits to her name. In 2004, Elaine Riley won the

Golden Boot Awards The Golden Boot Awards were an American acknowledgement of achievement honoring actors, actresses, and crew members who made significant contributions to the genre of Westerns in television and film. The award was sponsored and presented by th ...

, which honour actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. She died on December 7, 2015, aged 98.

Personal life

In 1946, Riley married actor Richard Martin, whom she met on the set of a film. They only appeared together in one film, '' Rider from Tucson'', from 1950. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1994.

Selected filmography

*''

Gildersleeve on Broadway ''Gildersleeve on Broadway'' is a 1943 American comedy film starring Harold Peary as his radio character The Great Gildersleeve. It is the third of four Gildersleeve features, others were '' The Great Gildersleeve'' (1942), '' Gildersleeve's B ...

'' (1943) as Model *'' Higher and Higher'' (1944) as Bridesmaid *''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...

'' (1944) as Chorine *'' Step Lively'' (1944) as Lois *'' Two O'Clock Courage'' (1945) as Cigarette girl *'' You Came Along'' (1945) as Showgirl *'' The Stork Club'' (1945) as Deb *'' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) (uncredited) *'' Variety Girl'' (1947) as Cashier *'' The Big Clock'' (1948) as Lily Gold *'' Beyond Glory'' (1948) as Nurse *'' False Paradise'' (1948) as Anne Larson *''

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) as Young lady *'' Alias Nick Beal'' (1949) as Telephone girl *'' The Great Lover'' (1950) as Passenger *'' Rider from Tucson'' (1950) as Jane Whipple *''

Where Danger Lives ''Where Danger Lives'' is a 1950 American film noir thriller directed by John Farrow and starring Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue and Claude Rains. Plot Dr. Jeff Cameron treats a mentally disturbed attempted suicide victim. She signs herself o ...

'' (1950) as Nurse Bates * '' The Hills of Utah'' (1951) as Karen McQueen *'' Sailor Beware'' (1952) as Commentator *'' Steel Town'' (1952) as Valerie *..Clipped Wings (1953 film with the Bowery Boys *'' The Caddy'' (1953) as Bathing beauty *'' Pardners'' (1956) as Dance hall girl *'' Wanted Dead or Alive'' (1960) as Panama in "The Partners" episode

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Elaine 1917 births 2015 deaths American film actresses American television actresses People from East Liverpool, Ohio Actresses from Ohio 20th-century American actresses Place of death missing Traphagen School of Fashion alumni 21st-century American women